Подорож на Місяць

           So,onthe6thofOctober,CaptainNichollopenedanaccountbetweenhimselfandPresidentBarbicane,inwhichhedebitedhimselftothelatterinthesumoftwothousanddollars.Onemaybelievethatthecaptain’swrathwasincreasedtoitshighestpoint,andmusthavemadehimseriouslyill.However,hehadstillthreebetsofthree,four,andfivethousanddollars,respectively;andifhegainedtwooutofthese,hispositionwouldnotbeverybad.Butthemoneyquestiondidnotenterintohiscalculations;itwasthesuccessofhisrivalincastingacannonagainstwhichironplatessixtyfeetthickwouldhavebeenineffectual,thatdealthimaterribleblow.

           Afterthe23rdofSeptembertheenclosureofStoneshillwasthrownopentothepublic;anditwillbeeasilyimaginedwhatwastheconcourseofvisitorstothisspot!TherewasanincessantflowofpeopletoandfromTampaTownandtheplace,whichresembledaprocession,orrather,infact,apilgrimage.

           Itwasalreadycleartobeseenthat,onthedayoftheexperimentitself,theaggregateofspectatorswouldbecountedbymillions;fortheywerealreadyarrivingfromallpartsoftheearthuponthisnarrowstripofpromontory.EuropewasemigratingtoAmerica.

           Uptothattime,however,itmustbeconfessed,thecuriosityofthenumerouscomerswasbutscantilygratified.Mosthadcounteduponwitnessingthespectacleofthecasting,andtheyweretreatedtonothingbutsmoke.Thiswassorryfoodforhungryeyes;butBarbicanewouldadmitnoonetothatoperation.