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President Barbicane’s Communication
There,onthosevastplains,theyweretodescribeenormousgeometricfigures,drawnincharactersofreflectingluminosity,amongwhichwasthepropositionregardingthe‘squareofthehypothenuse,’commonlycalledthe‘Ass’sBridge’bytheFrench.‘Everyintelligentbeing,’saidthegeometrician,‘mustunderstandthescientificmeaningofthatfigure.TheSelenites,dotheyexist,willrespondbyasimilarfigure;and,acommunicationbeingthusonceestablished,itwillbeeasytoformanalphabetwhichshallenableustoconversewiththeinhabitantsofthemoon.’SospoketheGermangeometrician;buthisprojectwasneverputintopractice,anduptothepresentdaythereisnobondinexistencebetweentheEarthandhersatellite.ItisreservedforthepracticalgeniusofAmericanstoestablishacommunicationwiththesiderealworld.Themeansofarrivingthitheraresimple,easy,certain,infallible—andthatisthepurposeofmypresentproposal."
Astormofacclamationsgreetedthesewords.Therewasnotasinglepersoninthewholeaudiencewhowasnotovercome,carriedaway,liftedoutofhimselfbythespeaker’swords!
Long-continuedapplauseresoundedfromallsides.
Assoonastheexcitementhadpartiallysubsided,Barbicaneresumedhisspeechinasomewhatgravervoice.
"Youknow,"saidhe,"whatprogressartillerysciencehasmadeduringthelastfewyears,andwhatadegreeofperfectionfirearmsofeverykindhavereached
