Reply from the Observatory of Cambridge

           Barbicane,however,lostnotonemomentamidalltheenthusiasmofwhichhehadbecometheobject.Hisfirstcarewastoreassemblehiscolleaguesintheboard-roomoftheGunClub.There,aftersomediscussion,itwasagreedtoconsulttheastronomersregardingtheastronomicalpartoftheenterprise.Theirreplyonceascertained,theycouldthendiscussthemechanicalmeans,andnothingshouldbewantingtoensurethesuccessofthisgreatexperiment.

           Anotecouchedinpreciseterms,containingspecialinterrogatories,wasthendrawnupandaddressedtotheObservatoryofCambridgeinMassachusetts.Thiscity,wherethefirstuniversityoftheUnitedStateswasfounded,isjustlycelebratedforitsastronomicalstaff.Therearetobefoundassembledallthemosteminentmenofscience.HereistobeseenatworkthatpowerfultelescopewhichenabledBondtoresolvethenebulaofAndromeda,andClarketodiscoverthesatelliteofSirius.ThiscelebratedinstitutionfullyjustifiedonallpointstheconfidencereposedinitbytheGunClub.So,aftertwodays,thereplysoimpatientlyawaitedwasplacedinthehandsofPresidentBarbicane.

           Itwascouchedinthefollowingterms:

           TheDirectoroftheCambridgeObservatorytothePresident

           oftheGunClubatBaltimore.

           CAMBRIDGE,October7.