Florida and Texas

           Onequestionremainedyettobedecided;itwasnecessarytochooseafavorablespotfortheexperiment.AccordingtotheadviceoftheObservatoryofCambridge,thegunmustbefiredperpendicularlytotheplaneofthehorizon,thatistosay,towardthezenith.Nowthemoondoesnottraversethezenith,exceptinplacessituatedbetween0°and28°oflatitude.Itbecame,then,necessarytodetermineexactlythatspotontheglobewheretheimmenseColumbiadshouldbecast.

           Onthe20thofOctober,atageneralmeetingoftheGunClub,BarbicaneproducedamagnificentmapoftheUnitedStates."Gentlemen,"saidhe,inopeningthediscussion,"IpresumethatweareallagreedthatthisexperimentcannotandoughtnottobetriedanywherebutwithinthelimitsofthesoiloftheUnion.Now,bygoodfortune,certainfrontiersoftheUnitedStatesextenddownwardasfarasthe28thparallelofthenorthlatitude.Ifyouwillcastyoureyeoverthismap,youwillseethatwehaveatourdisposalthewholeofthesouthernportionofTexasandFlorida."

           Itwasfinallyagreed,then,thattheColumbiadmustbecastonthesoilofeitherTexasorFlorida.Theresult,however,ofthisdecisionwastocreatearivalryentirelywithoutprecedentbetweenthedifferenttownsofthesetwoStates.

           The28thparallel,onreachingtheAmericancoast,traversesthepeninsulaofFlorida,dividingitintotwonearlyequalportions.