“And in the sun?”
“In the sun, though its density is four times
less than that of the earth, its volume is thirteen
hundred and twenty-four thousand times greater, and
gravitation there is twenty-seven times greater than
upon the surface of our globe. Every proportion
kept, the inhabitants ought on an average to be two
hundred feet high.”
“The devil!” exclaimed Michel. “I
should only be a pigmy!”
“Gulliver amongst the giants,” said Nicholl.
“Just so,” answered Barbicane.
“It would not have been a bad thing to carry
some pieces of artillery to defend oneself with.”
“Good,” replied Barbicane; “your
bullets would have no effect on the sun, and they
would fall to the ground in a few minutes.”
“That’s saying a great deal!”
“It is a fact,” answered Barbicane.
“Gravitation is so great on that enormous planet
that an object weighing 70 lbs. on the earth would
weigh 1,930 lbs. on the surface of the sun. Your
hat would weigh 20 lbs.! your cigar 1/2 lb.!
Lastly, if you fell on the solar continent your weight
would be so great—about 5,000 lbs.—that
you could not get up again.”
“The devil!” said Michel, “I should
have to carry about a portable crane! Well, my
friends, let us be content with the moon for to-day.
There, at least, we shall cut a great figure!
Later on we shall see if we will go to the sun, where
you can’t drink without a crane to lift the
glass to your mouth.”
THE CONSEQUENCES OF DEVIATION.
Barbicane had now no fear, if not about the issue
of the journey, at least about the projectile’s
force of impulsion. Its own speed would carry
it beyond the neutral line. Therefore it would
not return to the earth nor remain motionless upon
the point of attraction. One hypothesis only
remained to be realised, the arrival of the bullet
at its goal under the action of lunar attraction.
In reality it was a fall of 8,296 leagues upon a planet,
it is true, where the gravity is six times less than
upon the earth. Nevertheless it would be a terrible
fall, and one against which all precautions ought to
be taken without delay.
These precautions were of two sorts; some were for
the purpose of deadening the shock at the moment the
projectile would touch lunar ground; others were to
retard the shock, and so make it less violent.
In order to deaden the shock, it was a pity that Barbicane
was no longer able to employ the means that had so
usefully weakened the shock at departure—that
is to say, the water used as a spring and the movable
partitions. The partitions still existed, but
water was wanting, for they could not use the reserve
for this purpose—that would be precious
in case the liquid element should fail on the lunar
soil.
Besides, this reserve would not have been sufficient
for a spring. The layer of water stored in the
projectile at their departure, and on which lay the
waterproof disc, occupied no less than three feet in
depth, and spread over a surface of not less than
fifty-four feet square. Now the receptacles did
not contain the fifth part of that. They were
therefore obliged to give up this effectual means
of deadening the shock.
