FINAL DETAILS.
It was the 22nd of November; the departure was to take place in ten days.
One operation alone remained to be accomplished to bring all to a happy
termination; an operation delicate and perilous, requiring infinite
precautions, and against the success of which Captain Nicholl had laid
his third bet. It was, in fact, nothing less than the loading of the
Columbiad, and the introduction into it of 400,000 pounds of gun-cotton.
Nicholl had thought, not perhaps without reason, that the handling of
such formidable quantities of pyroxyle would, in all probability, involve
a grave catastrophe; and at any rate, that this immense mass of eminently
inflammable matter would inevitably ignite when submitted to the pressure
of the projectile.
There were indeed dangers accruing as before from the carelessness of
the Americans, but Barbicane had set his heart on success, and took all
possible precautions. In the first place, he was very careful as to the
transportation of the gun-cotton to Stones Hill. He had it conveyed in
small quantities, carefully packed in sealed cases. These were brought
by rail from Tampa Town to the camp, and from thence were taken to the
Columbiad by barefooted workmen, who deposited them in their places by
means of cranes placed at the orifice of the cannon. No steam-engine was
permitted to work, and every fire was extinguished within two miles of
the works.
Even in November they feared to work by day, lest the sun's rays acting
on the gun-cotton might lead to unhappy results. This led to their
working at night, by light produced in a vacuum by means of Rühmkorff's
apparatus, which threw an artificial brightness into the depths of the
Columbiad. There the cartridges were arranged with the utmost regularity,
connected by a metallic thread, destined to communicate to them all
simultaneously the electric spark, by which means this mass of gun-cotton
was eventually to be ignited.
By the 28th of November 800 cartridges had been placed in the bottom
of the Columbiad. So far the operation had been successful! But what
confusion, what anxieties, what struggles were undergone by President
Barbicane! In vain had he refused admission to Stones Hill; every day
the inquisitive neighbours scaled the palisades, some even carrying
their imprudence to the point of smoking while surrounded by bales of
gun-cotton. Barbicane was in a perpetual state of alarm. J. T. Maston
seconded him to the best of his ability, by giving vigorous chase to the
intruders, and carefully picking up the still lighted cigar ends which
the Yankees threw about. A somewhat difficult task! seeing that more
than 300,000 persons were gathered round the enclosure. Michel Ardan
had volunteered to superintend the transport of the cartridges to the
mouth of the Columbiad; but the president, having surprised him with an
enormous cigar in his mouth, while he was hunting out the rash spectators
to whom he himself offered so dangerous an example, saw that he could not
trust this fearless smoker, and was therefore obliged to mount a special
guard over him.
At last, Providence being propitious, this wonderful loading came to
a happy termination, Captain Nicholl's third bet being thus lost. It
remained now to introduce the projectile into the Columbiad, and to place
it on its soft bed of gun-cotton.
But before doing this, all those things necessary for the journey had to
be carefully arranged in the projectile-vehicle. These necessaries were
numerous; and had Ardan been allowed to follow his own wishes, there
would have been no space remaining for the travellers. It is impossible
to conceive of half the things this charming Frenchman wished to convey to
the moon. A veritable stock of useless trifles! But Barbicane interfered
and refused admission to anything not absolutely needed. Several
thermometers, barometers, and telescopes were packed in the instrument
case.
The travellers being desirous of examining the moon carefully during
their voyage, in order to facilitate their studies, they took with them
Bœer and Moedler's excellent _Mappa Selenographica_, a masterpiece of
patience and observation, which they hoped would enable them to identify
those physical features in the moon, with which they were acquainted.
This map reproduced with scrupulous fidelity the smallest details of the
lunar surface which faces the earth; the mountains, valleys, craters,
peaks, and ridges were all represented, with their exact dimensions,
relative positions, and names; from the mountains Doërfel and Leibnitz
on the eastern side of the disc, to the _Mare frigoris_ of the North
Pole.
They took also three rifles and three fowling-pieces, and a large quantity
of balls, shot, and powder.
"We cannot tell whom we shall have to deal with," said Michel Ardan. "Men
or beasts may possibly object to our visit. It is only wise to take all
precautions."
These defensive weapons were accompanied by pickaxes, crowbars, saws,
and other useful implements, not to mention clothing adapted to every
temperature, from that of the polar regions to that of the torrid zone.
Ardan wished to convey a number of animals of different sorts (not
indeed a pair of every known species), as he could not see the necessity
of acclimatizing serpents, tigers, alligators, or any other noxious
beasts in the moon. "Nevertheless," he said to Barbicane, "some valuable
and useful beasts, bullocks, cows, horses, and donkeys, would bear the
journey very well, and would also be very useful to us."
"I dare say, my dear Ardan," replied the president, "but our
projectile-vehicle is no Noah's ark, from which it differs both in
dimensions and object. Let us confine ourselves to possibilities."
Illustration: THE INTERIOR OF THE PROJECTILE.
After a prolonged discussion, it was agreed that the travellers should
restrict themselves to a sporting-dog belonging to Nicholl, and to a
large Newfoundland. Several packets of seeds were also included among the
necessaries. Michel Ardan, indeed, was anxious to add some sacks full of
earth to sow them in; as it was, he took a dozen shrubs carefully wrapped
up in straw to plant in the moon.
The important question of provisions still remained; it being necessary
to provide against the possibility of their finding the moon absolutely
barren. Barbicane managed so successfully, that he supplied them with
sufficient rations for a year. These consisted of preserved meats and
vegetables, reduced by strong hydraulic pressure to the smallest possible
dimensions. They were also supplied with brandy, and took water enough
for two months, being confident, from astronomical observations, that
there was no lack of water on the moon's surface. As to provisions,
doubtless the inhabitants of the _earth_ would find nourishment somewhere
in the _moon_. Ardan never questioned this; indeed, had he done so, he
would never have undertaken the journey.
"Besides," he said one day to his friends, "we shall not be completely
abandoned by our terrestrial friends; they will take care not to forget
us."
"No, indeed!" replied J. T. Maston.
"What do you mean?" asked Nicholl.
"Nothing would be simpler," replied Ardan; "the Columbiad will be always
there. Well! whenever the moon is in a favourable condition as to the
zenith, if not to the perigee, that is to say about once a year, could
you not send us a shell packed with provisions, which we might expect on
some appointed day?"
"Hurrah! hurrah!" cried J. T. Maston; "what an ingenious fellow! what a
splendid idea! Indeed, my good friends, we shall not forget you!"
"I shall reckon upon you! Then, you see, we shall receive news regularly
from the earth, and we shall indeed be stupid if we hit upon no plan for
communicating with our good friends here!"
These words inspired such confidence, that Michel Ardan carried all the
Gun Club with him in his enthusiasm. What he said seemed so simple and
so easy, so sure of success, that none could be so sordidly attached to
this earth as to hesitate to follow the three travellers on their lunar
expedition.
All being ready at last, it remained to place the projectile in the
Columbiad, an operation abundantly accompanied by dangers and difficulties.
The enormous shell was conveyed to the summit of Stones Hill. There,
powerful cranes raised it, and held it suspended over the mouth of the
cylinder.
It was a fearful moment! What if the chains should break under its
enormous weight? The sudden fall of such a body would inevitably cause
the gun-cotton to explode!
Fortunately this did not happen; and some hours later the
projectile-vehicle descended gently into the heart of the cannon and
rested on its couch of pyroxyle, a veritable bed of explosive eider-down.
Its pressure had no result, other than the more effectual ramming down
of the charge of the Columbiad.
"I have lost," said the Captain, who forthwith paid President Barbicane
the sum of 3000 dollars.
Barbicane did not wish to accept the money from one of his
fellow-travellers, but gave way at last before the determination of
Nicholl, who wished before leaving the earth to fulfil all his
engagements.
"Now," said Michel Ardan, "I have only one thing more to wish for you,
my brave Captain."
"What is that?" asked Nicholl.
"It is that you may lose your two other bets! Then we shall be sure not
to be stopped on our journey!"
Illustration: AN INNUMERABLE MULTITUDE COVERED THE PRAIRIE ROUND STONE'S
HILL.