and　the　most　logical　language　to　those　who　know　how　to　read　it。〃
  〃And　you　pretend；　Nicholl；〃　asked　Michel；　〃that　by　means　of
  these　hieroglyphics；　more　incomprehensible　than　the　Egyptian
  Ibis；　you　can　find　what　initiatory　speed　it　was　necessary　to
  give　the　projectile？〃
  〃Incontestably；〃　replied　Nicholl；　〃and　even　by　this　same　formula
  I　can　always　tell　you　its　speed　at　any　point　of　its　transit。〃
  〃On　your　word？〃
  〃On　my　word。〃
  〃Then　you　are　as　cunning　as　our　president。〃
  〃No；　Michel；　the　difficult　part　is　what　Barbicane　has　done；　that
  is；　to　get　an　equation　which　shall　satisfy　all　the　conditions　of
  the　problem。　　The　remainder　is　only　a　question　of　arithmetic；
  requiring　merely　the　knowledge　of　the　four　rules。〃
  〃That　is　something！〃　replied　Michel　Ardan；　who　for　his　life
  could　not　do　addition　right；　and　who　defined　the　rule　as　a
  Chinese　puzzle；　which　allowed　one　to　obtain　all　sorts　of　totals。
  〃The　expression　_v_　zero；　which　you　see　in　that　equation；　is　the
  speed　which　the　projectile　will　have　on　leaving　the　atmosphere。〃
  〃Just　so；〃　said　Nicholl；　〃it　is　from　that　point　that　we　must
  calculate　the　velocity；　since　we　know　already　that　the　velocity
  at　departure　was　exactly　one　and　a　half　times　more　than　on
  leaving　the　atmosphere。〃
  〃I　understand　no　more；〃　said　Michel。
  〃It　is　a　very　simple　calculation；〃　said　Barbicane。
  〃Not　as　simple　as　I　am；〃　retorted　Michel。
  〃That　means；　that　when　our　projectile　reached　the　limits　of　the
  terrestrial　atmosphere　it　had　already　lost　one…third　of　its
  initiatory　speed。〃
  〃As　much　as　that？〃
  〃Yes；　my　friend；　merely　by　friction　against　the　atmospheric　strata。
  You　understand　that　the　faster　it　goes　the　more　resistance　it　meets
  with　from　the　air。〃
  〃That　I　admit；〃　answered　Michel；　〃and　I　understand　it；
  although　your　x's　and　zero's；　and　algebraic　formula；　are
  rattling　in　my　head　like　nails　in　a　bag。〃
  〃First　effects　of　algebra；〃　replied　Barbicane；　〃and　now；　to
  finish；　we　are　going　to　prove　the　given　number　of　these
  different　expressions；　that　is；　work　out　their　value。〃
  〃Finish　me！〃　replied　Michel。
  Barbicane　took　the　paper；　and　began　to　make　his　calculations
  with　great　rapidity。　　Nicholl　looked　over　and　greedily　read　the
  work　as　it　proceeded。
  〃That's　it！　that's　it！〃　at　last　he　cried。
  〃Is　it　clear？〃　asked　Barbicane。
  〃It　is　written　in　letters　of　fire；〃　said　Nicholl。
  〃Wonderful　fellows！〃　muttered　Ardan。
  〃Do　you　understand　it　at　last？〃　asked　Barbicane。
  〃Do　I　understand　it？〃　cried　Ardan；　〃my　head　is　splitting　with　it。〃
  〃And　now；〃　said　Nicholl；　〃to　find　out　the　speed　of　the
  projectile　when　it　leaves　the　atmosphere；　we　have　only　to
  calculate　that。〃
  The　captain；　as　a　practical　man　equal　to　all　difficulties；　began
  to　write　with　frightful　rapidity。　　Divisions　and　multiplications
  grew　under　his　fingers；　the　figures　were　like　hail　on　the　white　page。
  Barbicane　watched　him；　while　Michel　Ardan　nursed　a　growing　headache
  with　both　hands。
  〃Very　well？〃　asked　Barbicane；　after　some　minutes'　silence。
  〃Well！〃　replied　Nicholl；　every　calculation　made；　_v_　zero；　that
  is　to　say；　the　speed　necessary　for　the　projectile　on　leaving　the
  atmosphere；　to　enable　it　to　reach　the　equal　point　of　attraction；
  ought　to　be〃
  〃Yes？〃　said　Barbicane。
  〃Twelve　thousand　yards。〃
  〃What！〃　exclaimed　Barbicane；　starting；　〃you　say〃
  〃Twelve　thousand　yards。〃
  〃The　devil！〃　cried　the　president；　making　a　gesture　of　despair。
  〃What　is　the　matter？〃　asked　Michel　Ardan；　much　surprised。
  〃What　is　the　matter！　why；　if　at　this　moment　our　speed　had
  already　diminished　one…third　by　friction；　the　initiatory　speed
  ought　to　have　been〃
  〃Seventeen　thousand　yards。〃
  〃And　the　Cambridge　Observatory　declared　that　twelve　thousand
  yards　was　enough　at　starting；　and　our　projectile；　which　only
  started　with　that　speed〃
  〃Well？〃　asked　Nicholl。
  〃Well；　it　will　not　be　enough。〃
  〃Good。〃
  〃We　shall　not　be　able　to　reach　the　neutral　point。〃
  〃The　deuce！〃
  〃We　shall　not　even　get　halfway。〃
  〃In　the　name　of　the　projectile！〃　exclaimed　Michel　Ardan；　jumping
  as　if　it　was　already　on　the　point　of　striking　the　terrestrial　globe。
  〃And　we　shall　fall　back　upon　the　earth！〃
  CHAPTER　V
  THE　COLD　OF　SPACE
  This　revelation　came　like　a　thunderbolt。　　Who　could　have
  expected　such　an　error　in　calculation？　　Barbicane　would　not
  believe　it。　　Nicholl　revised　his　figures：　they　were　exact。
  As　to　the　formula　which　had　determined　them；　they　could　not
  suspect　its　truth；　it　was　evident　that　an　initiatory　velocity　of
  seventeen　thousand　yards　in　the　first　second　was　necessary　to
  enable　them　to　reach　the　neutral　point。
  The　three　friends　looked　at　each　other　silently。　　There　was　no
  thought　of　breakfast。　　Barbicane；　with　clenched　teeth；　knitted
  brows；　and　hands　clasped　convulsively；　was　watching　through
  the　window。　　Nicholl　had　crossed　his　arms；　and　was　examining
  his　calculations。　　Michel　Ardan　was　muttering：
  〃That　is　just　like　these　scientific　men：　　they　never　do　anything　else。
  I　would　give　twenty　pistoles　if　we　could　fall　upon　the　Cambridge
  Observatory　and　crush　it；　together　with　the　whole　lot　of　dabblers
  in　figures　which　it　contains。〃
  Suddenly　a　thought　struck　the　captain；　which　he　at　once
  communicated　to　Barbicane。
  〃Ah！〃　said　he；　〃it　is　seven　o'clock　in　the　morning；　we　have
  already　been　gone　thirty…two　hours；　more　than　half　our　passage
  is　over；　and　we　are　not　falling　that　I　am　aware　of。〃
  Barbicane　did　not　answer；　but　after　a　rapid　glance　at　the
  captain；　took　a　pair　of　compasses　wherewith　to　measure　the
  angular　distance　of　the　terrestrial　globe；　then　from　the　lower
  window　he　took　an　exact　observation；　and　noticed　that　the
  projectile　was　apparently　stationary。　　Then　rising　and　wiping
  his　forehead；　on　which　large　drops　of　perspiration　were
  standing；　he　put　some　figures　on　paper。　　Nicholl　understood　that
  the　president　was　deducting　from　the　terrestrial　diameter　the
  projectile's　distance　from　the　earth。　　He　watched　him　anxiously。
  〃No；〃　exclaimed　Barbicane；　after　some　moments；　〃no；　we　are　not
  falling！　no；　we　are　already　more　than　50；000　leagues　from　the　earth。
  We　have　passed　the　point　at　which　the　projectile　would　have　stopped
  if　its　speed　had　only　been　12；000　yards　at　starting。　　We　are　still
  going　up。〃
  〃That　is　evident；〃　replied　Nicholl；　〃and　we　must　conclude　that
  our　initial　speed；　under　the　power　of　the　400；000　pounds　of
  gun…cotton；　must　have　exceeded　the　required　12；000　yards。
  Now　I　can　understand　how；　after　thirteen　minutes　only；　we　met　the
  second　satellite；　which　gravitates　round　the　earth　at　more　than
  2；000　leagues'　distance。〃
  〃And　this　explanation　is　the　more　probable；〃　added　Barbicane；
  〃Because；　in　throwing　off　the　water　enclosed　between　its
  partition…breaks；　the　projectile　found　itself　lightened　of　a
  considerable　weight。〃
  〃Just　so；〃　said　Nicholl。
  〃Ah；　my　brave　Nicholl；　we　are　saved！〃
  〃Very　well　then；〃　said　Michel　Ardan　quietly；　〃as　we　are　safe；
  let　us　have　breakfast。〃
  Nicholl　was　not　mistaken。　　The　initial　speed　had　been；　very
  fortunately；　much　above　that　estimated　by　the　Cambridge
  Observatory；　but　the　Cambridge　Observatory　had　nevertheless　made
  a　mistake。
  The　travelers；　recovered　from　this　false　alarm；　breakfasted　merrily。
  If　they　ate　a　good　deal；　they　talked　more。　　Their　confidence　was
  greater　after　than　before　〃the　incident　of　the　algebra。〃
  〃Why　should　we　not　succeed？〃　said　Michel　Ardan；　〃why　should　we
  not　arrive　safely？　　We　are　launched；　we　have　no　obstacle　before
  us；　no　stones　in　the　way；　the　road　is　open；　more　so　than　that　of
  a　ship　battling　with　the　sea；　more　open　than　that　of　a　balloon
  battling　with　the　wind；　and　if　a　ship　can　reach　its　destination；
  a　balloon　go　where　it　pleases；　why　cannot　our　projectile　attain
  its　end　and　aim？〃
  〃It　_will_　attain　it；〃　said　Barbicane。
  〃If　only　to　do　honor　to　the　Americans；〃　added　Michel　Ardan；　〃the
  only　people　who　could　bring　such　an　enterprise　to　a　happy　termination；
  and　the　only　one　which　could　produce　a　President　Barbicane。　　Ah；　now
  we　are　no　longer　uneasy；　I　begin　to　think；　What　will　become　of　us？
  We　shall　get　right　royally　weary。〃
  Barbicane　and　Nicholl　made　a　gesture　of　denial。
  〃But　I　have　provided　for　the　contingency；　my　friends；〃　replied
  Michel；　〃you　have　only　to　speak；　and　I　have　chess；　draughts；
  cards；　and　dominoes　at　your　disposal；　nothing　is　wanting　but　a
  billiard…table。〃
  〃What！〃　exclaimed　Barbicane；　〃you　brought　away　such　trifles？〃
  〃Certainly；〃　replied　Michel；　〃and　not　only　to　distract
  ourselves；　but　also　with　the　laudable　intention　of　endowing　the
  Selenite　smoking　divans　with　them。〃
  〃My　friend；〃　said　Barbicane；　〃if　the　moon　is　inhabited；　its
  inhabitants　must　have　appeared　some　thousands　of　years　before
  those　of　the　earth；　for　we　cannot　doubt　that　their　star　is　much
  older　than　ours。　　If　then　these　Selenites　have　existed　their
  hundreds　of　thousands　of　years；　and　if　their　brain　is　of　the　same
  organization　of　the　human　brain；　they　have　already　invented　all
  that　we　have　invented；　and　even　what　we　may　invent　in　future　ages。
  They　have　nothing　to　learn　from　_us_；　and　we　have　everything　to
  learn　from　_them_。〃
  〃What！〃　said　Michel；　〃you　believe　that　they　have　artists　like
  Phidias；　Michael　Angelo；　or　Rap