2；000　leagues　from　the　earth。　　But　then；　at　a　distance　which　for
  three　hours　in　the　morning　did　not　exceed　sixty…five　miles；　and
  in　a　medium　free　from　all　atmospheric　disturbances；　these
  instruments　could　reduce　the　lunar　surface　to　within　less　than
  1；500　yards！
  CHAPTER　XI
  FANCY　AND　REALITY
  〃Have　you　ever　seen　the　moon？〃　asked　a　professor；　ironically；
  of　one　of　his　pupils。
  〃No；　sir！〃　replied　the　pupil；　still　more　ironically；　〃but　I　must
  say　I　have　heard　it　spoken　of。〃
  In　one　sense；　the　pupil's　witty　answer　might　be　given　by　a　large
  majority　of　sublunary　beings。　　How　many　people　have　heard　speak
  of　the　moon　who　have　never　seen　it　at　least　through　a　glass　or
  a　telescope！　　How　many　have　never　examined　the　map　of　their　satellite！
  In　looking　at　a　selenographic　map；　one　peculiarity　strikes　us。
  Contrary　to　the　arrangement　followed　for　that　of　the　Earth　and
  Mars；　the　continents　occupy　more　particularly　the　southern
  hemisphere　of　the　lunar　globe。　　These　continents　do　not　show
  such　decided；　clear；　and　regular　boundary　lines　as　South
  America；　Africa；　and　the　Indian　peninsula。　　Their　angular；
  capricious；　and　deeply　indented　coasts　are　rich　in　gulfs
  and　peninsulas。　　They　remind　one　of　the　confusion　in　the
  islands　of　the　Sound；　where　the　land　is　excessively　indented。
  If　navigation　ever　existed　on　the　surface　of　the　moon；　it　must
  have　been　wonderfully　difficult　and　dangerous；　and　we　may　well
  pity　the　Selenite　sailors　and　hydrographers；　the　former；　when
  they　came　upon　these　perilous　coasts；　the　latter　when　they
  took　the　soundings　of　its　stormy　banks。
  We　may　also　notice　that；　on　the　lunar　sphere；　the　south　pole　is
  much　more　continental　than　the　north　pole。　　On　the　latter；　there
  is　but　one　slight　strip　of　land　separated　from　other　continents
  by　vast　seas。　　Toward　the　south；　continents　clothe　almost　the
  whole　of　the　hemisphere。　　It　is　even　possible　that　the　Selenites
  have　already　planted　the　flag　on　one　of　their　poles；　while
  Franklin；　Ross；　Kane；　Dumont；　d'Urville；　and　Lambert　have　never
  yet　been　able　to　attain　that　unknown　point　of　the　terrestrial　globe。
  As　to　islands；　they　are　numerous　on　the　surface　of　the　moon。
  Nearly　all　oblong　or　circular；　and　as　if　traced　with　the
  compass；　they　seem　to　form　one　vast　archipelago；　equal　to　that
  charming　group　lying　between　Greece　and　Asia　Minor；　and　which
  mythology　in　ancient　times　adorned　with　most　graceful　legends。
  Involuntarily　the　names　of　Naxos；　Tenedos；　and　Carpathos；　rise
  before　the　mind；　and　we　seek　vainly　for　Ulysses'　vessel　or　the
  〃clipper〃　of　the　Argonauts。　　So　at　least　it　was　in　Michel
  Ardan's　eyes。　　To　him　it　was　a　Grecian　archipelago　that　he　saw
  on　the　map。　　To　the　eyes　of　his　matter…of…fact　companions；　the
  aspect　of　these　coasts　recalled　rather　the　parceled…out　land　of
  New　Brunswick　and　Nova　Scotia；　and　where　the　Frenchman
  discovered　traces　of　the　heroes　of　fable；　these　Americans
  were　marking　the　most　favorable　points　for　the　establishment
  of　stores　in　the　interests　of　lunar　commerce　and　industry。
  After　wandering　over　these　vast　continents；　the　eye　is　attracted
  by　the　still　greater　seas。　　Not　only　their　formation；　but　their
  situation　and　aspect　remind　one　of　the　terrestrial　oceans；　but
  again；　as　on　earth；　these　seas　occupy　the　greater　portion　of
  the　globe。　　But　in　point　of　fact；　these　are　not　liquid　spaces；
  but　plains；　the　nature　of　which　the　travelers　hoped　soon
  to　determine。　　Astronomers；　we　must　allow；　have　graced　these
  pretended　seas　with　at　least　odd　names；　which　science　has
  respected　up　to　the　present　time。　　Michel　Ardan　was　right　when
  he　compared　this　map　to　a　〃Tendre　card；〃　got　up　by　a　Scudary　or
  a　Cyrano　de　Bergerac。　　〃Only；〃　said　he；　〃it　is　no　longer　the
  sentimental　card　of　the　seventeenth　century；　it　is　the　card　of
  life；　very　neatly　divided　into　two　parts；　one　feminine；　the
  other　masculine；　the　right　hemisphere　for　woman；　the　left　for　man。〃
  In　speaking　thus；　Michel　made　his　prosaic　companions　shrug
  their　shoulders。　　Barbicane　and　Nicholl　looked　upon　the　lunar
  map　from　a　very　different　point　of　view　to　that　of　their
  fantastic　friend。　　Nevertheless；　their　fantastic　friend　was　a
  little　in　the　right。　　Judge　for　yourselves。
  In　the　left　hemisphere　stretches　the　〃Sea　of　Clouds；〃　where
  human　reason　is　so　often　shipwrecked。　　Not　far　off　lies　the　〃Sea
  of　Rains；〃　fed　by　all　the　fever　of　existence。　　Near　this　is　the
  〃Sea　of　Storms；〃　where　man　is　ever　fighting　against　his
  passions；　which　too　often　gain　the　victory。　　Then；　worn　out　by
  deceit；　treasons；　infidelity；　and　the　whole　body　of　terrestrial
  misery；　what　does　he　find　at　the　end　of　his　career？　that　vast
  〃Sea　of　Humors；〃　barely　softened　by　some　drops　of　the　waters
  from　the　〃Gulf　of　Dew！〃　　Clouds；　rain；　storms；　and　humors　does
  the　life　of　man　contain　aught　but　these？　and　is　it　not　summed　up
  in　these　four　words？
  The　right　hemisphere；　〃dedicated　to　the　ladies；〃　encloses
  smaller　seas；　whose　significant　names　contain　every　incident　of
  a　feminine　existence。　　There　is　the　〃Sea　of　Serenity；〃　over
  which　the　young　girl　bends；　〃The　Lake　of　Dreams；〃　reflecting　a
  joyous　future；　〃The　Sea　of　Nectar；〃　with　its　waves　of　tenderness
  and　breezes　of　love；　〃The　Sea　of　Fruitfulness；〃　〃The　Sea　of
  Crises；〃　then　the　〃Sea　of　Vapors；〃　whose　dimensions　are　perhaps
  a　little　too　confined；　and　lastly；　that　vast　〃Sea　of
  Tranquillity；〃　in　which　every　false　passion；　every　useless
  dream；　every　unsatisfied　desire　is　at　length　absorbed；　and　whose
  waves　emerge　peacefully　into　the　〃Lake　of　Death！〃
  What　a　strange　succession　of　names！　　What　a　singular　division　of
  the　moon's　two　hemispheres；　joined　to　one　another　like　man　and
  woman；　and　forming　that　sphere　of　life　carried　into　space！
  And　was　not　the　fantastic　Michel　right　in　thus　interpreting　the
  fancies　of　the　ancient　astronomers？　　But　while　his　imagination
  thus　roved　over　〃the　seas；〃　his　grave　companions　were　considering
  things　more　geographically。　　They　were　learning　this　new　world
  by　heart。　　They　were　measuring　angles　and　diameters。
  CHAPTER　XII
  OROGRAPHIC　DETAILS
  The　course　taken　by　the　projectile；　as　we　have　before　remarked；　was
  bearing　it　toward　the　moon's　northern　hemisphere。　　The　travelers
  were　far　from　the　central　point　which　they　would　have　struck；
  had　their　course　not　been　subject　to　an　irremediable　deviation。
  It　was　past　midnight；　and　Barbicane　then　estimated　the　distance
  at　seven　hundred　and　fifty　miles；　which　was　a　little　greater　than
  the　length　of　the　lunar　radius；　and　which　would　diminish　as　it
  advanced　nearer　to　the　North　Pole。　　The　projectile　was　then　not
  at　the　altitude　of　the　equator；　but　across　the　tenth　parallel；
  and　from　that　latitude；　carefully　taken　on　the　map　to　the　pole；
  Barbicane　and　his　two　companions　were　able　to　observe　the　moon
  under　the　most　favorable　conditions。　　Indeed；　by　means　of　glasses；
  the　above…named　distance　was　reduced　to　little　more　than
  fourteen　miles。　　The　telescope　of　the　Rocky　Mountains　brought
  the　moon　much　nearer；　but　the　terrestrial　atmosphere　singularly
  lessened　its　power。　　Thus　Barbicane；　posted　in　his　projectile；
  with　the　glasses　to　his　eyes；　could　seize　upon　details　which　were
  almost　imperceptible　to　earthly　observers。
  〃My　friends；〃　said　the　president；　in　a　serious　voice；　〃I　do　not
  know　whither　we　are　going；　I　do　not　know　if　we　shall　ever　see
  the　terrestrial　globe　again。　　Nevertheless；　let　us　proceed　as　if
  our　work　would　one　day　by　useful　to　our　fellow…men。　　Let　us　keep
  our　minds　free　from　every　other　consideration。　　We　are
  astronomers；　and　this　projectile　is　a　room　in　the　Cambridge
  University；　carried　into　space。　　Let　us　make　our　observations！〃
  This　said；　work　was　begun　with　great　exactness；　and　they
  faithfully　reproduced　the　different　aspects　of　the　moon；
  at　the　different　distances　which　the　projectile　reached。
  At　the　time　that　the　projectile　was　as　high　as　the　tenth
  parallel；　north　latitude；　it　seemed　rigidly　to　follow　the
  twentieth　degree；　east　longitude。　　We　must　here　make　one
  important　remark　with　regard　to　the　map　by　which　they　were
  taking　observations。　　In　the　selenographical　maps　where；　on
  account　of　the　reversing　of　the　objects　by　the　glasses；　the
  south　is　above　and　the　north　below；　it　would　seem　natural　that；
  on　account　of　that　inversion；　the　east　should　be　to　the　left
  hand；　and　the　west　to　the　right。　　But　it　is　not　so。　　If　the　map
  were　turned　upside　down；　showing　the　moon　as　we　see　her；　the
  east　would　be　to　the　left；　and　the　west　to　the　right；　contrary
  to　that　which　exists　on　terrestrial　maps。　　The　following　is　the
  reason　of　this　anomaly。　　Observers　in　the　northern　hemisphere
  （say　in　Europe）　see　the　moon　in　the　south　according　to　them。
  When　they　take　observations；　they　turn　their　backs　to　the　north；
  the　reverse　position　to　that　which　they　occupy　when　they　study
  a　terrestrial　map。　　As　they　turn　their　backs　to　the　north；　the
  east　is　on　their　left；　and　the　west　to　their　right。　　To　observers
  in　the　southern　hemisphere　（Patagonia　for　example）；　the　moon's
  west　would　be　quite　to　their　left；　and　the　east　to　their　right；
  as　the　south　is　behind　them。　　Such　is　the　reason　of　the　apparent
  reversing　of　these　two　cardinal　points；　and　we　must　bear　it　in　mind
  in　order　to　be　able　to　fol