succession　of　circles　and　annular　ramparts。　　These　two　chains
  are　the　only　ones　met　with　in　this　region　of　circles。
  Comparatively　but　slightly　marked；　they　throw　up　here　and　there
  some　sharp　points；　the　highest　summit　of　which　attains　an
  altitude　of　24；600　feet。
  But　the　projectile　was　high　above　all　this　landscape；　and　the
  projections　disappeared　in　the　intense　brilliancy　of　the　disc。
  And　to　the　eyes　of　the　travelers　there　reappeared　that　original
  aspect　of　the　lunar　landscapes；　raw　in　tone；　without　gradation
  of　colors；　and　without　degrees　of　shadow；　roughly　black　and
  white；　from　the　want　of　diffusion　of　light。
  But　the　sight　of　this　desolate　world　did　not　fail　to　captivate
  them　by　its　very　strangeness。　　They　were　moving　over　this　region
  as　if　they　had　been　borne　on　the　breath　of　some　storm；　watching
  heights　defile　under　their　feet；　piercing　the　cavities　with　their
  eyes；　going　down　into　the　rifts；　climbing　the　ramparts；　sounding
  these　mysterious　holes；　and　leveling　all　cracks。　　But　no　trace
  of　vegetation；　no　appearance　of　cities；　nothing　but　stratification；
  beds　of　lava；　overflowings　polished　like　immense　mirrors；
  reflecting　the　sun's　rays　with　overpowering　brilliancy。
  Nothing　belonging　to　a　_living_　world　everything　to　a　dead
  world；　where　avalanches；　rolling　from　the　summits　of　the　mountains；
  would　disperse　noiselessly　at　the　bottom　of　the　abyss；　retaining
  the　motion；　but　wanting　the　sound。　　In　any　case　it　was　the　image
  of　death；　without　its　being　possible　even　to　say　that　life　had　ever
  existed　there。
  Michel　Ardan；　however；　thought　he　recognized　a　heap　of　ruins；
  to　which　he　drew　Barbicane's　attention。　　It　was　about　the　80th
  parallel；　in　30@　longitude。　　This　heap　of　stones；　rather
  regularly　placed；　represented　a　vast　fortress；　overlooking　a
  long　rift；　which　in　former　days　had　served　as　a　bed　to　the
  rivers　of　prehistorical　times。　　Not　far　from　that；　rose　to　a
  height　of　17；400　feet　the　annular　mountain　of　Short；　equal　to
  the　Asiatic　Caucasus。　　Michel　Ardan；　with　his　accustomed　ardor；
  maintained　〃the　evidences〃　of　his　fortress。　　Beneath　it　he
  discerned　the　dismantled　ramparts　of　a　town；　here　the　still
  intact　arch　of　a　portico；　there　two　or　three　columns　lying　under
  their　base；　farther　on；　a　succession　of　arches　which　must　have
  supported　the　conduit　of　an　aqueduct；　in　another　part　the　sunken
  pillars　of　a　gigantic　bridge；　run　into　the　thickest　parts　of
  the　rift。　　He　distinguished　all　this；　but　with　so　much　imagination
  in　his　glance；　and　through　glasses　so　fantastical；　that　we　must
  mistrust　his　observation。　　But　who　could　affirm；　who　would　dare
  to　say；　that　the　amiable　fellow　did　not　really　see　that　which
  his　two　companions　would　not　see？
  Moments　were　too　precious　to　be　sacrificed　in　idle　discussion。
  The　selenite　city；　whether　imaginary　or　not；　had　already
  disappeared　afar　off。　　The　distance　of　the　projectile　from　the
  lunar　disc　was　on　the　increase；　and　the　details　of　the　soil　were
  being　lost　in　a　confused　jumble。　　The　reliefs；　the　circles；
  the　craters；　and　the　plains　alone　remained；　and　still　showed
  their　boundary　lines　distinctly。　　At　this　moment；　to　the　left；
  lay　extended　one　of　the　finest　circles　of　lunar　orography；
  one　of　the　curiosities　of　this　continent。　　It　was　Newton；
  which　Barbicane　recognized　without　trouble；　by　referring　to
  the　_Mappa　Selenographica_。
  Newton　is　situated　in　exactly　77@　south　latitude；　and　16@
  east　longitude。　　It　forms　an　annular　crater；　the　ramparts　of
  which；　rising　to　a　height　of　21；300　feet；　seemed　to　be　impassable。
  Barbicane　made　his　companions　observe　that　the　height　of　this
  mountain　above　the　surrounding　plain　was　far　from　equaling　the
  depth　of　its　crater。　　This　enormous　hole　was　beyond　all
  measurement；　and　formed　a　gloomy　abyss；　the　bottom　of　which　the
  sun's　rays　could　never　reach。　　There；　according　to　Humboldt；
  reigns　utter　darkness；　which　the　light　of　the　sun　and　the　earth
  cannot　break。　　Mythologists　could　well　have　made　it　the　mouth　of　hell。
  〃Newton；〃　said　Barbicane；　〃is　the　most　perfect　type　of　these
  annular　mountains；　of　which　the　earth　possesses　no　sample。
  They　prove　that　the　moon's　formation；　by　means　of　cooling；　is
  due　to　violent　causes；　for　while；　under　the　pressure　of　internal
  fires　the　reliefs　rise　to　considerable　height；　the　depths　withdraw
  far　below　the　lunar　level。〃
  〃I　do　not　dispute　the　fact；〃　replied　Michel　Ardan。
  Some　minutes　after　passing　Newton；　the　projectile　directly
  overlooked　the　annular　mountains　of　Moret。　　It　skirted　at　some
  distance　the　summits　of　Blancanus；　and　at　about　half…past　seven
  in　the　evening　reached　the　circle　of　Clavius。
  This　circle；　one　of　the　most　remarkable　of　the　disc；　is　situated
  in　58@　south　latitude；　and　15@　east　longitude。　　Its　height　is
  estimated　at　22；950　feet。　　The　travelers；　at　a　distance　of
  twenty…four　miles　（reduced　to　four　by　their　glasses）　could
  admire　this　vast　crater　in　its　entirety。
  〃Terrestrial　volcanoes；〃　said　Barbicane；　〃are　but　mole…hills
  compared　with　those　of　the　moon。　　Measuring　the　old　craters
  formed　by　the　first　eruptions　of　Vesuvius　and　Etna；　we　find　them
  little　more　than　three　miles　in　breadth。　　In　France　the　circle
  of　Cantal　measures　six　miles　across；　at　Ceyland　the　circle　of
  the　island　is　forty　miles；　which　is　considered　the　largest　on
  the　globe。　　What　are　these　diameters　against　that　of　Clavius；
  which　we　overlook　at　this　moment？〃
  〃What　is　its　breadth？〃　asked　Nicholl。
  〃It　is　150　miles；〃　replied　Barbicane。　　〃This　circle　is　certainly
  the　most　important　on　the　moon；　but　many　others　measure　150；
  100；　or　75　miles。〃
  〃Ah！　my　friends；〃　exclaimed　Michel；　〃can　you　picture　to
  yourselves　what　this　now　peaceful　orb　of　night　must　have　been
  when　its　craters；　filled　with　thunderings；　vomited　at　the　same
  time　smoke　and　tongues　of　flame。　　What　a　wonderful　spectacle
  then；　and　now　what　decay！　　This　moon　is　nothing　more　than　a　thin
  carcase　of　fireworks；　whose　squibs；　rockets；　serpents；　and　suns；
  after　a　superb　brilliancy；　have　left　but　sadly　broken　cases。
  Who　can　say　the　cause；　the　reason；　the　motive　force　of
  these　cataclysms？〃
  Barbicane　was　not　listening　to　Michel　Ardan；　he　was
  contemplating　these　ramparts　of　Clavius；　formed　by　large
  mountains　spread　over　several　miles。　　At　the　bottom　of　the
  immense　cavity　burrowed　hundreds　of　small　extinguished　craters；
  riddling　the　soil　like　a　colander；　and　overlooked　by　a　peak
  15；000　feet　high。
  Around　the　plain　appeared　desolate。　　Nothing　so　arid　as　these
  reliefs；　nothing　so　sad　as　these　ruins　of　mountains；　and　（if　we
  may　so　express　ourselves）　these　fragments　of　peaks　and　mountains
  which　strewed　the　soil。　　The　satellite　seemed　to　have　burst　at
  this　spot。
  The　projectile　was　still　advancing；　and　this　movement　did
  not　subside。　　Circles；　craters；　and　uprooted　mountains　succeeded
  each　other　incessantly。　　No　more　plains；　no　more　seas。　　A　never
  ending　Switzerland　and　Norway。　　And　lastly；　in　the　canter　of
  this　region　of　crevasses；　the　most　splendid　mountain　on　the
  lunar　disc；　the　dazzling　Tycho；　in　which　posterity　will　ever
  preserve　the　name　of　the　illustrious　Danish　astronomer。
  In　observing　the　full　moon　in　a　cloudless　sky　no　one　has　failed
  to　remark　this　brilliant　point　of　the　southern　hemisphere。
  Michel　Ardan　used　every　metaphor　that　his　imagination　could
  supply　to　designate　it　by。　　To　him　this　Tycho　was　a　focus　of
  light；　a　center　of　irradiation；　a　crater　vomiting　rays。　　It　was
  the　tire　of　a　brilliant　wheel；　an　_asteria_　enclosing　the　disc
  with　its　silver　tentacles；　an　enormous　eye　filled　with　flames；
  a　glory　carved　for　Pluto's　head；　a　star　launched　by　the
  Creator's　hand；　and　crushed　against　the　face　of　the　moon！
  Tycho　forms　such　a　concentration　of　light　that　the　inhabitants
  of　the　earth　can　see　it　without　glasses；　though　at　a　distance
  of　240；000　miles！　　Imagine；　then；　its　intensity　to　the　eye　of
  observers　placed　at　a　distance　of　only　fifty　miles！　　Seen　through
  this　pure　ether；　its　brilliancy　was　so　intolerable　that　Barbicane
  and　his　friends　were　obliged　to　blacken　their　glasses　with　the　gas
  smoke　before　they　could　bear　the　splendor。　　Then　silent；　scarcely
  uttering　an　interjection　of　admiration；　they　gazed；　they　contemplated。
  All　their　feelings；　all　their　impressions；　were　concentrated　in　that
  look；　as　under　any　violent　emotion　all　life　is　concentrated　at　the　heart。
  Tycho　belongs　to　the　system　of　radiating　mountains；　like
  Aristarchus　and　Copernicus；　but　it　is　of　all　the　most　complete
  and　decided；　showing　unquestionably　the　frightful　volcanic
  action　to　which　the　formation　of　the　moon　is　due。　　Tycho　is
  situated　in　43@　south　latitude；　and　12@　east　longitude。　　Its　center
  is　occupied　by　a　crater　fifty　miles　broad。　　It　assumes　a　slightly
  elliptical　form；　and　is　surrounded　by　an　enclosure　of　annular
  ramparts；　which　on　the　east　and　west　overlook　the　outer　plain　from
  a　height　of　15；000　feet。　　It　is　a　group　of　Mont　Blancs；　placed
  round　one　common　center　and　crowned　by　radiating　beams。
  What　this　incomparable　mountain　really　is；　with　all　the
  projections　converging　toward　it；　and　the　interior　excrescences
  of　its　crater；　photography　itself　could　never　represent。
  Indeed；　it　is　during　the　full　moon　that　Tycho　is　seen　in　all
  its　splendor。　　Then　all　shadows