by Jules Verne
CHAPTER XX.
THE SOUNDINGS OF THE "SUSQUEHANNA."
"Well, lieutenant, and our soundings?"
"I think, sir, that the operation is nearing its completion," repliedLieutenant Bronsfield. "But who would have thought of finding such adepth so near in shore, and only 200 miles from the American coast?"
"Certainly, Bronsfield, there is a great depression," said CaptainBlomsberry. "In this spot there is a submarine valley worn by Humboldt'scurrent, which skirts the coast of America as far as the Straits ofMagellan."
"These great depths," continued the lieutenant, "are not favourable forlaying telegraphic cables. A level bottom, like that supporting theAmerican cable between Valentia and Newfoundland, is much better."
"I agree with you, Bronsfield. With your permission, lieutenant, whereare we now?"
"Sir, at this moment we have 3508 fathoms of line out, and the ball whichdraws the sounding lead has not yet touched the bottom; for if so, itwould have come up of itself."
"Brook's apparatus is very ingenious," said Captain Blomsberry; "it givesus very exact soundings."
"Touch!" cried at this moment one of the men at the fore-wheel, who wassuperintending the operation.
The captain and the lieutenant mounted the quarter-deck. "What depth havewe?" asked the captain.
"Three thousand six hundred and twenty-seven fathoms," replied thelieutenant, entering it in his note-book.
"Well, Bronsfield," said the captain, "I will take down the result. Nowhaul in the sounding line. It will be the work of some hours. In that timethe engineer can light the furnaces, and we shall be ready to start assoon as you have finished. It is ten o'clock, and with your permission,lieutenant, I will turn in."
"Do so, sir; do so!" replied the lieutenant obligingly.
The captain of the "Susquehanna," as brave a man as need be, and thehumble servant of his officers, returned to his cabin, took a brandy-grog,which earned for the steward no end of praise, and turned in, not withouthaving complimented his servant upon his making beds, and slept a peacefulsleep.
It was then ten at night. The eleventh day of the month of December wasdrawing to a close in a magnificent night.
The "Susquehanna," a corvette of 500 horse-power, of the United States'navy, was occupied in taking soundings in the Pacific Ocean about200 miles off the American coast, following that long peninsula whichstretches down the coast of New Mexico.
The wind had dropped by degrees. There was no disturbance in the air.Their pennant hung motionless from the maintop-gallant-mast truck.
Captain Jonathan Blomsberry (cousin-german of Colonel Blomsberry, one ofthe most ardent supporters of the Gun Club, who had married an aunt ofthe captain and daughter of an honourable Kentucky merchant,)--CaptainBlomsberry could not have wished for finer weather in which to bring toa close his delicate operations of sounding. His corvette had not evenfelt the great tempest, which by sweeping away the groups of clouds onthe Rocky Mountains, had allowed them to observe the course of the famousprojectile.
Everything went well, and with all the fervour of a Presbyterian, he didnot forget to thank heaven for it. The series of soundings taken by the"Susquehanna," had for its aim the finding of a favourable spot for thelaying of a submarine cable to connect the Hawaiian Islands with thecoast of America.
Illustration: "I FANCY I SEE THEM."
It was a great undertaking, due to the instigation of a powerful company.Its managing director, the intelligent Cyrus Field, purposed even coveringall the islands of Oceania with a vast electrical network, an immenseenterprise, and one worthy of American genius.
To the corvette Susquehanna had been confided the first operations ofsounding. It was on the night of the 11th--12th of December, she was inexactly 27 deg. 7' north lat., and 41 deg. 37' west long., on the meridianof Washington.
The moon, then in her last quarter, was beginning to rise above thehorizon.
After the departure of Captain Blomsberry, the lieutenant and someofficers were standing together on the poop. On the appearance ofthe moon, their thoughts turned to that orb which the eyes of a wholehemisphere were contemplating. The best naval glasses could not havediscovered the projectile wandering around its hemisphere, and yet allwere pointed towards that brilliant disc which millions of eyes werelooking at at the same moment.
"They have been gone ten days," said Lieutenant Bronsfield at last. "Whathas become of them?"
"They have arrived, lieutenant," exclaimed a young midshipman, "andthey are doing what all travellers do when they arrive in a new country,taking a walk!"
"Oh! I am sure of that, if you tell me so, my young friend," saidLieutenant Bronsfield, smiling.
"But," continued another officer, "their arrival cannot be doubted.The projectile was to reach the moon when full on the 5th at midnight.We are now at the 11th of December, which makes six days. And in sixtimes twenty-four hours, without darkness, one would have time to settlecomfortably. I fancy I see my brave countrymen encamped at the bottom ofsome valley, on the borders of a Selenite stream, near a projectile halfburied by its fall amidst volcanic rubbish, Captain Nicholl beginninghis levelling operations, President Barbicane writing out his notes, andMichel Ardan embalming the lunar solitudes with the perfume of his--"
"Yes! it must be so, it is so!" exclaimed the young midshipman, workedup to a pitch of enthusiasm by this ideal description of his superiorofficer.
"I should like to believe it," replied the lieutenant, who was quiteunmoved. "Unfortunately direct news from the lunar world is stillwanting."
"Beg pardon, lieutenant," said the midshipman, "but cannot PresidentBarbicane write?"
A burst of laughter greeted this answer.
"No letters!" continued the young man quickly. "The postal administrationhas something to see to there."
"Might it not be the telegraphic service that is at fault?" asked one ofthe officers ironically.
"Not necessarily," replied the midshipman, not at all confused. "But itis very easy to set up a graphic communication with the earth."
"And how?"
"By means of the telescope at Long's Peak. You know it brings the moonto within four miles of the Rocky Mountains, and that it shows objects onits surface of only nine feet in diameter. Very well; let our industriousfriends construct a gigantic alphabet; let them write words three fathomslong, and sentences three miles long, and then they can send us news ofthemselves?"
The young midshipman, who had a certain amount of imagination, was loudlyapplauded; Lieutenant Bronsfield allowing that the idea was possible,but observing that if by these means they could _receive_ news from thelunar world they could not send any from the terrestrial, unless theSelenites had instruments fit for taking distant observations at theirdisposal.
"Evidently," said one of the officers; "but what has become of thetravellers? what they have done, what they have seen, that above allmust interest us. Besides, if the experiment has succeeded (which I donot doubt), they will try it again. The Columbiad is still sunk in thesoil of Florida. It is now only a question of powder and shot; and everytime the moon is at her zenith a cargo of visitors may be sent to her."
"It is clear," replied Lieutenant Bronsfield, "that J. T. Maston willone day join his friends."
"If he will have me," cried the midshipman, "I am ready!"
"Oh! volunteers will not be wanting," answered Bronsfield; "and if itwere allowed, half of the earth's inhabitants would emigrate to themoon!"
This conversation between the officers of the Susquehanna was kept upuntil nearly one in the morning. We cannot say what blundering systemswere broached, what inconsistent theories advanced by these bold spirits.Since Barbicane's attempt, nothing seemed impossible to the Americans.They had already designed an expedition, not only of savants, but of awhole colony towards the Selenite borders, and a complete army, consistingof infantry, artillery, and cavalry, to conquer the lunar world.
At one in the morning, the hauling in of the sounding-line was not y
etcompleted; 1670 fathoms were still out, which would entail some hours'work. According to the commander's orders, the fires had been lighted,and steam was being got up. The Susquehanna could have started that veryinstant.
At that moment (it was seventeen minutes past one in the morning)Lieutenant Bronsfield was preparing to leave the watch and return to hiscabin, when his attention was attracted by a distant hissing noise. Hiscomrades and himself first thought that this hissing was caused by theletting off of steam; but lifting their heads, they found that the noisewas produced in the highest regions of the air. They had not time toquestion each other before the hissing became frightfully intense, andsuddenly there appeared to their dazzled eyes an enormous meteor, ignitedby the rapidity of its course and its friction through the atmosphericstrata.
This fiery mass grew larger to their eyes, and fell, with the noiseof thunder, upon the bowsprit, which it smashed close to the stem, andburied itself in the waves with a deafening roar!
A few feet nearer, and the Susquehanna would have foundered with all onboard!
At this instant Captain Blomsberry appeared, half dressed, and rushing onto the forecastle-deck, whither all the officers had hurried, exclaimed,"With your permission, gentlemen, what has happened?"
And the midshipman, making himself as it were the echo of the body,cried, "Commander, it is 'they' come back again!"
Illustration: A FEW FEET NEARER.
