for there the order will be changed, and you will become Lilliputian." "And in the sun?" "In the sun, if its density is thirteen hundred and twenty- four thousand times greater, and the attraction is twenty- seven times greater than on the surface of our globe, keep- ing everything in proportion, the inhabitants ought to be at least two hundred feet high." "By Jove!" exclaimed Michel; "I should be nothing more than a pigmy, a shrimp!" " Gulliver with the giants," said Nicholl. "Just so," replied Barbicane. "And it would not be quite useless to carry some pieces of artillery to defend oneself." "Good," replied Nicholl; "your projectiles would have no effect on the sun; they would fall flat on its surface al- most instantly." "That is a strong remark." "It is certain," replied Barbicane; "the attraction is so great on this enormous orb, that an object weighing but 1,920 lbs. on the earth would weigh 70,000 lbs. on the surface of the sun. If you were to fall upon it you would weigh--let me see--about 5,000 lbs., a weight which you would never be able to raise again." "The devil!" said Michel; "one would want a portable crane. However, we will be satisfied with the moon for the present; there at least we shall cut a great figure. We will see about the sun by and by." CHAPTER IX THE CONSEQUENCES OF A DEVIATION BARBICANE had now no fear of the issue of the journey, at least as far as the projectile's impulsive force was con- cerned; its own speed would carry it beyond the neutral line; it would certainly not return to earth; it would cer- tainly not remain motionless on the line of attraction. One single hypothesis remained to be realized, the arrival of the projectile at its destination by the action of the lunar attraction. It was in reality a fall of 8,296 leagues on an orb, it is -301- |