[All Around the Moon by Jules Verne]@TWC D-Link book
All Around the Moon

CHAPTER III
12/15

But when brought to the Moon, it was expected that these compasses, once more subjected to the influence of the current, would attest certain phenomena.

In any case, it would be interesting to verify if the Earth and her satellite were similarly affected by the magnetic forces.
A hypsometer, or instrument for ascertaining the heights of the Lunar mountains by the barometric pressure under which water boils, a sextant to measure the altitude of the Sun, a theodolite for taking horizontal or vertical angles, telescopes, of indispensable necessity when the travellers should approach the Moon,--all these instruments, carefully examined, were found to be still in perfect working order, notwithstanding the violence of the terrible shock at the start.
As to the picks, spades, and other tools that had been carefully selected by the Captain; also the bags of various kinds of grain and the bundles of various kinds of shrubs, which Ardan expected to transplant to the Lunar plains--they were all still safe in their places around the upper corners of the Projectile.
Some other articles were also up there which evidently possessed great interest for the Frenchman.

What they were nobody else seemed to know, and he seemed to be in no hurry to tell.

Every now and then, he would climb up, by means of iron pins fixed in the wall, to inspect his treasures; whatever they were, he arranged them and rearranged them with evident pleasure, and as he rapidly passed a careful hand through certain mysterious boxes, he joyfully sang in the falsest possible of false voices the lively piece from _Nicolo_: _Le temps est beau, la route est belle, La promenade est un plaisir_.
{The day is bright, our hearts are light.} {How sweet to rove through wood and dell.} or the well known air in _Mignon_: _Legeres hirondelles, Oiseaux benis de Dieu, Ouvrez-ouvrez vos ailes, Envolez-vous! adieu!_ {Farewell, happy Swallows, farewell!} {With summer for ever to dwell} {Ye leave our northern strand} {For the genial southern land} {Balmy with breezes bland.} {Return?
Ah, who can tell ?} {Farewell, happy Swallows, farewell!} Barbican was much gratified to find that his rockets and other fireworks had not received the least injury.

He relied upon them for the performance of a very important service as soon as the Projectile, having passed the point of neutral attraction between the Earth and the Moon, would begin to fall with accelerated velocity towards the Lunar surface.


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