the　same　explorers　to　the　depths　of　the　ocean。
  The　whole　day　passed　in　fruitless　research；　the　bed　of　the　sea
  was　a　desert。　　The　25th　brought　no　other　result；　nor　the　26th。
  It　was　disheartening。　　They　thought　of　those　unfortunates　shut
  up　in　the　projectile　for　twenty…six　days。　　Perhaps　at　that
  moment　they　were　experiencing　the　first　approach　of　suffocation；
  that　is；　if　they　had　escaped　the　dangers　of　their　fall。　　The　air
  was　spent；　and　doubtless　with　the　air　all　their　_morale_。
  〃The　air；　possibly；〃　answered　J。　T。　Maston　resolutely；　〃but
  their　_morale_　never！〃
  On　the　28th；　after　two　more　days　of　search；　all　hope　was　gone。
  This　projectile　was　but　an　atom　in　the　immensity　of　the　ocean。
  They　must　give　up　all　idea　of　finding　it。
  But　J。　T。　Maston　would　not　hear　of　going　away。　　He　would　not
  abandon　the　place　without　at　least　discovering　the　tomb　of
  his　friends。　　But　Commander　Blomsberry　could　no　longer　persist；
  and　in　spite　of　the　exclamations　of　the　worthy　secretary；　was
  obliged　to　give　the　order　to　sail。
  On　the　29th　of　December；　at　nine　A。M。；　the　Susquehanna；　heading
  northeast；　resumed　her　course　to　the　bay　of　San　Francisco。
  It　was　ten　in　the　morning；　the　corvette　was　under　half…steam；　as
  it　was　regretting　to　leave　the　spot　where　the　catastrophe　had
  taken　place；　when　a　sailor；　perched　on　the　main…top…gallant
  crosstrees；　watching　the　sea；　cried　suddenly：
  〃A　buoy　on　the　lee　bow！〃
  The　officers　looked　in　the　direction　indicated；　and　by　the　help
  of　their　glasses　saw　that　the　object　signalled　had　the
  appearance　of　one　of　those　buoys　which　are　used　to　mark　the
  passages　of　bays　or　rivers。　　But；　singularly　to　say；　a　flag
  floating　on　the　wind　surmounted　its　cone；　which　emerged　five
  or　six　feet　out　of　water。　　This　buoy　shone　under　the　rays
  of　the　sun　as　if　it　had　been　made　of　plates　of　silver。
  Commander　Blomsberry；　J。　T。　Maston；　and　the　delegates　of　the　Gun
  Club　were　mounted　on　the　bridge；　examining　this　object　straying
  at　random　on　the　waves。
  All　looked　with　feverish　anxiety；　but　in　silence。　　None　dared
  give　expression　to　the　thoughts　which　came　to　the　minds　of　all。
  The　corvette　approached　to　within　two　cables'　lengths　of　the　object。
  A　shudder　ran　through　the　whole　crew。　　That　flag　was　the
  American　flag！
  At　this　moment　a　perfect　howling　was　heard；　it　was　the　brave　J。
  T。　Maston　who　had　just　fallen　all　in　a　heap。　　Forgetting　on　the
  one　hand　that　his　right　arm　had　been　replaced　by　an　iron　hook；
  and　on　the　other　that　a　simple　gutta…percha　cap　covered　his
  brain…box；　he　had　given　himself　a　formidable　blow。
  They　hurried　toward　him；　picked　him　up；　restored　him　to　life。
  And　what　were　his　first　words？
  〃Ah！　trebly　brutes！　quadruply　idiots！　quintuply　boobies　that　we　are！〃
  〃What　is　it？〃　exclaimed　everyone　around　him。
  〃What　is　it？〃
  〃Come；　speak！〃
  〃It　is；　simpletons；〃　howled　the　terrible　secretary；　〃it　is　that
  the　projectile　only　weighs　19；250　pounds！〃
  〃Well？〃
  〃And　that　it　displaces　twenty…eight　tons；　or　in　other　words
  56；000　pounds；　and　that　consequently　_it　floats_！〃
  Ah！　what　stress　the　worthy　man　had　laid　on　the　verb　〃float！〃
  And　it　was　true！　　All；　yes！　all　these　savants　had　forgotten
  this　fundamental　law；　namely；　that　on　account　of　its　specific
  lightness；　the　projectile；　after　having　been　drawn　by　its　fall
  to　the　greatest　depths　of　the　ocean；　must　naturally　return　to
  the　surface。　　And　now　it　was　floating　quietly　at　the　mercy　of
  the　waves。
  The　boats　were　put　to　sea。　　J。　T。　Maston　and　his　friends　had
  rushed　into　them！　　Excitement　was　at　its　height！　　Every　heart
  beat　loudly　while　they　advanced　to　the　projectile。　　What　did
  it　contain？　　Living　or　dead？
  Living；　yes！　living；　at　least　unless　death　had　struck
  Barbicane　and　his　two　friends　since　they　had　hoisted　the　flag。
  Profound　silence　reigned　on　the　boats。　　All　were　breathless。
  Eyes　no　longer　saw。　　One　of　the　scuttles　of　the　projectile　was　open。
  Some　pieces　of　glass　remained　in　the　frame；　showing　that　it　had
  been　broken。　　This　scuttle　was　actually　five　feet　above　the　water。
  A　boat　came　alongside；　that　of　J。　T。　Maston；　and　J。　T。　Maston
  rushed　to　the　broken　window。
  At　that　moment　they　heard　a　clear　and　merry　voice；　the　voice　of
  Michel　Ardan；　exclaiming　in　an　accent　of　triumph：
  〃White　all；　Barbicane；　white　all！〃
  Barbicane；　Michel　Ardan；　and　Nicholl　were　playing　at　dominoes！
  CHAPTER　XXIII
  THE　END
  We　may　remember　the　intense　sympathy　which　had　accompanied　the
  travelers　on　their　departure。　　If　at　the　beginning　of　the
  enterprise　they　had　excited　such　emotion　both　in　the　old　and
  new　world；　with　what　enthusiasm　would　they　be　received　on
  their　return！　　The　millions　of　spectators　which　had　beset
  the　peninsula　of　Florida；　would　they　not　rush　to　meet　these
  sublime　adventurers？　　Those　legions　of　strangers；　hurrying　from
  all　parts　of　the　globe　toward　the　American　shores；　would　they
  leave　the　Union　without　having　seen　Barbicane；　Nicholl；　and
  Michel　Ardan？　　No！　and　the　ardent　passion　of　the　public　was
  bound　to　respond　worthily　to　the　greatness　of　the　enterprise。
  Human　creatures　who　had　left　the　terrestrial　sphere；　and　returned
  after　this　strange　voyage　into　celestial　space；　could　not　fail
  to　be　received　as　the　prophet　Elias　would　be　if　he　came　back
  to　earth。　　To　see　them　first；　and　then　to　hear　them；　such　was
  the　universal　longing。
  Barbicane；　Michel　Ardan；　Nicholl；　and　the　delegates　of　the　Gun
  Club；　returning　without　delay　to　Baltimore；　were　received　with
  indescribable　enthusiasm。　　The　notes　of　President　Barbicane's
  voyage　were　ready　to　be　given　to　the　public。　　The　New　York
  _Herald_　bought　the　manuscript　at　a　price　not　yet　known；　but
  which　must　have　been　very　high。　　Indeed；　during　the　publication
  of　〃A　Journey　to　the　Moon；〃　the　sale　of　this　paper　amounted　to
  five　millions　of　copies。　　Three　days　after　the　return　of
  the　travelers　to　the　earth；　the　slightest　detail　of　their
  expedition　was　known。　　There　remained　nothing　more　but　to　see
  the　heroes　of　this　superhuman　enterprise。
  The　expedition　of　Barbicane　and　his　friends　round　the　moon　had
  enabled　them　to　correct　the　many　admitted　theories　regarding　the
  terrestrial　satellite。　　These　savants　had　observed　_de　visu_；
  and　under　particular　circumstances。　　They　knew　what　systems
  should　be　rejected；　what　retained　with　regard　to　the　formation
  of　that　orb；　its　origin；　its　habitability。　　Its　past；　present；
  and　future　had　even　given　up　their　last　secrets。　　Who　could
  advance　objections　against　conscientious　observers；　who　at　less
  than　twenty…four　miles　distance　had　marked　that　curious　mountain
  of　Tycho；　the　strangest　system　of　lunar　orography？　　How　answer
  those　savants　whose　sight　had　penetrated　the　abyss　of
  Pluto's　circle？　　How　contradict　those　bold　ones　whom　the　chances
  of　their　enterprise　had　borne　over　that　invisible　face　of　the
  disc；　which　no　human　eye　until　then　had　ever　seen？　　It　was　now
  their　turn　to　impose　some　limit　on　that　selenographic　science；
  which　had　reconstructed　the　lunar　world　as　Cuvier　did　the
  skeleton　of　a　fossil；　and　say；　〃The　moon　_was_　this；　a　habitable
  world；　inhabited　before　the　earth。　　The　moon　_is_　that；　a　world
  uninhabitable；　and　now　uninhabited。〃
  To　celebrate　the　return　of　its　most　illustrious　member　and　his
  two　companions；　the　Gun　Club　decided　upon　giving　a　banquet；　but
  a　banquet　worthy　of　the　conquerors；　worthy　of　the　American
  people；　and　under　such　conditions　that　all　the　inhabitants　of
  the　Union　could　directly　take　part　in　it。
  All　the　head　lines　of　railroads　in　the　States　were　joined　by
  flying　rails；　and　on　all　the　platforms；　lined　with　the　same
  flags；　and　decorated　with　the　same　ornaments；　were　tables　laid
  and　all　served　alike。　　At　certain　hours；　successively
  calculated；　marked　by　electric　clocks　which　beat　the　seconds　at
  the　same　time；　the　population　were　invited　to　take　their　places
  at　the　banquet　tables。　　For　four　days；　from　the　5th　to　the　9th
  of　January；　the　trains　were　stopped　as　they　are　on　Sundays　on
  the　railways　of　the　United　States；　and　every　road　was　open。
  One　engine　only　at　full　speed；　drawing　a　triumphal　carriage；　had
  the　right　of　traveling　for　those　four　days　on　the　railroads　of
  the　United　States。
  The　engine　was　manned　by　a　driver　and　a　stoker；　and　bore；　by
  special　favor；　the　Hon。　J。　T。　Maston；　secretary　of　the　Gun　Club。
  The　carriage　was　reserved　for　President　Barbicane；　Colonel
  Nicholl；　and　Michel　Ardan。　　At　the　whistle　of　the　driver；　amid
  the　hurrahs；　and　all　the　admiring　vociferations　of　the　American
  language；　the　train　left　the　platform　of　Baltimore。　　It　traveled
  at　a　speed　of　one　hundred　and　sixty　miles　in　the　hour。　　But　what
  was　this　speed　compared　with　that　which　had　carried　the　three
  heroes　from　the　mouth　of　the　Columbiad？
  Thus　they　sped　from　one　town　to　the　other；　finding　whole
  populations　at　table　on　their　road；　saluting　them　with　the　same
  acclamations；　lavishing　the　same　bravos！　　They　traveled　in　this
  way　through　the　east　of　the　Union；　Pennsylvania；　Connecticut；
  Massachusetts；　Vermont；　Maine；　and　New　Hampshire；　the　north　and
  west　by　New　York；　Ohio；　Michigan；　and　Wisconsin；　returning　to
  the　south　by　Illinois；　Missouri；　Arkansas；　Texas；　and　Louisiana；
  they　went　to　the　southeast　by　Alabama　and　Florida；　goin