The astronomical1, mechanical, and topographical difficulties resolved, finally came the question of finance. The sum required was far too great for any individual, or even any single State, to provide the requisite2 millions.
President Barbicane undertook, despite of the matter being a purely3 American affair, to render it one of universal interest, and to request the financial co-operation of all peoples. It was, he maintained, the right and duty of the whole earth to interfere4 in the affairs of its satellite. The subscription5 opened at Baltimore extended properly to the whole world — Urbi et orbi.
This subscription was successful beyond all expectation; notwithstanding that it was a question not of lending but of giving the money. It was a purely disinterested6 operation in the strictest sense of the term, and offered not the slightest chance of profit.
The effect, however, of Barbicane’s communication was not confined to the frontiers of the United States; it crossed the Atlantic and Pacific, invading simultaneously7 Asia and Europe, Africa and Oceanica. The observatories8 of the Union placed themselves in immediate9 communication with those of foreign countries. Some, such as those of Paris, Petersburg, Berlin, Stockholm, Hamburg, Malta, Lisbon, Benares, Madras, and others, transmitted their good wishes; the rest maintained a prudent10 silence, quietly awaiting the result. As for the observatory11 at Greenwich, seconded as it was by the twenty- two astronomical establishments of Great Britain, it spoke12 plainly enough. It boldly denied the possibility of success, and pronounced in favor of the theories of Captain Nicholl. But this was nothing more than mere13 English jealousy14.
On the 8th of October President Barbicane published a manifesto15 full of enthusiasm, in which he made an appeal to “all persons of good will upon the face of the earth.” This document, translated into all languages, met with immense success.
Subscription lists were opened in all the principal cities of the Union, with a central office at the Baltimore Bank, 9 Baltimore Street.
In addition, subscriptions16 were received at the following banks in the different states of the two continents:
At Vienna, with S. M. de Rothschild.
At Petersburg, Stieglitz and Co.
At Paris, The Credit Mobilier.
At Stockholm, Tottie and Arfuredson.
At London, N. M. Rothschild and Son.
At Turin, Ardouin and Co.
At Berlin, Mendelssohn.
At Geneva, Lombard, Odier and Co.
At Constantinople, The Ottoman Bank.
At Brussels, J. Lambert.
At Madrid, Daniel Weisweller.
At Amsterdam, Netherlands Credit Co.
At Rome, Torlonia and Co.
At Lisbon, Lecesne.
At Copenhagen, Private Bank.
At Rio de Janeiro, Private Bank.
At Montevideo, Private Bank.
At Valparaiso and Lima, Thomas la Chambre and Co.
At Mexico, Martin Daran and Co.
Three days after the manifesto of President Barbicane $4,000,000 were paid into the different towns of the Union. With such a balance the Gun Club might begin operations at once. But some days later advices were received to the effect that foreign subscriptions were being eagerly taken up. Certain countries distinguished17 themselves by their liberality; others untied18 their purse-strings with less facility — a matter of temperament19. Figures are, however, more eloquent20 than words, and here is the official statement of the sums which were paid in to the credit of the Gun Club at the close of the subscription.
Russia paid in as her contingent21 the enormous sum of 368,733 roubles. No one need be surprised at this, who bears in mind the scientific taste of the Russians, and the impetus22 which they have given to astronomical studies — thanks to their numerous observatories.
France began by deriding23 the pretensions24 of the Americans. The moon served as a pretext25 for a thousand stale puns and a score of ballads26, in which bad taste contested the palm with ignorance. But as formerly27 the French paid before singing, so now they paid after having had their laugh, and they subscribed28 for a sum of 1,253,930 francs. At that price they had a right to enjoy themselves a little.
Austria showed herself generous in the midst of her financial crisis. Her public contributions amounted to the sum of 216,000 florins — a perfect godsend.
Fifty-two thousand rix-dollars were the remittance30 of Sweden and Norway; the amount is large for the country, but it would undoubtedly31 have been considerably32 increased had the subscription been opened in Christiana simultaneously with that at Stockholm. For some reason or other the Norwegians do not like to send their money to Sweden.
Prussia, by a remittance of 250,000 thalers, testified her high approval of the enterprise.
Turkey behaved generously; but she had a personal interest in the matter. The moon, in fact, regulates the cycle of her years and her fast of Ramadan. She could not do less than give 1,372,640 piastres; and she gave them with an eagerness which denoted, however, some pressure on the part of the government.
Belgium distinguished herself among the second-rate states by a grant of 513,000 francs — about two centimes per head of her population.
Holland and her colonies interested themselves to the extent of 110,000 florins, only demanding an allowance of five per cent. discount for paying ready money.
Denmark, a little contracted in territory, gave nevertheless 9,000 ducats, proving her love for scientific experiments.
The Germanic Confederation pledged itself to 34,285 florins. It was impossible to ask for more; besides, they would not have given it.
Though very much crippled, Italy found 200,000 lire in the pockets of her people. If she had had Venetia she would have done better; but she had not.
The States of the Church thought that they could not send less than 7,040 Roman crowns; and Portugal carried her devotion to science as far as 30,000 cruzados. It was the widow’s mite33 — eighty-six piastres; but self-constituted empires are always rather short of money.
Two hundred and fifty-seven francs, this was the modest contribution of Switzerland to the American work. One must freely admit that she did not see the practical side of the matter. It did not seem to her that the mere despatch34 of a shot to the moon could possibly establish any relation of affairs with her; and it did not seem prudent to her to embark35 her capital in so hazardous36 an enterprise. After all, perhaps she was right.
As to Spain, she could not scrape together more than 110 reals. She gave as an excuse that she had her railways to finish. The truth is, that science is not favorably regarded in that country, it is still in a backward state; and moreover, certain Spaniards, not by any means the least educated, did not form a correct estimate of the bulk of the projectile37 compared with that of the moon. They feared that it would disturb the established order of things. In that case it were better to keep aloof38; which they did to the tune39 of some reals.
There remained but England; and we know the contemptuous antipathy40 with which she received Barbicane’s proposition. The English have but one soul for the whole twenty-six millions of inhabitants which Great Britain contains. They hinted that the enterprise of the Gun Club was contrary to the “principle of non-intervention.” And they did not subscribe29 a single farthing.
At this intimation the Gun Club merely shrugged41 its shoulders and returned to its great work. When South America, that is to say, Peru, Chili42, Brazil, the provinces of La Plata and Columbia, had poured forth43 their quota44 into their hands, the sum of $300,000, it found itself in possession of a considerable capital, of which the following is a statement:
United States subscriptions, . . $4,000,000
Foreign subscriptions . . . $1,446,675
Total, . . . . $5,446,675
Such was the sum which the public poured into the treasury45 of the Gun Club.
Let no one be surprised at the vastness of the amount. The work of casting, boring, masonry46, the transport of workmen, their establishment in an almost uninhabited country, the construction of furnaces and workshops, the plant, the powder, the projectile, and incipient47 expenses, would, according to the estimates, absorb nearly the whole. Certain cannon48-shots in the Federal war cost one thousand dollars apiece. This one of President Barbicane, unique in the annals of gunnery, might well cost five thousand times more.
On the 20th of October a contract was entered into with the manufactory at Coldspring, near New York, which during the war had furnished the largest Parrott, cast-iron guns. It was stipulated49 between the contracting parties that the manufactory of Coldspring should engage to transport to Tampa Town, in southern Florida, the necessary materials for casting the Columbiad. The work was bound to be completed at latest by the 15th of October following, and the cannon delivered in good condition under penalty of a forfeit50 of one hundred dollars a day to the moment when the moon should again present herself under the same conditions — that is to say, in eighteen years and eleven days.
The engagement of the workmen, their pay, and all the necessary details of the work, devolved upon the Coldspring Company.
This contract, executed in duplicate, was signed by Barbicane, president of the Gun Club, of the one part, and T. Murchison director of the Coldspring manufactory, of the other, who thus executed the deed on behalf of their respective principals.
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astronomical
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| adj.天文学的，（数字）极大的 | |
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requisite
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| adj.需要的，必不可少的；n.必需品 | |
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purely
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| adv.纯粹地，完全地 | |
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interfere
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| v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰 | |
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subscription
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| n.预订，预订费，亲笔签名，调配法，下标（处方） | |
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disinterested
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| adj.不关心的，不感兴趣的 | |
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simultaneously
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| adv.同时发生地，同时进行地 | |
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observatories
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| n.天文台，气象台( observatory的名词复数 ) | |
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immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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prudent
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| adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的 | |
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observatory
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| n.天文台，气象台，瞭望台，观测台 | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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jealousy
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| n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌 | |
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manifesto
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| n.宣言，声明 | |
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subscriptions
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| n.（报刊等的）订阅费( subscription的名词复数 )；捐款；（俱乐部的）会员费；捐助 | |
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distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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untied
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| 松开，解开( untie的过去式和过去分词 )； 解除，使自由； 解决 | |
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temperament
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| n.气质，性格，性情 | |
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eloquent
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| adj.雄辩的，口才流利的；明白显示出的 | |
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contingent
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| adj.视条件而定的；n.一组，代表团，分遣队 | |
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impetus
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| n.推动，促进，刺激；推动力 | |
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deriding
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| v.取笑，嘲笑( deride的现在分词 ) | |
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pretensions
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| 自称( pretension的名词复数 )； 自命不凡； 要求； 权力 | |
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pretext
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| n.借口，托词 | |
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ballads
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| 民歌，民谣，特别指叙述故事的歌( ballad的名词复数 )； 讴 | |
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formerly
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| adv.从前，以前 | |
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subscribed
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| v.捐助( subscribe的过去式和过去分词 )；签署，题词；订阅；同意 | |
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subscribe
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| vi.(to)订阅，订购；同意；vt.捐助，赞助 | |
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remittance
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| n.汇款，寄款，汇兑 | |
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undoubtedly
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| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
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considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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mite
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| n.极小的东西；小铜币 | |
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despatch
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| n./v.(dispatch)派遣；发送；n.急件；新闻报道 | |
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embark
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| vi.乘船，着手，从事，上飞机 | |
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hazardous
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| adj.(有)危险的，冒险的；碰运气的 | |
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projectile
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| n.投射物，发射体；adj.向前开进的；推进的；抛掷的 | |
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aloof
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| adj.远离的；冷淡的，漠不关心的 | |
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tune
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| n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整 | |
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antipathy
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| n.憎恶；反感，引起反感的人或事物 | |
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shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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chili
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| n.辣椒 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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quota
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| n.（生产、进出口等的）配额，（移民的）限额 | |
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treasury
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| n.宝库；国库，金库；文库 | |
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masonry
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| n.砖土建筑；砖石 | |
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incipient
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| adj.起初的，发端的，初期的 | |
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cannon
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| n.大炮，火炮；飞机上的机关炮 | |
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stipulated
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| vt.& vi.规定；约定adj.[法]合同规定的 | |
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forfeit
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| vt.丧失；n.罚金，罚款，没收物 | |
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