"And we shall feel it?" asked Michel. "Evidently, as 200 lbs. will only weigh 30 pounds on the surface of the moon." "And our muscular strength will not diminish?" "Not at all; instead of jumping one yard high, you will rise eighteen feet high." "But we shall be regular Herculeses in the moon!" exclaimed Michel. "Yes," replied Nicholl; "for if the height of the Selenites is in proportion to the density of their globe, they will be scarcely a foot high." "Lilliputians!" ejaculated Michel; "I shall play the part of Gulliver. We are going to realize the fable of the giants. This is the advantage of leaving one's own planet and overrunning the solar world." "One moment, Michel," answered Barbicane; "if you wish to play the part of Gulliver, only visit the inferior planets, such as Mercury, Venus, or Mars, whose density is a little less than that of the earth; but do not venture into the great planets, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune; 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, keeping 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 back on the earth after some minutes." "That is a strong remark." "It is certain," replied Barbicane; "the attraction is so great on this enormous orb, that an object weighing 70,000 lbs. on the earth would weigh but 1920 lbs. on the surface of the sun. If you were to fall upon it you would weigh—let me see—about 5000 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 concerned; its own speed would carry it beyond the neutral line; it would certainly not return to earth; it would certainly 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 8296 leagues on an orb, it is true, where weight could only be reckoned at one-sixth of terrestrial weight; a formidable fall, nevertheless, and one against which every precaution must be taken without delay.