<h2 id="sigil_toc_id_25">CHAPTER XII.</h2>
<h3 id="sigil_toc_id_26">URBI ET ORBI.</h3>
<p>The astronomical, 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 requisite millions.</p>
<p>President Barbicane undertook, despite of the matter being a
purely 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 the duty of the whole earth to interfere in
the affairs of its satellite. The subscription opened at Baltimore
extended properly to the whole world—<i>Urbi et orbi.</i></p>
<p>This subscription was successful beyond all expectation;
notwithstanding that it was a question not of <i>lending</i> but of
<i>giving</i> the money. It was a purely disinterested operation in
the strictest sense of the term, and offered not the slightest chance
of profit.</p>
<p>The effect, however, of Barbicane's communication was not confined
to the frontiers of the United States; it crossed the Atlantic and
Pacific, invading simultaneously Asia and Europe, Africa and Oceania.
The observatories of the Union placed themselves in immediate
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 prudent silence, quietly awaiting the result. As for the
observatory at Greenwich, seconded as it was by the twenty-two
astronomical establishments of Great Britain, it spoke plainly
enough. It boldly denied the possibility of success, and pronounced
in favour of the theories of Captain Nicholl. But this was nothing
more than mere English jealousy.</p>
<p>On the 8th of October President Barbicane published a manifesto
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.</p>
<p>Subscription lists were opened in all the principal cities of the
Union, with a central office at the Baltimore Bank, 9, Baltimore
Street.</p>
<p>In addition, subscriptions were received at the following banks in
the different states of the two continents:—</p>
<p>At Vienna, with S. M. de Rothschild.<br/>
„ Petersburg, Stieglitz and Co.<br/>
„ Paris, The Crédit Mobilier.<br/>
„ Stockholm, Tottie and Arfuredson.<br/>
„ London, N. M. Rothschild and Son.<br/>
„ Turin, Ardouin and Co.<br/>
„ Berlin, Mendelssohn.<br/>
„ Geneva, Lombard, Odier, and Co.<br/>
„ Constantinople, The Ottoman Bank.<br/>
„ Brussels, J. Lambert.<br/>
„ Madrid, Daniel Weisweller.<br/>
„ Amsterdam, Netherlands Credit Co.<br/>
„ Rome, Torlonia and Co.<br/>
„ Lisbon, Lecesne.<br/>
„ Copenhagen, Private Bank.<br/>
„ Rio Janeiro, do.<br/>
„ Monte Video, do.<br/>
„ Valparaiso and Lima, Thomas la Chambre and Co.<br/>
„ Mexico, Martin Daran and Co.<br/></p>
<p>Three days after the manifesto of President Barbicane 4,000,000 of
dollars 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 the foreign
subscriptions were being eagerly taken up. Certain countries
distinguished themselves by their liberality; others untied their
purse-strings with less facility—matter of temperament. Figures are,
however, more eloquent 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.</p>
<div class="illus"><ANTIMG alt="Illustration: THE SUBSCRIPTION WAS OPENED." id="subscription" src=
"images/subscription.jpg" /></div>
<div class="caption">THE SUBSCRIPTION WAS OPENED.</div>
<p>Russia paid in as her contingent 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 impetus which they have
given to astronomical studies—thanks to their numerous
observatories.</p>
<p>France began by deriding the pretensions of the Americans. The
moon served as a pretext for a thousand stale puns and a score of
ballads, in which bad taste contested the palm with ignorance. But as
formerly the French paid before singing, so now they paid after
having had their laugh, and they subscribed for a sum of 1,253,930
francs. At that price they had a right to enjoy themselves a
little.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>52,000 rix-dollars were the remittance of Sweden and Norway; the
amount is large for the country, but it would undoubtedly have been
considerably increased had the subscription been opened in
Christiania simultaneously with that at Stockholm. For some reason or
other the Norwegians do not like to send their money to Sweden.</p>
<p>Prussia, by a remittance of 250,000 thalers, testified her high
approval of the enterprise.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>Belgium distinguished herself among the second-rate states by a
grant of 513,000 francs—about two centimes per head of her
population.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>Denmark, a little contracted in territory, gave nevertheless 9000
ducats, proving her love for scientific experiments.</p>
<p>The Germanic Confederation pledged itself to 34,285 florins. It
was impossible to ask for more; besides, they would not have given
it.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>The States of the Church thought that they could not send less
than 7040 Roman crowns; and Portugal carried her devotion to science
as far as 30,000 cruzados. It was the widow's mite—eighty-six
piastres; but self-constituted empires are always rather short of
money.</p>
<p>257 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
despatch of a shot to the moon could possibly establish any relation
of affairs with her; and it did not seem prudent to her to embark her
capital in so hazardous an enterprise. After all, perhaps she was
right.</p>
<p>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 favourably 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 projectile 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 aloof; which they did to the tune of some
reals.</p>
<div class="illus"><ANTIMG alt="Illustration: THE MANUFACTORY AT COLDSPRING, NEAR NEW YORK." id="manufactory" src="images/manufactory.jpg" /></div>
<div class="caption">THE MANUFACTORY AT COLDSPRING, NEAR NEW
YORK.</div>
<p>There remained but England; and we know the contemptuous antipathy
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
subscribe a single farthing.</p>
<p>At this intimation the Gun Club merely shrugged its shoulders and
returned to its great work. When South America, that is to say, Peru,
Chili, Brazil, the provinces of La Plata and Columbia, had poured
forth their quota into their hands, the sum of 300,000 dollars, it
found itself in possession of a considerable capital, of which the
following is a statement:—</p>
<p><small><br/>
United States subscriptions . . 4,000,000 dollars.<br/>
Foreign subscriptions . . . . . 1,446,675 „<br/>
—————————<br/>
Total, 5,446,675 „<br/>
</small><br/></p>
<p>Such was the sum which the public poured into the treasury of the
Gun Club.</p>
<p>Let no one be surprised at the vastness of the amount. The work of
casting, boring, masonry, the transport of workmen, their
establishment in an almost uninhabited country, the construction of
furnaces and workshops, the plant, the powder, the projectile, and
incidental expenses, would, according to the estimates, absorb nearly
the whole. Certain cannon shots in the Federal war cost 1000 dollars
a-piece. This one of President Barbicane, unique in the annals of
gunnery, might well cost five thousand times more.</p>
<p>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 stipulated
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 forfeit of 100
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.</p>
<p>The engagement of the workmen, their pay, and all the necessary
details of the work, devolved upon the Goldspring Company.</p>
<p>This contract, executed in duplicate, was signed by Barbicane,
President of the Gun Club, of the one part, and T. Murphison,
director of the Coldspring manufactory, of the other, who thus
executed the deed on behalf of their respective principals.</p>
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