"The Rodman Columbiad, tried at Fort Hamilton, near New York, hurled a
projectile, weighing half a ton, a distance of six miles, with a speed
of 800 yards a second, a result which neither Armstrong nor Palliser has
obtained in England."

"Englishmen are nowhere!" said J.T. Maston, pointing his formidable
steel hook eastward.

"Then," resumed Barbicane, "a speed of 800 yards is the maximum obtained
at present."

"Yes," answered Morgan.

"I might add, however," replied J.T. Maston, "that if my mortar had not
been blown up--"

"Yes, but it was blown up," replied Barbicane with a benevolent gesture.
"We must take the speed of 800 yards for a starting point. We must keep
till another meeting the discussion of the means used to produce this
speed; allow me to call your attention to the dimensions which our
projectile must have. Of course it must be something very different to
one of half a ton weight."

"Why?" asked the major.

"Because," quickly answered J.T. Maston, "it must be large enough to
attract the attention of the inhabitants of the moon, supposing there
are any."