Page:Works of Jules Verne - Parke - Vol 1.djvu/289

 "We are now regularly in the country of the moon," said Doctor Ferguson, "for it has retained this name, which was anciently bestowed upon it, doubtless, because the moon has been always worshiped here. It is indeed a magnificent district, and it would be difficult to find a more beautiful vegetation."

"That sort of thing would not be natural near London," said Joe, "but it would be very pleasant. Why are all those lovely things reserved for these barbarous countries?"

"How do you know that some day this country will not have become the center of civilization? The people of the future ages may come here when the countries of Europe can no longer support their inhabitants."

"Do you believe that?" asked Kennedy.

"Certainly, my dear Dick. Look at the march of events, consider the successive emigrations of the human race, and you will arrive at the same conclusion as I have. Is it not true that Asia was the first nurse of the world? For 4,000 years, perhaps, she was fruitful and bore her children, and then when stones appear where the golden crops of Homer appeared, her children leave her dry and withered bosom. They then are seen invading Europe, young and strong, which nourishes them for 2,000 years. But she is already losing her fertility, her producing qualities are diminishing every day; these new evils each year which attack the produce of the soil, the deceptive harvests, the insufficient supplies, all are undoubted signs of decreasing vitality, of approaching weakness. Also, you can already perceive that people are throwing themselves upon the richer bosom of America, not indeed inexhaustible, but still inexhausted. In its turn, this newer Continent will become old. Its virgin forests will fall under the ax of industry, its soil will be enervated, because it had produced too much, as too much was demanded of it.

"There, where two crops would grow every year, scarcely one will come to the sickle. Then Africa will offer to new generations the accumulated treasures of centuries. The fatality of the climate to strangers will yield to the purifying influence of distribution of crops and drainage; the scattered streams will be united in one navigable river; and this district, over which we are passing,