# Picked Up explained — Round the Moon

> Chapter companion for Round the Moon by Jules Verne.

## What happens

The Susquehanna crew, led by J. T. Maston and Captain Blomsberry, searches the ocean for the missing projectile. After days of fruitless diving, they are about to abandon hope when a floating buoy is spotted—it is the projectile, which floats due to its specific lightness. The crew rescues the travelers, who are found alive and playing dominoes.

## Themes in this chapter

### Human Audacity and Ingenuity

The Gun Club's relentless determination and the engineering marvels of grappling-irons and diving apparatuses showcase human ingenuity in the face of near-impossible odds.

### The Role of Chance and the Impossible

The projectile's discovery hinges on the forgotten law of buoyancy and sheer luck, emphasizing how chance governs the fate of the travelers.

### Life, Death, and Extinction

The search oscillates between hope of finding the travelers alive and fear of their suffocation or death, highlighting the fragility of life.

## Character check-ins

### J. T. Maston

Drives the search effort with relentless optimism, insists the travelers are alive, and spots the floating projectile.

### Captain Blomsberry

Commands the Susquehanna and reluctantly orders the return to San Francisco before the projectile is found.

### Murchison

Engineer who designs grappling-irons and diving apparatus for the recovery operation.

### Michel Ardan

Found alive inside the projectile, exclaiming victory while playing dominoes with Barbicane and Nicholl.

### Impey Barbicane

One of the rescued travelers, playing dominoes with Ardan and Nicholl when discovered.

### Captain Nicholl

Rescued alongside Barbicane and Ardan, found playing dominoes.

## Key lines

> The air was getting exhausted, and doubtless with the air their courage and spirits. “The air very likely, but their courage never,” said J. T. Maston.

As the air supply dwindled, so too might the travelers' morale, but Maston insisted their courage would remain unbroken.

_Highlights Maston's unwavering faith in his friends' resilience._

> It is the bullet only weighs 19,250 lbs. ! ... And it displaces 28 tons, or 56,000 lbs. , consequently it floats !

Maston realizes the projectile is buoyant because its weight is less than the water it displaces, explaining why it rose to the surface.

_Key scientific insight that leads to the discovery of the projectile._

> At that moment the joyful and clear voice of Michel Ardan was heard exclaiming in the accents of victory⁠— “Double blank, Barbicane, double blank!”

Michel Ardan's triumphant shout reveals that he, Barbicane, and Nicholl are alive and casually playing dominoes.

_Comic relief and confirmation of the travelers' survival._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/round_the_moon_se/chapters/xxii-picked-up
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/round_the_moon_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/round_the_moon_se/chapters