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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..960a48f --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #62779 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/62779) diff --git a/old/62779-0.txt b/old/62779-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 4dccb3a..0000000 --- a/old/62779-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,2600 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Moon Hoax, by Richard Adams Locke - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - - -Title: The Moon Hoax - A Discovery that the Moon has a Vast Population of Human Beings - -Author: Richard Adams Locke - -Release Date: July 28, 2020 [EBook #62779] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MOON HOAX *** - - - - -Produced by deaurider, Martin Pettit and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive) - - - - - - -[Illustration: THE MOON, AS SEEN BY LORD ROSSE'S TELESCOPE. 1856.] - - -THE MOON HOAX; - -OR, - -A DISCOVERY THAT THE MOON -HAS A VAST POPULATION OF HUMAN BEINGS. - - -BY - -RICHARD ADAMS LOCKE. - - -Illustrated with a View of the Moon, - -AS SEEN BY LORD ROSSE'S TELESCOPE. - - -"The clouds still rested on one half of it, insomuch that I could -discover nothing in it; but the other appeared to me a vast ocean -planted with innumerable islands, that were covered with fruits and -flowers, and interwoven with a thousand little shining seas that -ran among them. I could see persons dressed in glorious habits with -garlands upon their heads, passing among the trees, lying down by the -sides of fountains, or resting on beds of flowers; and could hear a -confused harmony of singing birds, falling waters, human voices, and -musical instruments. Gladness grew in me upon the discovery of so -delightful a scene. I wished for the wings of an eagle, that I might -fly away to those happy seats; but the genius told me there was no -passage to them except through the gates of death that I saw opening -every moment upon the bridge." -ADDISON. - - -[Illustration: Logo] - - -NEW YORK: WILLIAM GOWANS, 1859. - - - - -Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1859, by - -WILLIAM GOWANS, - -in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for -the Southern District of New York. - - - - -ADVERTISEMENT. - - -It appears to be as natural for the human mind to be craving after the -wonderful, the mysterious, the marvellous, and the new discoveries, as -it is for the physical appetite to desire food, drink, and sleep, and -thereby as it were constantly attempting to lift up the veil that hides -incomprehensibilities from our vision. - -This interposition was, no doubt, wisely ordained, for the gazing upon -such mysteries might strike us blind, and rob us of the little stock of -happiness allotted to us while probationers here. May this longing not -be the germ of the proof of our immortality? - -The history of the human race is not only filled with instances of -this kind of craving, but it is universal, from the loftiest minds -as approach nearest the deity, such as Newton, La Place, and Mrs. -Somerville, down to the most untutored savage that roams the forest -wilds. Hence the key to the popularity of these charming productions -which fascinate our youth and continue to delight our manhood by -letting us into the supposed mysteries of an enchanting fairy land, -with a grace of narrative that quite takes us captive, while our -curiosity and wonder is raised to the highest pitch in watching the -developements unfolded in the narratives of these authors, and quite -impatient till we learn the result of the plot, or discovery. - -I allude to such productions as the Arabian Nights, Sir Thomas More's -Utopia, Bishop Berkeley's Adventures of Signior Gaudentio Di Lucca, -Swift's Gulliver's Travels, De Foe's Robinson Crusoe, Bunyan's -Pilgrim's Progress, and Lord Erskine's Armata, besides numerous others -of a similar character but of a less celebrated reputation. - -Among this class of extraordinary fictitious narratives and supposed -discovery, may be placed the renowned Moon Hoax, by Richard Adams -Locke. When it first made its appearance from day to day in one of the -morning papers, the interest in the discovery was intense, so much so -that the circulation of the paper augmented five fold, and in fact, -was the means of giving the journal a permanent footing as a daily -newspaper. Nor did this multiplied circulation of the paper satisfy -the public appetite. The proprietors of the journal had an edition of -60,000 published in pamphlet form, which were sold off in less than one -month; and of late this pamphlet edition has become so scarce that a -single copy was lately sold at the sale of Mr. Haswell's Library for -$3.75. - -The book is still in demand. As an instance of this the following will -give some idea at what pains and cost some will go to procure it. I -lately had a letter from a Gentleman residing in Wisconsin, making -inquiry if I had such a book, he further informed me that his attention -had been called to my book establishment in consequence of having sent -to the _Sunday Times_, published in this city, the following query, -"Can you inform me if such a book can be procured, and if so where, -as 'The celebrated Moon Hoax?'" The answer was that if it could be -procured at all, it would be at 85 Centre Street, New York. By this -circuitous method, this dilligent far-west bookcollector procured his -copy of the "Moon Hoax" to his great satisfaction. - -August 1, 1859. PUBLISHER. - - - - -GREAT - -ASTRONOMICAL DISCOVERIES - -LATELY MADE - -BY SIR JOHN HERSCHEL, L.L., D.F.R.S., &c., - -AT THE - -CAPE OF GOOD HOPE. - -FIRST PUBLISHED IN THE NEW YORK SUN IN AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER, 1835, FROM -THE SUPPLEMENT TO THE EDINBURGH JOURNAL OF SCIENCE. - - -In this unusual addition to our Journal, we have the happiness of -making known to the British public, and thence to the whole civilized -world, recent discoveries in Astronomy which will build an imperishable -monument to the age in which we live, and confer upon the present -generation of the human race a proud distinction through all future -time. It has been poetically said, that the stars of heaven are the -hereditary regalia of man, as the intellectual sovereign of the animal -creation. He may now fold the Zodiack around him with a loftier -consciousness of his mental supremacy. - -It is impossible to contemplate any great Astronomical discovery -without feelings closely allied to a sensation of awe, and nearly akin -to those with which a departed spirit may be supposed to discover the -realities of a future state. Bound by the irrevocable laws of nature -to the globe on which we live, creatures "close shut up in infinite -expanse," it seems like acquiring a fearful supernatural power when any -remote mysterious works of the Creator yield tribute to our curiosity. -It seems almost a presumptuous usurpation of powers denied us by the -divine will, when man, in the pride and confidence of his skill, steps -forth, far beyond the apparently natural boundary of his privileges, -and demands the secrets and familiar fellowship of other worlds. We -are assured that when the immortal philosopher to whom mankind is -indebted for the thrilling wonders now first made known, had at length -adjusted his new and stupendous apparatus with a certainty of success, -he solemnly paused several hours before he commenced his observations, -that he might prepare his own mind for discoveries which he knew would -fill the minds of myriads of his fellow-men with astonishment, and -secure his name a bright, if not transcendant conjunction with that -of his venerable father to all posterity. And well might he pause! -From the hour the first human pair opened their eyes to the glories of -the blue firmament above them, there has been no accession to human -knowledge at all comparable in sublime interest to that which he has -been the honored agent in supplying; and we are taught to believe that, -when a work, already preparing for the press, in which his discoveries -are embodied in detail, shall be laid before the public, they will be -found of incomparable importance to some of the grandest operations of -civilized life. Well might he pause! He was about to become the sole -depository of wondrous secrets which had been hid from the eyes of -all men that had lived since the birth of time. He was about to crown -himself with a diadem of knowledge which would give him a conscious -pre-eminence above every individual of his species who then lived, or -who had lived in the generations that are passed away. He paused ere he -broke the seal of the casket which contained it. - -To render our enthusiasm intelligible, we will state at once, that by -means of a telescope of vast dimensions and an entirely new principle, -the younger Herschel, at his observatory in the Southern Hemisphere, -has already made the most extraordinary discoveries in every planet of -our solar system; has discovered planets in other solar systems; has -obtained a distinct view of objects in the moon, fully equal to that -which the unaided eye commands of terrestrial objects at the distance -of a hundred yards; has affirmatively settled the question whether -this satellite be inhabited, and by what order of beings; has firmly -established a new theory of cometary phenomena; and has solved or -corrected nearly every leading problem of mathematical astronomy. - -For our early and almost exclusive information concerning these -facts, we are indebted to the devoted friendship of Dr. Andrew Grant, -the pupil of the elder, and for several years past the inseperable -coadjutor of the younger Herschel. The amanuensis of the latter at -the Cape of Good Hope, and the indefatigable superintendent of his -telescope during the whole period of its construction and operation, -Dr. Grant has been enabled to supply us with intelligence equal, -in general interest at least, to that which Dr. Herschel himself -has transmitted to the Royal Society. Indeed our correspondent -assures us that the voluminous documents now before a committee of -that institution contain little more than details and mathematical -illustrations of the facts communicated to us in his own ample -correspondence. For permission to indulge his friendship in -communicating this invaluable information to us, Dr. Grant and -ourselves are indebted to the magnanimity of Dr. Herschel, who, far -above all mercenary considerations, has thus signally honored and -rewarded his fellow-laborer in the field of science. The engravings -of lunar animals and other objects, and of the phases of the several -planets, are accurate copies of drawings taken in the observatory -by Herbert Home, Esq., who accompanied the last powerful series of -reflectors from London to the Cape, and superintended their erection; -and he has thus recorded the proofs of their triumphant success. The -engravings of the belts of Jupiter is a reduced copy of an imperial -folio drawing by Dr. Herschel himself, and contains the results of his -latest observation of that planet. The segment of the inner ring of -Saturn is from a large drawing by Dr. Grant. - -We first avail ourselves of the documents which contain a description -and history of the instrument by which these stupendous discoveries -have been made. A knowledge of the one is essential to the credibility -of the other. - - -THE YOUNGER HERSCHEL'S TELESCOPE. - -It is well known that the great reflecting telescope of the late elder -Herschel, with an object-glass four feet in diameter, and a tube forty -feet in length, possesses a magnifying power of more than six thousand -times. But a small portion of this power was ever advantageously -applied to the nearer astronomical objects; for the deficiency of -light from objects so highly magnified, rendered them less distinct -than when viewed with a power of a third or fourth of this extent. -Accordingly the powers which he generally applied when observing -the moon or planets, and with which he made his most interesting -discoveries, ranged from 220, 460, 750, and 900 times; although, when -inspecting the double and treble fixed stars, and the more distant -nebulæ, he frequently applied the full capacity of his instrument. -The law of optics, that an object becomes dim in proportion as it is -magnified, seemed, from its exemplification in this powerful telescope, -to form an insuperable boundary to further discoveries in our solar -system. Several years, however, prior to the death of this venerable -astronomer, he conceived it practicable to construct an improved series -of parabolic and spherical reflectors, which, by uniting all the -meritorious points in the Gregorian and Newtonian instruments, with the -highly interesting achromatic discovery of Dolland, would, to a great -degree, remove the formidable obstruction. His plan evinced the most -profound research in optical science, and the most dexterous ingenuity -in mechanical contrivance; but accumulating infirmities, and eventually -death, prevented its experimental application. His son, the present -Sir John Herschel, who had been nursed and cradled in the observatory, -and a practical astronomer from his boyhood, was so fully convinced -of the value of the theory, that he determined upon testing it, at -whatever cost. Within two years of his father's death he completed -his new apparatus, and adapted it to the old telescope with nearly -perfect success. He found that the magnifying power of 6,000 times, -when applied to the moon, which was the severest criterion that could -be selected, produced, under these new reflectors, a focal object -of exquisite distinctness, free from every achromatic obscurity, and -containing the highest degree of light which the great speculum could -collect from that luminary. - -The enlargement of the angle of vision which was thus acquired, is -ascertained by dividing the moon's distance from the observatory by -the magnifying power of the instrument; and the former being 240,000 -miles, and the latter 6,000 times, leaves a quotient of 40 miles as -the apparent distance of that planet from the eye of the observer. Now -it is well known that no terrestrial objects can be seen at a greater -distance than this, with the naked eye, even from the most favorable -elevations. The rotundity of the earth prevents a more distant view -than this with the most acute natural vision, and from the highest -eminences; and, generally, objects seen at this distance are themselves -elevated on mountainous ridges. It is not pretended, moreover, that -this forty miles telescopic view of the moon presented its objects with -equal distinctness, though it did in equal size to those of this earth, -so remotely stationed. - -The elder Herschel had nevertheless demonstrated, that with a power -of 1,000 times, he could discern objects in this satellite of not -more than 122 yards in diameter. If therefore the full capability of -the instrument had been elicited by the new apparatus of reflectors -constructed by his son, it would follow, in mathematical ratio, that -objects could be discerned of not more than 22 yards in diameter. Yet -in either case they would be seen as mere feeble, shapeless points, -with no greater conspicuity than they would exhibit upon earth to -the unaided eye at the distance of forty miles. But although the -rotundity of the earth presented no obstruction to a view of these -astronomical objects, we believe Sir John Herschel never insisted -that he had carried out these extreme powers of the telescope in so -full a ratio. The deficiency of light, though greatly economised -and concentrated, still maintained some inverse proportion to the -magnitude of the focal image. The advance he had made in the knowledge -of this planet, though magnificent and sublime, was thus but partial -and unsatisfactory. He was, it is true, enabled to confirm some -discoveries of former observers, and to confute those of others. -The existence of volcanoes discovered by his father and by Schroeter -of Berlin, and the changes observed by the latter in the volcano in -the _Mare Crisium_ or Lucid Lake, were corroborated and illustrated, -as was also the prevalence of far more extensive volcanic phenomena. -The disproportionate height attributed to the lunar mountains was -corrected from careful admeasurement; whilst the celebrated conical -hills, encircling valleys of vast diameter, and surrounding the lofty -central hills, were distinctly perceived. The formation which Professor -Frauenhofer uncharitably conjectured to be a lunar fortification, -he ascertained to be a tabular buttress of a remarkably pyramidical -mountain; lines which had been whimsically pronounced roads and canals, -he found to be keen ridges of singularly regular rows of hills; and -that which Schroeter imagined to be a great city in the neighborhood of -_Marius_, he determined to be a valley of disjointed rocks scattered -in fragments, which averaged at least a thousand yards in diameter. -Thus the general geography of the planet, in its grand outlines of -cape, continent, mountain, ocean, and island, was surveyed with greater -particularity and accuracy than by any previous observer; and the -striking dissimilarity of many of its local features to any existing on -our own globe, was clearly demonstrated. The best enlarged maps of that -luminary which have been published were constructed from this survey; -and neither the astronomer nor the public ventured to hope for any -great accession to their developments. The utmost power of the largest -telescope in the world had been exerted in a new and felicitous manner -to obtain them, and there was no reasonable expectation that a larger -one would ever be constructed, or that it could be advantageously -used if it were. A law of nature, and the finitude of human skill, -seemed united in inflexible opposition to any further improvement in -telescopic science, as applicable to the known planets and satellites -of the solar system. For unless the sun could be prevailed upon to -extend a more liberal allowance of light to these bodies, and they -be induced to transfer it, for the generous gratification of our -curiosity, what adequate substitute could be obtained? Telescopes do -not create light, they cannot even transmit unimpaired that which -they receive. That anything further could be derived from human skill -in the construction of instruments, the labors of his illustrious -predecessors, and his own, left the son of Herschel no reason to hope. -Huygens, Fontana, Gregory, Newton, Hadley, Bird, Short, Dolland, -Herschel, and many others, all practical opticians, had resorted to -every material in any wise adapted to the composition either of lenses -or reflectors, and had exhausted every law of vision which study had -developed and demonstrated. In the construction of his last amazing -specula, Sir John Herschel had selected the most approved amalgams -that the advanced stage of metallic chemistry had combined; and had -watched their growing brightness under the hands of the artificer with -more anxious hope than ever lover watched the eye of his mistress; -and he had nothing further to expect than they had accomplished. He -had the satisfaction to know that if he could leap astride a cannon -ball, and travel upon its wings of fury for the respectable period of -several millions of years, he would not obtain a more enlarged view of -the distant stars than he could now possess in a few minutes of time; -and that it would require an ultra-railroad speed of fifty miles an -hour, for nearly the live-long year, to secure him a more favorable -inspection of the gentle luminary of night. The interesting question, -however, whether this light of the solemn forest, of the treeless -desert, and of the deep blue ocean as it rolls; whether this object of -the lonely turret, of the uplifted eye on the deserted battle-field, -and of all the pilgrims of love and hope, of misery and despair, that -have journeyed over the hills and valleys of this earth, through all -the eras of its unwritten history to those of its present voluminous -record; the exciting question, whether this "observed" of all the sons -of men, from the days of Eden to those of Edinburgh, be inhabited by -beings like ourselves, of consciousness and curiosity, was left for -solution to the benevolent index of natural analogy, or to the severe -tradition that it is tenanted only by the hoary solitaire whom the -criminal code of the nursery had banished thither for collecting fuel -on the Sabbath-day. - -The limits of discovery in the planetary bodies, and in this one -especially, thus seemed to be immutably fixed; and no expectation was -elevated for a period of several years. But, about three years ago, in -the course of a conversational discussion with Sir David Brewster upon -the merits of some ingenious suggestions by the latter, in his article -on optics in the Edinburgh Encyclopedia (p. 644), for improvements in -the Newtonian Reflectors, Sir John Herschel adverted to the convenient -simplicity of the old astronomical telescopes that were without tubes, -and the object-glass of which, placed upon a high pole, threw its focal -image to a distance of 150, and even 200 feet. Dr. Brewster readily -admitted that a tube was not necessary, provided the focal image -were conveyed into a dark apartment, and there properly received by -reflectors. Sir John then said that, if his father's great telescope, -the tube alone of which, though formed of the lightest suitable -materials, weighed 3,000 lbs., possessed an easy and steady mobility -with its heavy observatory attached, an observatory moveable without -the incumbrance of such a tube, was obviously practical. This also was -admitted, and the conversation became directed to that all-invincible -enemy. The paucity of light in powerful magnifiers. After a few -moments' silent thought, Sir John diffidently inquired whether it would -not be possible to effect _a transfusion of artificial light through -the focal object of vision_! Sir David, somewhat startled at the -originality of the idea, paused awhile, and then hesitatingly referred -to the refrangibility of rays, and the angle of incidence. Sir John, -grown more confident, adduced the example of the Newtonian Reflector, -in which the refrangibility was corrected by the second speculum, and -the angle of incidence restored by the third. "And," continued he, "why -cannot the illuminated microscope, say the hydro-oxygen, be applied to -render distinct, and, if necessary, even to magnify the focal object?" -Sir David sprung from his chair in an ecstacy of conviction, and -leaping half-way to the ceiling, exclaimed, "Thou art the man!" Each -philosopher anticipated the other in presenting the prompt illustration -that if the rays of the hydro-oxygen microscope, passed through a drop -of water containing the larvæ of a gnat and other objects invisible to -the naked eye, rendered them not only keenly but firmly magnified to -dimensions of many feet; so could the same artificial light, passed -through the faintest focal object of a telescope, both distinctify (to -coin a new word for an extraordinary occasion) and magnify its feeblest -component members. The only apparent desideratum was a recipient for -the focal image which should transfer it, without refranging it, to the -surface on which it was to be viewed under the revivifying light of the -microscopic reflectors. In the various experiments made during the few -following weeks, the co-operative philosophers decided that a medium of -the purest plate glass (which it is said they obtained, by consent, be -it observed, from the shop window of Mons. Desanges, the jeweller to -his ex-majesty Charles X., in High street) was the most eligible they -could discover. It answered perfectly with a telescope which magnified -100 times, and a microscope of about thrice that power. - -Sir John Herschel then conceived the stupendous fabric of his present -telescope. The power of his father's instrument would still leave him -distant from his favorite planet nearly forty miles, and he resolved to -attempt a greater magnifier. Money, the wings of science as the sinews -of war, seemed the only requisite, and even the acquisition of this, -which is often more difficult than the task of Sisyphus, he determined -to achieve. Fully sanctioned by the high optical authority of Sir David -Brewster, he laid his plan before the Royal Society, and particularly -directed to it the attention of His Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex, -the ever munificent patron of science and the arts. It was immediately -and enthusiastically approved by the committee chosen to investigate -it, and the chairman, who was the Royal President, subscribed his name -for a contribution of £10,000, with a promise that he would zealously -submit the proposed instrument as a fit object for the patronage of -the privy purse. He did so without delay, and his Majesty, on being -informed that the estimated expense was £70,000, naively inquired if -the costly instrument would conduce to any improvement in _navigation_? -On being informed that it undoubtedly would, the sailor King promised a -_carte blanch_ for the amount which might be required. - -Sir John Herschel had submitted his plans and calculations in -adaptation to an object-glass of twenty-four feet in diameter: just six -times the size of his venerable father's. For casting this ponderous -mass, he selected the large glass-house of Messrs. Hartly and Grant, -(the brother of our invaluable friend Dr. Grant) at Dumbarton. The -material chosen was an amalgamation of two parts of the best crown with -one of flint glass, the use of which, in separate lenses, constituted -the great achromatic discovery of Dolland. It had been found, however, -by accurate experiments, that the amalgam would as completely triumph -over every impediment, both from refrangibility and discoloration, as -the separate lenses. Five furnaces of the metal, carefully collected -from productions of the manufactory, in both the kinds of glass, and -known to be respectively of nearly perfect homogenous quality, were -united, by one grand conductor, to the mould; and on the third of -January, 1833, the first cast was effected. After cooling eight days, -the mould was opened, and the glass found to be greatly flawed within -eighteen inches of the centre. Notwithstanding this failure, a new -glass was more carefully cast on the 27th of the same month, which -on being opened during the first week of February, was found to be -immaculately perfect, with the exception of two slight flaws so near -the line of its circumference that they would be covered by the copper -ring in which it was designed to be enclosed. - -The weight of this prodigious lens was 14,826 lbs. or nearly seven tons -after being polished; and its estimated magnifying power 42,000 times. -It was therefore presumed to be capable of representing objects in -our lunar satellite of little more than eighteen inches in diameter, -provided its focal image of them could be rendered distinct by the -transfusion of artificial light. It was not, however, upon the mere -illuminating power of the hydro-oxygen microscope, as applied to the -focal pictures of this lens, that the younger Herschel depended for -the realization of his ambitious theories and hopes. He calculated -largely upon the almost illimitable applicability of this instrument -as a second magnifier, which would supersede the use, and infinitely -transcend the powers of the highest magnifiers in reflecting telescopes. - -So sanguinely indeed did he calculate upon the advantages of this -splendid alliance, that he expressed confidence in his ultimate ability -to study even the entomology of the moon, in case she contained insects -upon her surface. Having witnessed the completion of this great lens, -and its safe transportation to the metropolis, his next care was the -construction of a suitable microscope, and of the mechanical frame-work -for the horizontal and vertical action of the whole. His plans in every -branch of his undertaking having been intensely studied, even to their -minutest details, were easily and rapidly executed. He awaited only the -appointed period at which he was to convey his magnificent apparatus to -its destination. - -A correspondence had for some time passed between the Boards of -England, France, and Austria, with a view to improvements in the -tables of longitude in the southern hemisphere; which are found to -be much less accurate than those of the northern. The high opinion -entertained by the British Board of Longitude of the principles of the -new telescope, and of the profound skill of its inventor, determined -the government to solicit his services in observing the transit of -Mercury over the sun's disk, which will take place on the 7th of -November in the present year: and which, as it will occur at 7h. 47m. -55s. night, conjunction, meantime; and at 8h. 12m. 22s. middle, true -time, will be invisible to nearly all the northern hemisphere. The -place at which the transits of Mercury and of Venus have generally -been observed by the astronomers of Europe, when occurring under these -circumstances, is the Cape of Good Hope; and no transit of Venus having -occurred since the year 1769, and none being to occur before 1874, -the accurate observation of the transits of Mercury, which occur more -frequently, has been found of great importance both to astronomy and -navigation. To the latter useful art, indeed, the transits of Mercury -are nearly as important as those of Venus; for although those of the -latter planet have the peculiar advantage of determining exactly the -great solar parallax, and thence the distances of all the planets -from the sun, yet the transits of Mercury, by exactly determining -the place of its own node, independently of the parallax of the great -orb, determine the parallax of the earth and moon; and are therefore -especially valuable in lunar observations of Longitude. The Cape of -Good Hope has been found preferable, in these observations, to any -other station in the hemisphere. The expedition which went to Peru, -about the middle of the last century, to ascertain, in conjunction with -another in Lapland, the true figure of the earth, found the attraction -of the mountainous regions so strong as to cause the plum-line of -one of their large instruments to deflect seven or eight seconds -from the true perpendicular; whilst the elevated plains at the Cape -unite all the advantages of a lucid atmosphere with an entire freedom -from mountainous obstruction. Sir John Herschel, therefore, not only -accepted the appointment with high satisfaction, but requested that -it might commence at least a year before the period of the transit, -to afford him time to bring his ponderous and complicated machinery -into perfect adjustment, and to extend his knowledge of the southern -constellations. - -His wish was immediately assented to, and his arrangements being -completed, he sailed from London on the 4th of September, 1834, -in company with Dr. Andrew Grant, Lieutenant Drummond, of the -Royal Engineers, F.R.A.S., and a large party of the best English -mechanics. They arrived, after an expeditious and agreeable passage, -and immediately proceeded to transport the lens, and the frame of -the large observatory, to its destined site, which was a piece of -table-land of great extent and elevation, about thirty-five miles to -the north-east of Capetown; and which is said to be the very spot on -which De la Caille, in 1750, constructed his invaluable solar tables, -when he measured a degree of the meridian, and made a great advance, to -exactitude in computing the solar parallax from that of Mars and the -Moon. Sir John accomplished the ascent to the plains by means of two -relief teams of oxen, of eighteen each, in about four days; and, aided -by several companies of Dutch boors, proceeded at once to the erection -of his gigantic fabric. - -The ground plan of the structure is in some respects similar to that -of the Herschel telescope in England, except that instead of circular -foundations of brickwork, it consists of parallel circles of railroad -iron, upon wooden framework; so constructed that the turn-outs, or -rather turn-ins, from the largest circle, will conduct the observatory, -which moves upon them, to the innermost circle, which is the basis of -the lens-works; and to each of the circles that intervene. The diameter -of the smallest circle is twenty-eight feet: that of the largest our -correspondent has singularly forgotten to state, though it may be -in some measure computed from the angle of incidence projected by -the lens, and the space occupied by the observatory. The latter is a -wooden building fifty feet square and as many high, with a flat roof -and gutters of thin copper. Through the side proximate to the lens, -is an aperture four feet in diameter to receive its rays, and through -the roof another for the same purpose in meridional observations. The -lens, which is inclosed in a frame of wood, and braced to its corners -by bars of copper, is suspended upon an axis between two pillars which -are nearly as high as those which supported the celebrated quadrant of -Uleg Beg, being one hundred and fifty feet. These are united at the top -and bottom by cross-pieces, and strengthened by a number of diagonal -braces; and between them is a double capstan for hoisting the lens from -its horizontal line with the observatory to the height required by -its focal distance when turned to the meridian; and for elevating it -to any intermediate degree of altitude that may be needed. This last -operation is beautifully regulated by an immense double sextant, which -is connected and moves with the axis of the lens, and is regularly -divided into degrees, minutes, and seconds; and the horizontal circles -of the observatory being also divided into 360 degrees, and minutely -subdivided, the whole instrument has the powers and regularity of the -most improved theodolite. Having no tube, it is connected with the -observatory by two horizontal levers, which pass underneath the floor -of that building from the circular basis of the pillars; thus keeping -the lens always square with the observatory, and securing to both a -uniform and simple movement. By means of these levers, too, a rack and -windlass, the observatory is brought to any degree of approximation -to the pillars that the altitude of an observation may require; and -although, when at its nearest station it cannot command an observation -with the great lens within about fifteen degrees of the meridian, it -is supplied with an excellent telescope of vast power, constructed by -the elder Herschel, by which every high degree can be surveyed. The -field of view, therefore, whether exhibited on the floor or on the -wall of the apartment, has a diameter of nearly fifty feet, and, being -circular, it has therefore an area of nearly 1875 feet. The place of -all the horizontal movements having been accurately levelled by Lieut. -Drummond, with the improved level of his invention which bears his -name, and the wheels both of the observatory and of the lens-works -being facilitated by friction-rollers in patent axle-boxes filled -with oil, the strength of one man applied to the extremity of the -levers is sufficient to propel the whole structure upon either of the -railroad circles; and that of two men applied to the windlass is fully -adequate to bring the observatory to the basis of the pillars. Both of -these movements, however, are now effected by a locomotive apparatus -commanded within the apartment by a single person, and showing, by -means of an ingenious index, every inch of progression or retrogression. - -We have not thus particularly described the telescope of the younger -Herschel because we consider it the most magnificent specimen of -philosophical mechanism of the present or any previous age, but -because we deemed an explicit description of its principles and powers -an almost indispensable introduction to a statement of the sublime -expansion of human knowledge which it has achieved. It was not fully -completed until the latter part of December, when the series of large -reflectors for the microscope arrived from England; and it was brought -into operation during the first week of the ensuing month and year. -But the secrecy which had been maintained with regard to its novelty, -its manufacture, and its destination, was not less rigidly preserved -for several months respecting the grandeur of its success. Whether the -British Government were sceptical concerning the promised splendor -of its discoveries, or wished them to be scrupulously veiled until -they had accumulated a a full-orbed glory for the nation and reign in -which they originated, is a question which we can only conjecturally -solve. But certain it is that the astronomer's royal patrons enjoined -a masonic taciturnity upon him and his friends until he should -have officially communicated the results of his great experiment. -Accordingly, the world heard nothing of him or his expedition until -it was announced a few months since in the scientific journals of -Germany, that Sir John Herschel, at the Cape of Good Hope, had written -to the astronomer-royal of Vienna, to inform him that the portentous -comet predicted for the year 1835, which was to approach so near this -trembling globe that we might hear the roaring of its fires, had turned -upon another scent, and would not even shake a hair of its tail upon -our hunting-grounds. At a loss to conceive by what extra authority he -had made so bold a declaration, the men of science in Europe who were -not acquainted with his secret, regarded his "postponement," as his -discovery was termed, with incredulous contumely, and continued to -terrorize upon the strength of former predictions. - - -NEW LUNAR DISCOVERIES. - -Until the 10th of January, the observations were chiefly directed to -the stars in the southern signs, in which, without the aid of the -hydro-oxygen reflectors, a countless number of new stars and nebulæ -were discovered. But we shall defer our correspondent's account of -these to future pages, for the purpose of no longer withholding from -our readers the more generally and highly interesting discoveries which -were made in the lunar world. And for this purpose, too, we shall defer -Dr. Grant's elaborate mathematical details of the corrections which -Sir John Herschel has made in the best tables of the moon's tropical, -sidereal, and synodic revolutions, and of those phenomena of syzygies -on which a great part of the established lunar theory depends. - -It was about half-past nine o'clock on the night of the 10th, the moon -having then advanced within four days of her mean libration, that the -astronomer adjusted his instruments for the inspection of her eastern -limb. The whole immense power of his telescope was applied, and to its -focal image about one half of the power of his microscope. On removing -the screen of the latter, the field of view was covered throughout its -entire area with a beautifully distinct, and even vivid representation -of _basaltic rock_. Its color was a greenish brown, and the width -of the columns, as defined by their interstices on the canvass, was -invariably twenty-eight inches. No fracture whatever appeared in the -mass first presented, but in a few seconds a shelving pile appeared of -five or six columns width, which showed their figure to be hexagonal, -and their articulations similar to those of the basaltic formation at -Staffa. This precipitous shelf was profusely covered with a dark red -flower, "precisely similar," says Dr. Grant, "to the Papaver RhÅ“as, or -rose-poppy of our sublunary cornfields; and this was the first organic -production of nature, in a foreign world, ever revealed to the eyes of -men." - -The rapidity of the moon's ascension, or rather of the earth's diurnal -rotation, being nearly equal to five hundred yards in a second, would -have effectually prevented the inspection, or even the discovery -of objects so minute as these, but for the admirable mechanism -which constantly regulates, under the guidance of the sextant, the -required altitude of the lens. But its operation was found to be so -consummately perfect, that the observers could detain the object upon -the field of view for any period they might desire. The specimen of -lunar vegetation, however, which they had already seen, had decided -a question of too exciting an interest to induce them to retard its -exit. It had demonstrated that the moon has an atmosphere constituted -similarly to our own, and capable of sustaining organized, and -therefore, most probably, animal life. The basaltic rocks continued -to pass over the inclined canvass plane, through three successive -diameters, when a verdant declivity of great beauty appeared, which -occupied two more. This was preceded by another mass of nearly the -former height, at the base of which they were at length delighted to -perceive that novelty, a lunar forest. "The trees," says Dr. Grant, -"for a period of ten minutes, were of one unvaried kind, and unlike -any I have seen, except the largest kind of yews in the English -churchyards, which they in some respects resemble." These were followed -by a level green plain, which, as measured by the painted circle on our -canvass of forty-nine feet, must have been more than half a mile in -breadth; and then appeared as fine a forest of firs, unequivocal firs, -as I have ever seen cherished in the bosom of my native mountains. -Wearied with the long continuance of these, we greatly reduced the -magnifying power of the microscope, without eclipsing either of the -reflectors, and immediately perceived that we had been insensibly -descending, as it were, a mountainous district of a highly diversified -and romantic character, and that we were on the verge of a lake, or -inland sea; but of what relative locality or extent, we were yet too -greatly magnified to determine. On introducing the feeblest achromatic -lens we possessed, we found that the water, whose boundary we had just -discovered, answered in general outline to the Mare Nubium of Riccoli, -by which we detected that, instead of commencing, as we supposed, on -the eastern longitude of the planet, some delay in the elevation of -the great lens had thrown us nearly upon the axis of her equator. -However, as she was a free country, and we not, as yet, attached to any -particular province, and moreover, since we could at any moment occupy -our intended position, we again slid in our magic lenses to survey the -shores of the Mare Nubium. Why Riccoli so termed it, unless in ridicule -of Cleomedes, I know not; for fairer shores never angels coasted on -a tour of pleasure. A beach of brilliant white sand, girt with wild -castellated rocks, apparently of green marble, varied at chasms, -occurring every two or three hundred feet, with grotesque blocks of -chalk or gypsum, and feathered and festooned at the summit with the -clustering foliage of unknown trees, moved along the bright wall of our -apartment until we were speechless with admiration. The water, wherever -we obtained a view of it, was nearly as blue as that of the deep ocean, -and broke in large white billows upon the strand. The action of very -high tides was quite manifest upon the face of the cliffs for more than -a hundred miles; yet diversified as the scenery was during this and -a much greater distance, we perceived no trace of animal existence, -notwithstanding we could command at will a perspective or a foreground -view of the whole. Mr. Holmes, indeed, pronounced some white objects -of a circular form, which we saw at some distance in the interior of a -cavern, to be bona fide specimens of a large cornu ammonis; but to me -they appeared merely large pebbles, which had been chafed and rolled -there by the tides. Our chase of animal life was not yet to be rewarded. - -Having continued this close inspection nearly two hours, during which -we passed over a wide tract of country, chiefly of a rugged and -apparently volcanic character; and having seen few additional varieties -of vegetation, except some species of lichen, which grew everywhere -in great abundance, Dr. Herschel proposed that we should take out all -our lenses, give a rapid speed to the panorama, and search for some of -the principal valleys known to astronomers, as the most likely method -to reward our first night's observation with the discovery of animated -beings. The lenses being removed, and the effulgence of our unutterably -glorious reflectors left undiminished, we found, in accordance with our -calculations, that our field of view comprehended about twenty-five -miles of the lunar surface, with the distinctness both of outline and -detail which could be procured of a terrestrial object at the distance -of two and a half miles; an optical phenomenon which you will find -demonstrated in Note 5. This afforded us the best landscape views we -had hitherto obtained, and although the accelerated motion was rather -too great, we enjoyed them with rapture. Several of those famous -valleys, which are bounded by lofty hills of so perfectly conical a -form as to render them less like works of nature than of art, passed -the canvass before we had time to check their flight; but presently a -train of scenery met our eye, of features so entirely novel, that Dr. -Herschel signalled for the lowest convenient gradation of movement. It -was a lofty chain of obelisk-shaped, or very slender pyramids, standing -in irregular groups, each composed of about thirty or forty spires, -every one of which was perfectly square, and as accurately truncated -as the finest specimens of Cornish crystal. They were of a faint lilac -hue, and very resplendent. I now thought that we had assuredly fallen -on productions of art; but Dr. Herschel shrewdly remarked, that if the -Lunarians could build thirty or forty miles of such monuments as these, -we should ere now have discovered others of a less equivocal character. -He pronounced them quartz formations, of probably the wine-colored -amethyst species, and promised us, from these and other proofs which he -had obtained of the powerful action of laws of crystallization in this -planet, a rich field of mineralogical study. On introducing a lens, -his conjecture was fully confirmed; they were monstrous amethysts, -of a diluted claret color, glowing in the intensest light of the -sun! They varied in height from sixty to ninety feet, though we saw -several of a still more incredible altitude. They were observed in a -succession of valleys divided by longitudinal lines of round-breasted -hills, covered with verdure and nobly undulated; but what is most -remarkable, the valleys which contained these stupendous crystals were -invariably barren, and covered with stones of a ferruginous hue, which -were probably iron pyrites. We found that some of these curiosities -were situated in a district elevated half a mile above the valley of -the Mare FÅ“cunditatis, of Mayer and Riccioli; the shores of which soon -hove in view. But never was a name more inappropriately bestowed. From -"Dan to Beersheba" all was barren, barren--the sea-board was entirely -composed of chalk and flint, and not a vestige of vegetation could -be discovered with our strongest glasses. The whole breadth of the -northern extremity of this sea, which was about three hundred miles, -having crossed our plane, we entered upon a wild mountainous region -abounding with more extensive forests of larger trees than we had -before seen--the species of which I have no good analogy to describe. -In general contour they resembled our forest oak; but they were much -more superb in foliage, having broad glossy leaves like that of the -laurel, and tresses of yellow flowers which hung, in the open glades, -from the branches to the ground. These mountains passed, we arrived -at a region which filled us with utter astonishment. It was an oval -valley, surrounded, except at a narrow opening towards the south, by -hills, red as the purest vermilion, and evidently crystallized; for -wherever a precipitous chasm appeared--and these chasms were very -frequent, and of immense depth--the perpendicular sections presented -conglomerated masses of polygon crystals, evenly fitted to each other, -and arranged in deep strata, which grew darker in color as they -descended to the foundations of the precipices. Innumerable cascades -were bursting forth from the breasts of every one of these cliffs, -and some so near their summits, and with such great force, as to form -arches many yards in diameter. I never was so vividly reminded of -Byron's simile, "the tale of the white horse in the Revolution." At the -foot of this boundary of hills was a perfect zone of woods surrounding -the whole valley, which was about eighteen or twenty miles wide, at -its greatest breadth, and about thirty in length. Small collections of -trees, of every imaginable kind, were scattered about the whole of the -luxuriant area; and here our magnifiers blest our panting hopes with -specimens of conscious existence. In the shade of the woods on the -south-eastern side, we beheld continuous herds of brown quadrupeds, -having all the external characteristics of the bison, but more -diminutive than any species of the bos genus in our natural history. -Its tail is like that of our bos grunniens; but in its semi-circular -horns, the hump on its shoulders, and the depth of its dewlap, and the -length of its shaggy hair, it closely resembled the species to which -I first compared it. It had, however, one widely distinctive feature, -which we afterwards found common to nearly every lunar quadruped -we have discovered; namely, a remarkable fleshy appendage over the -eyes, crossing the whole breadth of the forehead and united to the -ears. We could most distinctly perceive this hairy veil, which was -shaped like the upper front outline of a cap known to the ladies as -Mary Queen of Scots' cap, lifted and lowered by means of the ears. It -immediately occurred to the acute mind of Dr. Herschel, that this was -a providential contrivance to protect the eyes of the animal from the -great extremes of light and darkness to which all the inhabitants of -our side of the moon are periodically subjected. - -The next animal perceived would be classed on earth as a monster. It -was of a bluish lead color, about the size of a goat, with a head and -beard like him, and a _single horn_, slightly inclined forward from -the perpendicular. The female was destitute of the horn and beard, but -had a much longer tail. It was gregarious, and chiefly abounded on the -acclivitous glades of the woods. In elegance of symmetry it rivalled -the antelope, and like him it seemed an agile sprightly creature, -running with great speed, and springing from the green turf with all -the unaccountable antics of a young lamb or kitten. This beautiful -creature afforded us the most exquisite amusement. The mimicry of its -movements upon our white painted canvass was as faithful and luminous -as that of animals within a few yards of the camera obscura, when seen -pictured upon its tympan. Frequently when attempting to put our fingers -upon its beard, it would suddenly bound away into oblivion, as if -conscious of our earthly impertinence; but then others would appear, -whom we could not prevent nibbling the herbage, say or do what we would -to them. - -On examining the centre of this delightful valley, we found a large -branching river, abounding with lovely islands, and water-birds of -numerous kinds. A species of grey pelican was the most numerous; but -a black and white crane, with unreasonably long legs and bill, were -also quite common. We watched their pisciverous experiments a long -time, in hopes of catching sight of a lunar fish; but although we were -not gratified in this respect, we could easily guess the purpose with -which they plunged their long necks so deeply beneath the water. Near -the upper extremity of one of these islands we obtained a glimpse -of a strange amphibious creature, of a spherical form, which rolled -with great velocity across the pebbly beach, and was lost sight of in -the strong current which set off from this angle of the island. We -were compelled, however, to leave this prolific valley unexplored, -on account of clouds which were evidently accumulating in the lunar -atmosphere, our own being perfectly translucent. But this was itself -an interesting discovery, for more distant observers had questioned or -denied the existence of any humid atmosphere in this planet. - -The moon being now low on her descent, Dr. Herschel inferred that the -increasing refrangibility of her rays would prevent any satisfactory -protraction of our labors, and our minds being actually fatigued with -the excitement of the high enjoyments we had partaken, we mutually -agreed to call in the assistants at the lens, and reward their -vigilant attention with congratulatory bumpers of the best "East -India Particular." It was not, however, without regret that we left -the splendid valley of the red mountains, which, in compliment to the -arms of our royal patron, we denominated "the Valley of the Unicorn;" -and it may be found in Blunt's map, about midway between the Mare -FÅ“cunditatis and the Mare Nectaris. - -The nights of the 11th and 12th being cloudy, were unfavorable -to observation; but on those of the 13th and 14th further animal -discoveries were made of the most exciting interest to every human -being. We give them in the graphic language of our accomplished -correspondent:-- - -"The astonishing and beautiful discoveries which we had made during our -first night's observation, and the brilliant promise which they gave -of the future, rendered every moonlight hour too precious to reconcile -us to the deprivation occasioned by these two cloudy evenings; and -they were borne with strictly philosophical patience, notwithstanding -that our attention was closely occupied in superintending the erection -of additional props and braces to the twenty-four feet lens, which we -found had somewhat vibrated in a high wind that arose on the morning of -the 11th. The night of the 13th (January) was one of pearly purity and -loveliness. The moon ascended the firmament in gorgeous splendor, and -the stars, retiring around her, left her the unrivalled queen of the -hemisphere. This being the last night but one, in the present month, -during which we should have an opportunity of inspecting her western -limb, on account of the libration in longitude which would thence -immediately ensue, Dr. Herschel informed us that he should direct our -researches to the parts numbered 2, 11, 26, and 20 in Blunt's map, and -which are respectively known in the modern catalogue by the names of -Endymion, Cleomedes, Langrenus, and Petavius. To the careful inspection -of these, and the regions between them and the extreme western rim, he -proposed to devote the whole of this highly favorable night. Taking -then our twenty-five miles breadth of her surface upon the field of -view, and reducing it to a slow movement, we soon found the first very -singularly shaped object of our inquiry. It is a highly mountainous -district, the loftier chains of which form three narrow ovals, two of -which approach each other in slender points, and are united by one -mass of hills of great length and elevation; thus presenting a figure -similar to that of a long skein of thread, the bows of which have been -gradually spread open from their connecting knot. The third oval looks -also like a skein, and lies as if carelessly dropped from nature's -hand in connection with the other; but that which might fancifully be -supposed as having formed the second bow of this second skein is cut -open, and lies in scattered threads of smaller hills which cover a -great extent of level territory. The ground plan of these mountains -is so remarkable that it has been accurately represented in almost -every lineal map of the moon that has been drawn; and in Blunt's, -which is the best, it agrees exactly with my description. Within the -grasp, as it were, of the broken bow of hills last mentioned, stands -an oval-shaped mountain, enclosing a valley of an immense area, and -having on its western ridge a volcano in a state of terrific eruption. -To the north-east of this, across the broken, or what Mr. Holmes called -'the vagabond mountains,' are three other detached oblong formations, -the largest and last of which is marked F in the catalogue, and -fancifully denominated the Mare Mortuum, or more commonly the 'Lake -of Death.' Induced by a curiosity to divine the reason of so sombre -a title, rather than by any more philosophical motive, we here first -applied our hydro-oxygen magnifiers to the focal image of the great -lens. Our twenty-five miles portion of this great mountain circus had -comprehended the whole of its area, and of course the two conical -hills which rise in it about five miles from each other; but although -this breadth of view had heretofore generally presented its objects -as if seen within a terrestrial distance of two and a half miles, we -were, in this instance, unable to discern these central hills with -any such degree of distinctness. There did not appear to be any mist -or smoke around them, as in the case of the volcano which we had -left in the south-west, and yet they were comparatively indistinct -upon the canvass. On sliding in the gas-light lens the mystery was -immediately solved. They were old craters of extinct volcanoes, from -which still issued a heated though transparent exhalation, that kept -them in an apparently oscillatory or trembling motion, most unfavorable -to examination. The craters of both these hills, as nearly as we -could judge under this obstruction, were about fifteen fathoms deep, -devoid of any appearance of fire, and of nearly a yellowish white -color throughout. The diameter of each was about nine diameters of -our painted circle, or nearly 450 feet; and the width of the rim -surrounding them about 1000 feet; yet notwithstanding their narrow -mouths, these two chimneys of the subterranean deep had evidently -filled the whole area of the valley in which they stood with the lava -and ashes with which it was encumbered, and even added to the height, -if not indeed caused the existence of the oval chain of mountains which -surrounded it. These mountains, as subsequently measured, from the -level of some large lakes around them, averaged the height of 2,800 -feet; and Dr. Herschel conjectured from this and the vast extent of -their abutments, which ran for many miles into the country around them, -that these volcanoes must have been in full activity for a million of -years. Lieut. Drummond, however, rather supposed that the whole area -of this oval valley was but the exhausted crater of one vast volcano, -which in expiring had left only these two imbecile representatives -of its power. I believe Dr. Herschel himself afterwards adopted this -probable theory, which is indeed confirmed by the universal geology -of the planet. There is scarcely a hundred miles of her surface, not -even excepting her largest seas and lakes, in which circular or oval -mountainous ridges may not be easily found; and many, very many of -these having numerous enclosed hills in full volcanic operation, which -are now much lower than the surrounding circles, it admits of no doubt -that each of these great formations is the remains of one vast mountain -which has burnt itself out, and left only these wide foundations of its -ancient grandeur. A direct proof of this is afforded in a tremendous -volcano, now in its prime, which I shall hereafter notice. What gave -the name of 'The Lake of Death' to the annular mountain I have just -described, was, I suppose, the dark appearance of the valley which -it encloses, and which, to a more distant view than we obtained, -certainly exhibits the general aspect of the waters on this planet. The -surrounding country is fertile to excess: between this circle and No. -2 (Endymion), which we proposed first to examine, we counted not less -than twelve luxuriant forests, divided by open plains, which waved in -an ocean of verdure, and were probably prairies like those of North -America. In three of these we discovered numerous herds of quadrupeds -similar to our friends the bisons in the Valley of the Unicorn, but -of much larger size; and scarcely a piece of woodland occurred in our -panorama which did not dazzle our vision with flocks of white or red -birds upon the wing. - -"At length we carefully explored the Endymion. We found each of -the three ovals volcanic and sterile within; but, without, most -rich, throughout the level regions around them, in every imaginable -production of a bounteous soil. Dr. Herschel has classified not less -than thirty-eight species of forest trees, and nearly twice this number -of plants, found in this tract alone, which are widely different to -those found in more equatorial latitudes. Of animals, he classified -nine species of mammalia, and five of ovipara. Among the former is -a small kind of rein-deer, the elk, the moose, the horned bear, and -the biped beaver. The last resembles the beaver of the earth in every -other respect than in its destitution of a tail, and its invariable -habit of walking upon only two feet. It carries its young in its arms -like a human being, and moves with an easy gliding motion. Its huts -are constructed better and higher than those of many tribes of human -savages, and from the appearance of smoke in nearly all of them, there -is no doubt of its being acquainted with the use of fire. Still its -head and body differ only in the points stated from that of the beaver, -and it was never seen except on the borders of lakes and rivers, in -which it has been observed to immerse for a period of several seconds. - -"Thirty degrees farther south, in No. 11, or Cleomedes, an immense -annular mountain, containing three distinct craters, which have been so -long extinguished that the whole valley around them, which is eleven -miles in extent, is densely crowded with woods nearly to the summits of -the hills. Not a rod of vacant land, except the tops of these craters, -could be descried, and no living creature, except a large white bird -resembling the stork. At the southern extremity of this valley is -a natural archway or cavern, 200 feet high, and 100 wide, through -which runs a river which discharges itself over a precipice of grey -rock 80 feet in depth, and then forms a branching stream through a -beautiful campaign district for many miles. Within twenty miles of this -cataract is the largest lake, or rather inland sea, that has been found -throughout the seven and a half millions of square miles which this -illuminated side of the moon contains. Its width, from east to west, -is 198 miles, and from north to south, 266 miles. Its shape, to the -northward, is not unlike that of the bay of Bengal, and it is studded -with small islands, most of which are volcanic. Two of these, on the -eastern side, are now violently eruptive; but our lowest magnifying -power was too great to examine them with convenience, on account of the -cloud of smoke and ashes which beclouded our field of view: as seen by -Lieut. Drummond, through our reflecting telescope of 2,000 times, they -exhibited great brilliancy. In a bay, on the western side of this sea, -is an island 55 miles long, of a crescent form, crowded through its -entire sweep with the most superb and wonderful natural beauties, both -of vegetation and geology. Its hills are pinnacled with tall quartz -crystals, of so rich a yellow and orange hue that we at first supposed -them to be pointed flames of fire; and they spring up thus from smooth -round brows of hills which are covered as with a velvet mantle. Even -in the enchanting little valleys of this winding island we could often -see these splendid natural spires, mounting in the midst of deep green -woods, like church steeples in the vales of Westmoreland. We here first -noticed the lunar palm-tree, which differs from that of our tropical -latitudes only in the peculiarity of very large crimson flowers, -instead of the spadix protruded from the common calyx. We, however, -perceived no fruit on any specimens we saw: a circumstance which we -attempted to account for from the great (theoretical) extremes in the -lunar climate. On a curious kind of tree-melon we nevertheless saw -fruit in great abundance, and in every stage of inception and maturity. -The general color of these woods was a dark green, though not without -occasional admixtures of every tint of our forest seasons. The hectic -flush of autumn was often seen kindled upon the cheek of earliest -spring; and the gay drapery of summer in some places surrounded trees -leafless as the victims of winter. It seemed as if all the seasons here -united hands in a circle of perpetual harmony. Of animals we saw only -an elegant striped quadruped about three feet high, like a miniature -zebra; which was always in small herds on the green sward of the hills; -and two or three kinds of long-tailed birds, which we judged to be -golden and blue pheasants. On the shores, however, we saw countless -multitudes of univalve shell-fish, and among them some huge flat ones, -which all three of my associates declared to be cornu ammonæ; and I -confess I was here compelled to abandon my sceptical substitution of -pebbles. The cliffs all along these shores were deeply undermined by -tides; they were very cavernous, and yellow crystal stalactites larger -than a man's thigh were shooting forth on all sides. Indeed every -rood of this island appeared to be crystallized; masses of fallen -crystals were found on every beach we explored, and beamed from every -fractured headland. It was more like a creation of an oriental fancy -than a distant variety of nature brought by the powers of science to -ocular demonstration. The striking dissimilitude of this island to -every other we had found on these waters, and its near proximity to -the main land, led us to suppose that it must at some time have been -a part of it; more especially as its crescent bay embraced the first -of a chain of smaller ones which ran directly thither. The first one -was a pure quartz rock, about three miles in circumference, towering -in naked majesty from the blue deep, without either shore or shelter. -But it glowed in the sun almost like a sapphire, as did all the lesser -ones of whom it seemed the king. Our theory was speedily confirmed; for -all the shore of the main land was battlemented and spired with these -unobtainable jewels of nature; and as we brought our field of view to -include the utmost rim of the illuminated boundary of the planet, we -could still see them blazing in crowded battalions as it were, through -a region of hundreds of miles. In fact we could not conjecture where -this gorgeous land of enchantment terminated; for as the rotary motion -of the planet bore these mountain summits from our view, we became -further remote from their western boundary. - -"We were admonished by this to lose no time in seeking the next -proposed object of our search, the Langrenus, or No. 26, which is -almost within the verge of the libration in longitude, and of which, -for this reason, Dr. Herschel entertained some singular expectations. - -"After a short delay in advancing the observatory upon the levers, and -in regulating the lens, we found our object and surveyed it. It was -a dark narrow lake seventy miles long, bounded, on the east, north, -and west, by red mountains of the same character as those surrounding -the Valley of the Unicorn, from which it is distant to the south-west -about 160 miles. This lake, like that valley, opens to the south upon -a plain not more than ten miles wide, which is here encircled by a -truly magnificent amphitheatre of the loftiest order of lunar hills. -For a semicircle of six miles these hills are riven, from their brow -to their base, as perpendicularly as the outer walls of the Colosseum -at Rome; but here exhibiting the sublime altitude of at least two -thousand feet, in one smooth unbroken surface. How nature disposed of -the huge mass which she thus prodigally carved out, I know not; but -certain it is that there are no fragments of it left upon the plain, -which is a declivity without a single prominence except a billowy tract -of woodland that runs in many a wild vagary of breadth and course to -the margin of the lake. The tremendous height and expansion of this -perpendicular mountain, with its bright crimson front contrasted with -the fringe of forest on its brow, and the verdure of the open plain -beneath, filled our canvass with a landscape unsurpassed in unique -grandeur by any we had beheld. Our twenty-five miles perspective -included this remarkable mountain, the plain, a part of the lake, and -the last graduated summits of the range of hills by which the latter -is nearly surrounded. We ardently wished that all the world could -view a scene so strangely grand, and our pulse beat high with the -hope of one day exhibiting it to our countrymen in some part of our -native land. But we were at length compelled to destroy our picture, -as a whole, for the purpose of magnifying its parts for scientific -inspection. Our plain was of course immediately covered with the ruby -front of this mighty amphitheatre, its tall figures, leaping cascades, -and rugged caverns. As its almost interminable sweep was measured off -upon the canvass, we frequently saw long lines of some yellow metal -hanging from the crevices of the horizontal strata in wild net-work, -or straight pendant branches. We of course concluded that this was -virgin gold, and we had no assay-master to prove to the contrary. On -searching the plain, over which we had observed the woods roving in -all the shapes of clouds in the sky, we were again delighted with -the discovery of animals. The first observed was a quadruped with an -amazingly long neck, head like a sheep, bearing two long spiral horns, -white as polished ivory, and standing in perpendicular parallel to each -other. Its body was like that of the deer, but its fore-legs were most -disproportionally long, and its tail, which was very bushy and of a -snowy whiteness, curled high over its rump, and hung two or three feet -by its side. Its colors were bright bay and white in brindled patches, -clearly defined, but of no regular form. It was found only in pairs, in -spaces between the woods, and we had no opportunity of witnessing its -speed or habits. But a few minutes only elapsed before three specimens -of another animal appeared, so well known to us all that we fairly -laughed at the recognition of so familiar an acquaintance in so distant -a land. They were neither more nor less than three good large sheep, -which would not have disgraced the farms of Leicestershire, or the -shambles of Leadenhall-market. With the utmost scrutiny, we could find -no mark of distinction between these and those of our native soil; they -had not even the appendage over the eyes, which I have described as -common to lunar quadrupeds. Presently they appeared in great numbers, -and on reducing the lenses, we found them in flocks over a great part -of the valley. I need not say how desirous we were of finding shepherds -to these flocks, and even a man with blue apron and rolled up sleeves -would have been a welcome sight to us, if not to the sheep; but they -fed in peace, lords of their own pastures, without either protector or -destroyer in human shape. - -"We at length approached the level opening to the lake, where the -valley narrows to a mile in width, and displays scenery on both sides -picturesque and romantic beyond the powers of a prose description. -Imagination, borne on the wings of poetry, could alone gather similes -to portray the wild sublimity of this landscape, where dark behemoth -crags stood over the brows of lofty precipices, as if a rampart in the -sky; and forests seemed suspended in mid air. On the eastern side there -was one soaring crag, crested with trees, which hung over in a curve -like three-fourths of a Gothic arch, and being of a rich crimson color, -its effect was most strange upon minds unaccustomed to the association -of such grandeur with such beauty. - -"But whilst gazing upon them in a perspective of about half a mile, we -were thrilled with astonishment to perceive four successive flocks of -large winged creatures, wholly unlike any kind of birds, descend with a -slow even motion from the cliffs on the western side, and alight upon -the plain. They were first noticed by Dr. Herschel, who exclaimed, -'Now, gentlemen, my theories against your proofs, which you have often -found a pretty even bet, we have here something worth looking at: I -was confident that if ever we found beings in human shape, it would be -in this longitude, and that they would be provided by their Creator -with some extraordinary powers of locomotion: first exchange for my -number D.' This lens being soon introduced, gave us a fine half-mile -distance, and we counted three parties of these creatures, of twelve, -nine, and fifteen in each, walking erect towards a small wood near -the base of the eastern precipices. Certainly they _were_ like human -beings, for their wings had now disappeared, and their attitude in -walking was both erect and dignified. Having observed them at this -distance for some minutes, we introduced lens H _z_ which brought -them to the apparent proximity of eighty yards; the highest clear -magnitude we possessed until the latter end of March, when we effected -an improvement in the gas-burners. About half of the first party had -passed beyond our canvass; but of all the others we had a perfectly -distinct and deliberate view. They averaged four feet in height, were -covered, except on the face, with short and glossy copper-colored hair, -and had wings composed of a thin membrane, without hair, lying snugly -upon their backs, from the top of the shoulders to the calves of the -legs. The face, which was of a yellowish flesh color, was a slight -improvement upon that of the large orang outang, being more open and -intelligent in its expression, and having a much greater expansion -of forehead. The mouth, however, was very prominent, though somewhat -relieved by a thick beard upon the lower jaw, and by lips far more -human than those of any species of the simia genus. In general symmetry -of body and limbs they were infinitely superior to the orang outang; -so much so, that, but for their long wings, Lieut. Drummond said they -would look as well on a parade ground as some of the old cockney -militia! The hair on the head was a darker color than that of the body, -closely curled, but apparently not woolly, and arranged in two curious -semicircles over the temples of the forehead. Their feet could only -be seen as they were alternately lifted in walking; but, from what we -could see of them in so transient a view, they appeared thin, and very -protuberant at the heel. - -"Whilst passing across the canvass, and whenever we afterwards saw -them, these creatures were evidently engaged in conversation; their -gesticulation, more particularly the varied action of their hands -and arms, appeared impassioned and emphatic. We hence inferred that -they were rational beings, and although not perhaps of so high an -order as others which we discovered the next month on the shores of -the Bay of Rainbows, that they were capable of producing works of art -and contrivance. The next view we obtained of them was still more -favorable. It was on the borders of a little lake, or expanded stream, -which we then for the first time perceived running down the valley to a -large lake, and having on its eastern margin a small wood. - -"Some of these creatures had crossed this water and were lying like -spread eagles on the skirts of the wood. We could then perceive that -they possessed wings of great expansion, and were similar in structure -to those of the bat, being a semi-transparent membrane expanded in -curvilineal divisions by means of straight radii, united at the back -by the dorsal integuments. But what astonished us very much was the -circumstance of this membrane being continued, from the shoulders to -the legs, united all the way down, though gradually decreasing in -width. The wings seemed completely under the command of volition, for -those of the creatures whom we saw bathing in the water, spread them -instantly to their full width, waved them as ducks do theirs to shake -off the water, and then as instantly closed them again in a compact -form. Our further observation of the habits of these creatures, who -were of both sexes, led to results so very remarkable, that I prefer -they should first be laid before the public in Dr. Herschel's own work, -where I have reason to know they are fully and faithfully stated, -however incredulously they may be received.-- * * * * * The three -families then almost simultaneously spread their wings, and were lost -in the dark confines of the canvass before we had time to breathe from -our paralyzing astonishment. We scientifically denominated them the -Vespertilio-homo, or man-bat; and they are doubtless innocent and happy -creatures, notwithstanding that some of their amusements would but ill -comport with our terrestrial notions of decorum. The valley itself we -called the Ruby Colosseum, in compliment to its stupendous southern -boundary, the six mile sweep of precipices two thousand feet high. -And the night, or rather morning, being far advanced, we postponed -our tour to Petavius (No. 20), until another opportunity." We have, -of course, faithfully obeyed Dr. Grant's private injunction to omit -those highly curious passages in his correspondence which he wished -us to suppress, although we do not perceive the force of the reason -assigned for it. It is true, the omitted paragraphs contain facts which -would be wholly incredible to readers who do not carefully examine the -principles and capacity of the instrument with which these marvellous -discoveries have been made; but so will nearly all of those which he -has kindly permitted us to publish; and it was for this reason that -we considered the explicit description which we have given of the -telescope so important a preliminary. From these, however, and other -prohibited passages, which will be published by Dr. Herschel, with the -certificates of the civil and military authorities of the colony, and -of several Episcopal, Wesleyan, and other ministers, who, in the month -of March last, were permitted, under stipulation of temporary secrecy, -to visit the observatory, and become eye-witnesses of the wonders which -they were requested to attest, we are confident his forthcoming volumes -will be at once the most sublime in science, and the most intense in -general interest, that ever issued from the press. - -The night of the 14th displayed the moon in her mean libration, or -full; but the somewhat humid state of the atmosphere being for several -hours less favorable to a minute inspection than to a general survey -of her surface, they were chiefly devoted to the latter purpose. But -shortly after midnight the last veil of mist was dissipated, and -the sky being as lucid as on the former evenings, the attention of -the astronomers was arrested by the remarkable outlines of the spot -marked Tycho, No. 18, in Blunt's lunar chart; and in this region they -added treasures to human knowledge which angels might well desire to -win. Many parts of the following extract will remain forever in the -chronicles of time:-- - -"The surface of the moon, when viewed in her mean libration, even with -telescopes of very limited power, exhibits three oceans of vast breadth -and circumference, independently of seven large collections of water, -which may be denominated seas. Of inferior waters, discoverable by the -higher classes of instruments, and usually called lakes, the number -is so great that no attempt has yet been made to count them. Indeed, -such a task would be almost equal to that of enumerating the annular -mountains which are found upon every part of her surface, whether -composed of land or water. The largest of the three oceans occupies a -considerable portion of the hemisphere between the line of her northern -axis and that of her eastern equator, and even extends many degrees -south of the latter. Throughout its eastern boundary, it so closely -approaches that of the lunar sphere, as to leave in many places -merely a fringe of illuminated mountains, which are here, therefore, -strongly contra-distinguished from the dark and shadowy aspect of the -great deep. But peninsulas, promontories, capes, and islands, and a -thousand other terrestrial figures, for which we can find no names in -the poverty of _our_ geographical nomenclature, are found expanding, -sallying forth, or glowing in insular independence, through all the -'billowy boundlessness' of this magnificent ocean. One of the most -remarkable of these is a promontory, without a name, I believe, in -the lunar charts, which starts from an island district denominated -Copernicus by the old astronomers, and abounding, as we eventually -discovered, with great natural curiosities. This promontory is indeed -most singular. Its northern extremity is shaped much like an imperial -crown, having a swelling bow, divided and tied down in its centre by a -band of hills which is united with its forehead band or base. The two -open spaces formed by this division are two lakes, each eighty miles -wide; and at the foot of these, divided from them by the band of hills -last mentioned, is another lake, larger than the two put together, and -nearly perfectly square. This one is followed, after another hilly -division, by a lake of an irregular form; and this one yet again, by -two narrow ones, divided longitudinally, which are attenuated northward -to the main land. Thus this skeleton promontory of mountain ridges runs -396 miles into the ocean, with six capacious lakes, enclosed within -its stony ribs. Blunt's excellent lunar chart gives this great work -of nature with wonderful fidelity, and I think you might accompany -my description with an engraving from it, much to your reader's -satisfaction. (See plate 4.) - -"Next to this, the most remarkable formation in this ocean is a -strikingly brilliant annular mountain of immense altitude and -circumference, standing 330 miles E.S.E., commonly known as Aristarchus -(No. 12), and marked in the chart as a large mountain, with a great -cavity in its centre. That cavity is now, as it was probably wont to be -in ancient ages, a volcanic crater, awfully rivalling our Mounts Etna -and Vesuvius in the most terrible epochs of their reign. Unfavorable as -the state of the atmosphere was to close examination, we could easily -mark its illumination of the water over a circuit of sixty miles. If -we had before retained any doubt of the power of lunar volcanoes to -throw fragments of their craters so far beyond the moon's attraction -that they would necessarily gravitate to this earth, and thus account -for the multitude of massive aerolites which have fallen and been found -upon our surface, the view which we had of Aristarchus would have set -our scepticism forever at rest. This mountain, however, though standing -300 miles in the ocean, is not absolutely insular, for it is connected -with the main land by four chains of mountains, which branch from it as -a common centre. - -"The next great ocean is situated on the western side of the meridian -line, divided nearly in the midst by the line of the equator, and -is about 900 miles in north and south extent. It is marked C in the -catalogue, and was fancifully called the Mare Tranquillitatis. It is -rather two large seas than one ocean, for it is narrowed just under the -equator by a strait not more than 100 miles wide. Only three annular -islands of a large size, and quite detached from its shores, are to be -found within it; though several sublime volcanoes exist on its northern -boundary; one of the most stupendous of which is within 120 miles of -the Mare Nectaris before mentioned. Immediately contiguous to this -second great ocean, and separated from it only by a concatenation of -dislocated continents and islands, is the third, marked D, and known -as the Mare Serenitatis. It is nearly square, being about 330 miles -in length and width. But it has one most extraordinary peculiarity, -which is a perfectly straight ridge of hills, certainly not more than -five miles wide, which starts in a direct line from its southern to -its northern shore, dividing it exactly in the midst. This singular -ridge is perfectly _sui generis_, being altogether unlike any mountain -chain either on this earth or on the moon itself. It is so very keen, -that its great concentration of the solar light renders it visible to -small telescopes; but its character is so strikingly peculiar, that -we could not resist the temptation to depart from our predetermined -adherence to a general survey, and examine it particularly. Our lens G -_x_ brought it within the small distance of 800 yards, and its whole -width of four or five miles snugly within that of our canvass. Nothing -that we had hitherto seen more highly excited our astonishment. Believe -it or believe it not, it was one entire crystallization!--its edge, -throughout its whole length of 340 miles, is an acute angle of solid -quartz crystal, brilliant as a piece of Derbyshire spar just brought -from a mine, and containing scarcely a fracture or a chasm from end to -end! What a prodigious influence must our thirteen times larger globe -have exercised upon this satellite, when an embryo in the womb of time, -the passive subject of chemical affinity! We found that wonder and -astonishment, as excited by objects in this distant world, were but -modes and attributes of ignorance, which should give place to elevated -expectations, and to reverential confidence in the illimitable power of -the Creator. - -"The dark expanse of waters to the south of the first great ocean -has often been considered a fourth; but we found it to be merely a -sea of the first class, entirely surrounded by land, and much more -encumbered with promontories and islands than it has been exhibited -in any lunar chart. One of its promontories runs from the vicinity -of Pitatus (No. 19), in a slightly curved and very narrow line, to -Bullialdus (No. 22), which is merely a circular head to it, 264 miles -from its starting place. This is another mountainous ring, a marine -volcano, nearly burnt out, and slumbering upon its cinders. But -Pitatus, standing upon a bold cape of the southern shore, is apparently -exulting in the might and majesty of its fires. The atmosphere being -now quite free from vapor, we introduced the magnifiers to examine -a large bright circle of hills which sweep close beside the western -abutments of this flaming mountain. The hills were either of snow-white -marble or semi-transparent crystal, we could not distinguish which, -and they bounded another of those lovely green valleys, which, -however monotonous in my descriptions, are of paradisaical beauty and -fertility, and like primitive Eden in the bliss of their inhabitants. -Dr. Herschel here again predicated another of his sagacious theories. -He said the proximity of the flaming mountain, Bullialdus, must be so -great a local convenience to dwellers in this valley during the long -periodical absence of solar light, as to render it a place of populous -resort for the inhabitants of all the adjacent regions, more especially -as its bulwark of hills afforded an infallible security against any -volcanic eruption that could occur. We therefore applied our full power -to explore it, and rich indeed was our reward. - -"The very first object in this valley that appeared upon our canvass -was a magnificent work of art. It was a temple--a fane of devotion, or -of science, which, when consecrated to the Creator, _is_ devotion of -the loftiest order; for it exhibits his attributes purely free from -the masquerade, attire, and blasphemous caricature of controversial -creeds, and has the seal and signature of his own hand to sanction -its aspirations. It was an equitriangular temple, built of polished -sapphire, or of some resplendent blue stone, which, like it displayed -a myriad points of golden light twinkling and scintillating in the -sunbeams. Our canvass, though fifty feet in diameter, was too limited -to receive more than a sixth part of it at one view, and the first -part that appeared was near the centre of one of its sides, being -three square columns, six feet in diameter at its base, and gently -tapering to a height of seventy feet. The intercolumniations were each -twelve feet. We instantly reduced our magnitude, so as to embrace the -whole structure in one view, and then indeed it was most beautiful. -The roof was composed of some yellow metal, and divided into three -compartments, which were not triangular planes inclining to the centre, -but subdivided, curbed, and separated, so as to present a mass of -violently agitated flames rising from a common source of conflagration -and terminating in wildly waving points. This design was too manifest, -and too skilfully executed to be mistaken for a single moment. Through -a few openings in these metallic flames we perceived a large sphere of -a darker kind of metal nearly of a clouded copper color, which they -enclosed and seemingly raged around, as if hieroglyphically consuming -it. This was the roof; but upon each of the three corners there was -a small sphere of apparently the same metal as the large centre one, -and these rested upon a kind of cornice, quite new in any order of -architecture with which we are acquainted, but nevertheless exceedingly -graceful and impressive. It was like a half-opened scroll, swelling -off boldly from the roof, and hanging far over the walls in several -convolutions. It was of the same metal as the flames, and on each side -of the building it was open at both ends. The columns, six on each -side, were simply plain shafts, without capitals or pedestals, or any -description of ornament; nor was any perceived in other parts of the -edifice. It was open on each side, and seemed to contain neither seats, -altars, nor offerings; but it was a light and airy structure, nearly a -hundred feet high from its white glistening floor to its glowing roof, -and it stood upon a round green eminence on the eastern side of the -valley. We afterwards, however, discovered two others, which were in -every respect fac-similes of this one; but in neither did we perceive -any visitants besides flocks of wild doves which alighted upon its -lustrous pinnacles. Had the devotees of these temples gone the way of -all living, or were the latter merely historical monuments? What did -the ingenious builders mean by the globe surrounded by flames? Did -they by this record any past calamity of _their_ world, or predict any -future one of _ours_? I by no means despair of ultimately solving not -only these but a thousand other questions which present themselves -respecting the objects in this planet; for not the millionth part of -her surface has yet been explored, and we have been more desirous of -collecting the greatest possible number of new facts, than of indulging -in speculative theories, however seductive to the imagination. - -"But we had not far to seek for inhabitants of this 'Vale of the -Triads.' Immediately on the outer border of the wood which surrounded, -at the distance of half a mile, the eminence on which the first of -these temples stood, we saw several detached assemblies of beings -whom we instantly recognized to be of the same species as our winged -friends of the Ruby Colosseum near the lake Langrenus. Having adjusted -the instrument for a minute examination, we found that nearly all the -individuals in these groups were of a larger stature than the former -specimens, less dark in color, and in _every respect_ an improved -variety of the race. They were chiefly engaged in eating a large yellow -fruit like a gourd, sections of which they divided with their fingers, -and ate with rather uncouth voracity, throwing away the rind. A smaller -red fruit, shaped like a cucumber, which we had often seen pendant from -trees having a broad dark leaf, was also lying in heaps in the centre -of several of the festive groups; but the only use they appeared to -make of it was sucking its juice, after rolling it between the palms of -their hands and nibbling off an end. They seemed eminently happy, and -even polite, for we saw, in many instances, individuals sitting nearest -these piles of fruit, select the largest and brightest specimens, -and throw them archwise across the circle to some opposite friend or -associate who had extracted the nutriment from those scattered around -him, and which were frequently not a few. While thus engaged in their -rural banquets, or in social converse, they were always seated with -their knees flat upon the turf, and their feet brought evenly together -in the form of a triangle. And for some mysterious reason or other -this figure seemed to be an especial favorite among them; for we found -that every group or social circle arranged itself in this shape before -it dispersed, which was generally done at the signal of an individual -who stepped into the centre and brought his hands over his head in an -acute angle. At this signal each member of the company extended his -arms forward so as to form an acute horizontal angle with the extremity -of the fingers. But this was not the only proof we had that they were -creatures of order and subordination. * * * * We had no opportunity of -seeing them actually engaged in any work of industry or art; and so far -as we could judge, they spent their happy hours in collecting various -fruits in the woods, in eating, flying, bathing, and loitering about -upon the summits of precipices. * * * * But although evidently the -highest order of animals in this rich valley, they were not its only -occupants. Most of the other animals which we had discovered elsewhere, -in very distant regions, were collected here; and also at least eight -or nine new species of quadrupeds. The most attractive of these was -a tall white stag with lofty spreading antlers, black as ebony. We -several times saw this elegant creature trot up to the seated parties -of the semi-human beings I have described, and browse the herbage -close beside them, without the least manifestation of fear on its part -or notice on theirs. The universal state of amity among all classes -of lunar creatures, and the apparent absence of every carnivorous -or ferocious species, gave us the most refined pleasure, and doubly -endeared to us this lovely nocturnal companion of our larger, but less -favored world. Ever again when I 'eye the blue vault and bless the -_useful_ light,' shall I recall the scenes of beauty, grandeur, and -felicity, I have beheld upon her surface, not 'as _through_ a glass -darkly, but face to face;' and never shall I think of that line of our -thrice noble poet, - - - ----'Meek Diana's crest - Sails through the azure air, an island of the blest,' - - -without exulting in my knowledge of its truth." - -With the careful inspection of this instructive valley, and a -scientific classification of its animal, vegetable, and mineral -productions, the astronomers closed their labors for the night; -labors rather mental than physical, and oppressive, from the extreme -excitement which they naturally induced. A singular circumstance -occurred the next day, which threw the telescope quite out of use for -nearly a week, by which time the moon could be no longer observed -that month. The great lens, which was usually lowered during the day, -and placed horizontally, had, it is true, been lowered as usual, -but had been inconsiderately left in a perpendicular position. -Accordingly, shortly after sunrise the next morning, Dr. Herschel and -his assistants, Dr. Grant and Messrs. Drummond and Home, who slept in -a bungalow erected a short distance from the observatory circle, were -awakened by the loud shouts of some Dutch farmers and domesticated -Hottentots (who were passing with their oxen to agricultural labor), -that the "big house" was on fire! Dr. Herschel leaped out of bed from -his brief slumbers, and, sure enough, saw his observatory enveloped in -a cloud of smoke. - -Luckily it had been thickly covered, within and without, with a coat -of Roman plaster, or it would inevitably have been destroyed with -all its invaluable contents; but, as it was, a hole fifteen feet -in circumference had been burnt completely through the "reflecting -chamber," which was attached to the side of the observatory nearest -the lens, through the canvass field on which had been exhibited so many -wonders that will ever live in the history of mankind, and through -the outer wall. So fierce was the concentration of the solar rays -through the gigantic lens, that a clump of trees standing in a line -with them was set on fire, and the plaster of the observatory walls, -all round the orifice, was vitrified to blue glass. The lens being -almost immediately turned, and a brook of water being within a few -hundred yards, the fire was soon extinguished, but the damage already -done was not inconsiderable. The microscope lenses had fortunately -been removed for the purpose of being cleaned, but several of the -metallic reflectors were so fused as to be rendered useless. Masons and -carpenters were procured from Cape Town with all possible dispatch, and -in about a week the whole apparatus was again prepared for operation. - -The moon being now invisible Dr. Herschel directed his inquiries to the -primary planets of the system, and first to the planet Saturn. We need -not say that this remarkable globe has for many ages been an object -of the most ardent astronomical curiosity. The stupendous phenomenon -of its double ring having baffled the scrutiny and conjecture of many -generations of astronomers, was finally abandoned as inexplicable. It -is well known that this planet is stationed in the system 900 millions -of miles distant from the sun, and that having the immense diameter -of 79,000 miles, it is more than nine hundred times larger than the -earth. Its annual motion round the sun is not accomplished in less than -twenty-nine and a half of our years, whilst its diurnal rotation upon -its axis is accomplished in 10h. 16m., or considerably less than half -a terrestrial day. It has not less than seven moons, the sixth and the -seventh of which were discovered by the elder Herschel in 1789. It is -thwarted by mysterious belts or bands of a yellowish tinge, and is -surrounded by a double ring--the outer one of which is 204,000 miles -in diameter. The outside diameter of the inner ring is 184,000 miles, -and the breadth of the outer one being 7,200 miles, the space between -them is 28,000 miles. The breadth of the inner ring is much greater -than that of the other, being 20,000 miles; and its distance from -the body of Saturn is more than 30,000. These rings are opaque, but -so thin that their edge has not until now been discovered. Sir John -Herschel's most interesting discovery with regard to this planet is the -demonstrated fact that these two rings are composed of the fragments -of two destroyed worlds, formerly belonging to our solar system, and -which, on being exploded, were gathered around the immense body of -Saturn by the attraction of gravity, and yet kept from falling to its -surface by the great centrifugal force created by its extraordinary -rapidity on its axis. The inner ring was therefore the first of -these destroyed worlds (the former station of which in the system is -demonstrated in the argument which we subjoin), which was accordingly -carried round by the rotary force, and spread forth in the manner we -see. The outer ring is another world exploded in fragments, attracted -by the law of gravity as in the former case, and kept from uniting with -the inner ring by the centrifugal force of the latter. But the latter, -having a slower rotation than the planet, has an inferior centrifugal -force, and accordingly the space between the outer and inner ring is -nearly ten times less than that between the inner ring and the body of -Saturn. Having ascertained the mean density of the rings, as compared -with the density of the planet, Sir John Herschel has been enabled to -effect the following beautiful demonstration. [Which we omit, as too -mathematical for popular comprehension.--_Ed. Sun._] - -Dr. Herschel clearly ascertained that these rings are composed of -rocky strata, the skeletons of former globes, lying in a state of wild -and ghastly confusion, but not devoid of mountains and seas. * * * * -The belts across the body of Saturn he has discovered to be the smoke -of a number of immense volcanoes, carried in these straight lines by -the extreme velocity of the rotary motion. * * * * [And these also -he has ascertained to be the belt of Jupiter.--But the portion of -the work which is devoted to this subject, and to the other planets, -as also that which describes the astronomer's discoveries among the -stars, is comparatively uninteresting to general readers, however -highly it might interest others of scientific taste and mathematical -acquirements.--_Ed. Sun._] - -* * * * "It was not until the new moon of the month of March, that the -weather proved favorable to any continued series of lunar observations; -and Dr. Herschel had been too enthusiastically absorbed in -demonstrating his brilliant discoveries in the southern constellations, -and in constructing tables and catalogues of his new stars, to avail -himself of the few clear nights which intervened. - -"On one of these, however, Mr. Drummond, myself, and Mr. Holmes, made -those discoveries near the Bay of Rainbows, to which I have somewhere -briefly alluded. The bay thus fancifully denominated is a part of -the northern boundary of the first great ocean which I have lately -described, and is marked in the chart with the letter O. The tract -of country which we explored on this occasion is numbered 6, 5, 8, -7, in the catalogue, and the chief mountains to which these numbers -are attached are severally named Atlas, Hercules, Heraclides Verus, -and Heraclides Falsus. Still farther to the north of these is the -island circle called Pythagoras, and numbered 1; and yet nearer the -meridian line is the mountainous district marked R, and called the -Land of Drought, and Q, the Land of Hoar Frost; and certainly the name -of the latter, however theoretically bestowed, was not altogether -inapplicable, for the tops of its very lofty mountains were evidently -covered with snow, though the valleys surrounding them were teeming -with the luxuriant fertility of midsummer. But the region which we -first particularly inspected was that of Heraclides Falsus (No. 7), -in which we found several new specimens of animals, all of which were -horned and of a white or grey color; and the remains of three ancient -triangular temples which had long been in ruins. We thence traversed -the country southeastward, until we arrived at Atlas (No. 6), and it -was in one of the noble valleys at the foot of this mountain that we -found the very superior species of the Vespertilio-homo. In stature -they did not exceed those last described, but they were of infinitely -greater personal beauty, and appeared in our eyes scarcely less lovely -than the general representations of angels by the more imaginative -schools of painters. Their social economy seemed to be regulated by -laws or ceremonies exactly like those prevailing in the Vale of the -Triads, but their works of art were more numerous, and displayed a -proficiency of skill quite incredible to all except actual observers. I -shall, therefore, let the first detailed account of them appear in Dr. -Herschel's authenticated natural history of this planet." - -[This concludes the Supplement, with the exception of forty pages -of illustrative and mathematical notes, which would greatly enhance -the size and price of this work, without commensurably adding to its -general interest.--_Ed. Sun._] - - - - -APPENDIX. - -THE MOON AS KNOWN AT THE PRESENT TIME. - - - "Ye sacred muses, with whose beauty fir'd, - My soul is ravish'd, and my brain inspir'd. - Whose priest I am, whose holy fillets wear; - Would you your poet's first petition hear; - Give me the ways of wandering stars to know: - The depths of heav'n above, and earth below. - Teach me the various labours of the moon, - And whence proceed th' eclipses of the sun. - Why flowing tides prevail upon the main, - And in what dark recess they shrink again. - What shakes the solid earth, what cause delays - The summer nights, and shortens winter days." - - VIRGIL. - - -The picture on the title-page is probably the best and minutest view -of the moon, that has ever been laid before the public. Most of our -readers are aware that the mountains and hollows of the moon have -been accurately and thoroughly mapped by astronomers, and baptized -by appropriate names. For the benefit of meritorious students of -astronomical geography, we subjoin the names of all those which -have been christened. At the present season it will amply repay the -possessor of a small telescope to identify the several localities with -the aid of the map. - -In olden time the moon was a goddess. Whatever the ignorant mind -of the time was incapable of grasping was supernatural. Thus arose -the pale, chaste Deity of the Night, robed in virgin white, roaming -dreamily under the partial shade of trees, loving to see her fair -image reflected in streams, and shedding a complacent light on tender -meetings. We are not heathens--far from it: but who among us has not -at some time or other paid homage to the Queen of Night[1], and thanked -her for the gentle light which has shown the way to some fair hand. - -We say, in blunt scientific terms, that she--or it--is a satellite of -the earth, suspended in her--or its--present position by the contrasted -attraction of the sun and the earth. This is the unromantic version of -the naked fact. - -There was a time when the earth was an uncomfortable semi-incandescent -mass, in the act of cooling off for practical purposes. The atmosphere -was tropical throughout the globe. All things were intensely -impregnated--or, as the philosophers say, supersaturated--with carbon. -Between the dry land and the waters there was no division. There was -no ocean, and consequently no continents. All was hot mud, with here -and there a lake or a short river, and here and there a dry, parched, -torrid eminence. In those days there were animals and plants, but no -human beings. Both animals and plants were like the age in which they -flourished--to our notions monstrous. Monsters were the rule, both in -the vegetable and the animated world. Creatures were born, and grew -to sizes which dwarf the elephant. Plants thrust their heads above -the mud, and, in that carboniferous atmosphere, attained heights -which would have towered above the tallest trees of our forests. But -in proportion to the rapidity of their growth was the brevity of -their life; for these were the days of earthquakes and terrestrial -convulsions. Probably no day elapsed without some earthquake or -volcanic eruption. - -The light of day was dull and obscured. Masses of opaque matter floated -through the atmosphere as thickly as dust specks float through a ray -of sunlight in a darkened room.[3] The hot air, thick and dull, hung a -listless mist over the face of the earth, which was even then almost -without form and void. When the sun went down, dense darkness covered -the earth. There was no lesser light to rule the night; dim twinklings -in the far distance, hardly piercing the pall which wrapped our planet, -were the only contrasts to the Egyptian blackness of the dark hours. - -But the internal fires which sprung from the vitals of the earth -almost supplied the want of a nocturnal luminary. It is probable that -there were but few spots on the globe which were out of view of some -flaming volcano. We count the active volcanoes by integers. When we -have enumerated Etna, Vesuvius, Hecla, Jorullo, Colima, and one or -two others, we have reached the end of our list. In the days of Homer -the volcanoes were counted by scores; in the carboniferous age they -may have, must have, flourished by hundreds and thousands. That vast -incandescent mass, of which the crust only had cooled, kept boiling -up every few hours, and furiously pouring out the vials of its wrath -upon an earth inhabited by transitory creatures. Go where the traveller -may, he will still find traces of this terrible age. That tell-tale -rock--"the trap"--is peculiar to no meridian; and from the Hudson's Bay -territories nearly to Cape Magellan, from Spitzbergen to Borneo, either -this, or some mountain range of volcanic origin, here with scoriæ -disseminated through the more regular formations, there with copper or -gold held in a native state in half-decayed quartz, tell a very legible -story of the time when all the component parts of the earth were in -a fluid state, and were thrown off by the boiling mass beneath as a -kettle throws off froth and scum. - -There came a day when the under crust could no longer bear the weight -of the mass which, after being thrown off daily, returned, by the -force of gravitation, to the surface of its parent. A time came when -the incandescent and inchoate planet--if so daring a figure may be -ventured--felt the necessity of unusually strenuous measures. It -gathered all its fiery energies, and mustered all its fearful strength. -The effect was universal, not local. With such bodies distances of -25,000 miles must be trifling, and the earth's meridian--a paltry 8000 -miles--not worth mentioning. One can imagine the purpose and effort -being common to the entire molten and raging mass. - -It came at last. After throes of inconceivable agony, with a roar and a -convulsion which must have destroyed every living thing then existent -upon the face of the planet, in the midst of general chaos, confusion, -and desolation, the earth relieved itself. It tore from its half-cooled -surface immense masses, and projected them with monstrous force into -space; not on one side alone, but on all. Lumps of earth four and five -miles in thickness, and thousands of miles long and wide, were in an -instant forced upwards with such force as to pass beyond the circle of -the earth's attraction. These various masses, thus launched into space, -soon felt the attraction of each other, and assembled together. They -met, and, agreeably to the sublime law of celestial bodies, remained -suspended in space at the point where the attraction of the earth meets -that of the sun. That other celestial law which forbids the torpidity -of any atom of matter compelled the aggregated mass to revolve, and the -revolution forced the mass into a spherical shape. - -Thus the moon came into being. An offshoot from the earth, it pays -homage to its parent by revolving round it, and reflecting back to -it a part of the sun's light during the period when that luminary is -obscured to us. Had the force with which its substance was expelled -from the body of the earth been less, it would have returned to our -surface, just as those fragments of matter called aerolites do at -regular intervals; had that force been greater, it would have entered -upon the vast area which is the domain of the sun, and would have been -attracted to that great cosmical body, and been fused by its intense -heat. It was sent abroad with precisely the force necessary to sustain -it _in equilibrio_ between the earth and the sun, and hence it is "the -lesser light which rules the night." - -This is not the only service which it renders us. By its creation it -caused great hollows in the surface of the earth. Into these hollows -the waters which lay on the face of the deep naturally gathered, and -became oceans, lakes, seas, and rivers. The cavities drained the -earth of the moisture which had rendered it unfit for the habitation -of the higher order of vertebrated creatures. Thus by degrees were -formed the great Atlantic and Pacific, the Northern and the Southern -oceans, leaving here and there tracts of cool, dry land for man to -inhabit at the word of his Creator. Nor did the office of the moon stop -here. While it was upheld in space by the attraction of the earth, it -returned the compliment by exercising a reciprocal attraction upon the -waters for which it had created beds. With the beautiful regularity -which is the characteristic of heavenly bodies, it affected them at -uniform intervals, causing the tides to flow and to ebb, and to vibrate -between the spring and the neap flow. Lastly, it relieved the earth -of a vast quantity of superincumbent matter, equal, in fact, to over -one-fiftieth of the whole bulk of the planet. One must imagine the -earth in the condition of a gentleman who has dined copiously, and -whose interior is troubled by an unusual burden; the convulsion which -led to the creation of the moon is similar to the effect of the dose -which the gentleman, if he be wise, will instantly take. - -In departing from us, and setting up for herself, the moon forgot some -articles of baggage which were essential to her future comfort and -prosperity. Among these were air and water. How we came by these two -useful commodities it were hard to say. - -This is made quite certain by the discoveries of astronomers. Rains, -dews, oceans, lakes, hail, snow, clouds, are all unknown to the moon. -Nothing shields its surface from the burning rays of the sun. Wherever -the light of that fierce luminary penetrates the moon's surface is -incessantly hot. - -Of volcanic origin, the moon is true to its descent. It is full of -volcanoes, most of which, however, perhaps from a conviction of the -uselessness of further action--there being nothing to destroy, and -no one even to see their explosions--are now silent and torpid. But -they wrought out their destiny so long and so faithfully, that the -surface of the moon is frightfully disfigured and uneven. Switzerland -is a prairie compared to the smoothest part of the moon's surface. It -is nothing but incessant mountain and hollow. Lunar Alps and Rocky -Mountains intersect every few miles of the surface. The Himalayas -would be unnoticed among the gigantic ranges which ornament the lunar -superficies. And the projections, mighty as they are, are but trifling -in comparison with the hollows. It would seem as though the moon, with -apish weakness, had tried to imitate the earth in throwing off space -for rivers and oceans--forgetting that it contained no water to fill -the cavities. Astronomers have made the most extraordinary discoveries -in reference to these lunar hollows. Some of them appear to be about -fifty miles deep, and a hundred miles or so wide, with precipitous -sides; Mitchell has vividly described these terrible places. Those who -have looked over a precipice a few hundred feet in depth may perhaps -form some rude idea of what it must be to gaze down into a hole fifty -miles deep--so deep that the bottom would almost escape the eye, were -there an intervening atmosphere--a great, monstrous cave, with no -vegetation either on the borders or on the top, or on the sides or on -the bottom; no life of any kind, not even, the least sound, to break -the endless monotony of silence--everywhere dull, warm scoriæ, lava, -and stones of volcanic origin. But even these are the smallest of the -lunar cavities. Latterly, acute astronomers, with improved instruments, -have gazed into holes in the moon's surface, and estimated them to be -no less than two hundred and fifty and three hundred miles deep, with -fissures in them through which the sunlight penetrated. - -Fancy the scene! Well may it have been termed the abomination of -desolation. Surely this fair earth, with all its gloomy places and all -its dreary scenes, contains nothing so overwhelming in its terrible -despair as the moon. And who, gazing at its mild white face as it -emerges from the cover of a cloud, would deem it so sad and desolate a -sphere? - -There are no "men in the moon," There cannot be, for they could not -exist without air and water. 'Tis a pity, for the sight of this planet -of ours, thirteen times the size which the moon appears to us, as fair, -and bright, and shining as our nightly luminary, would be a sight worth -seeing. - -Science has made such progress, and common sense has so far kept pace -with it, that the old idea that this was the only inhabited sphere in -the universe is now completely exploded. There is no reason to believe -that our planet is the only one in our solar system which is devoted -to a useful career; nor is there any ground for imagining that our sun -is the only one, of the myriad of suns we see every night, which gives -light, and heat, and happiness to human creatures. On the contrary, -the supreme wisdom of the Deity affords a fair presumption that this -little planet of ours is but as a grain of sand among the worlds which -have been created for the glory of God, and that each planet after its -kind is fitted for the habitation of creatures whose office and purpose -it is to thank and bless Him for their existence. Moons may be an -exception for a time. - -Of all this we know but little, and can only conjecture vaguely. As -science advances, we may have telescopic instruments so superior to -those now in use that we shall be able to decipher the moon's surface -as plainly as a distant shore on our own planet. But visits thither -must ever remain as impossible as they are at present. The story of -Hans Pfall will remain a brilliant imagination to the end of time. - -"In consequence of the moon having no atmosphere, or but a very thin -one, all celestial objects must be seen with very great distinctness. -The earth, when full, appears to an inhabitant of the moon thirteen -times as large as the moon appears to us; that is, its diameter is -about 3-6/10 times as large as our apparent lunar diameter. It is -always on the same part of the heaven, when seen from the same part of -the moon. M. Quetelet, in his _Astronomie Elémentaire_, Paris, 1826, a -very good work, which ought to be translated, has the following remarks -on the appearance of the earth at the moon, which we would rather quote -than vouch for, though they may possibly be well founded. - -"Our vast continents, our seas, even our forests are visible to them; -they perceive the enormous piles of ice collected at the poles, and the -girdle of vegetation which extends on both sides of the equator; as -well as the clouds which float over our heads, and sometimes hide us -from them. The burning of a town or forest could not escape them, and -if they had good optical instruments, they could even see the building -of a new town, or the sailing of a fleet." - -The lunar day, as we shall afterwards see, is equivalent to our actual -month of 29½ days: though the rotation of the moon on her axis is -performed in the sidereal month of 27 days 8 hours nearly. Hence the -inhabitant of the moon sees the sun for 14¾ of our days together, -which time is followed by a night of the same duration. Of course the -existence of any animal like man is impossible there, as well on this -account as on that of the want of an atmosphere. - -The phases which the earth presents to the moon are similar in -appearance to those which the moon presents to the earth, but in a -different order. Thus, when it is new moon at the earth, it is full -earth at the moon: and the contrary. When the moon is in her first -quarter, the earth is in its third quarter, and so on; while half-moon -at the earth is accompanied by half-earth at the moon. - -There is no branch of science better fitted to be made the leading -subject of general instruction than that which relates to the planetary -and sidereal universe. The truths which it reveals are so startling -in their nature, and apparently so far beyond the reach of human -intelligence, that men of high literary name have confessed their -incapacity to understand them, and their inability to believe them. -There are few, indeed, we fear, who really believe that they sojourn -on a revolving globe, and that each day and year of life is measured -by its revolutions. There are few who believe that the great luminary -of the firmament, whose restless activity they daily witness, is an -immovable star, controlling, by its solid mass, the primary planets of -our system, and forming, as it were, the gnomon of the great dial which -measures the thread of life and the tenure of empires. Fewer still -believe that each of the million of stars--those atoms of light which -the telescope can scarcely descry--are the centres of planetary systems -that may equal or surpass our own; and still smaller is the number who -believe that the solid pavement of the globe upon which we nightly -slumber is an elastic crust, imprisoning fires and forces which have -often burst forth in tremendous energy, and are, at this very instant, -struggling to escape--now finding an outlet in volcanic fires--now -heaving and shaking the earth--now upraising islands and continents, -and gathering strength perhaps for some final outburst which may -shatter our earth in pieces, or change its form, or scatter its waters -over the land. And yet these are truths than which there is nothing -truer, and nothing more worthy of our study. - -In order to learn, then, what is the constitution, and what has been -or may be the probable history of the various worlds in our firmament, -we must study the constitution and physical history of our own. -The men of limited reason who believed that the earth was created -and launched into its ethereal course when man was summoned to its -occupation, must have either denied altogether the existence of our -solar system, or have regarded all its planets as coeval with their -own, and as but the ministers to its convenience. Science, however, -has now corrected this error, and liberated the pious mind from its -embarrassments. The Palæontologist--the student of ancient life--has -demonstrated, by evidence not to be disputed, that the earth had been -inhabited by animals and adorned with plants during immeasurable cycles -of time antecedent to the creation of man--that when the volcano, the -earthquake, and the flood, had destroyed and buried them, nobler forms -of life were created to undergo the same fiery ordeal:--and that, -by a series of successive creations and catastrophes, the earth was -prepared for the residence of man, and the rich materials in its bosom -elaborated for his use, and thrown within his grasp. In the age of our -own globe, then, we see the age of its brother planets, and in the -antiquity of our own system we see the antiquity of the other systems -of the universe. In our catastrophes, too, we recognise theirs, and in -our advancing knowledge and progressive civilization, we witness the -development of the universal mind--the march of the immortal spirit to -its final destiny of glory or of shame. - -The following are the names which have been given to the mountains and -valleys, or hollows, in the moon, and which are referred to in the -accompanying picture [See title page]. - - -MOUNTAINS. - -1. The Apennines. -2. The Caucasus. -3. The Alps. -4. Taurus. -5. Hæmus. -6. The Altai Mountains. -7. The Cordilleras. -8. The Riphæ Mountains. -9. The Carpathians. -10. The Hercynian Mountains. - - -HOLLOWS, OR VALLEYS. - -A. The Crisian Sea. -B. The Sea of Fertility (!!). -C. The Sea of Nectar. -D. The Tranquil Sea. -E. The Serene Sea. -F. The Sea of Dreams. -G. The Sea of Death. -H. The Dreamy Marsh. -I. The Cold Sea. -K. The Sea of Vapors. -L. The Middle Bay. -M. The Sea of Clouds. -N. The Sea of Mist. -O. The Bay of Epidemics. -P. The Stormy Ocean. -Q. The Showery Sea. -R. The Sea of Rainbows. -S. The Sea of Dews. -T. Humboldt's Sea. - -As will be seen, astronomers have done what they could to relieve the -dreariness of nature by a free indulgence in fanciful names. - -Dr. Chalmers, speaking of the advantages derived from the discovery of -the telescope and microscope, says, "The one led me to see a system -in every star. The other leads me to see a world in every atom. The -one taught me that this mighty globe, with the whole burden of its -people, and of its countries, is but a grain of sand on the high field -of immensity. The other teaches me that every grain of sand may harbor -within it the tribes and families of a busy population. The one told -me of the insignificance of the world I tread upon. The other redeems -it from all its insignificance; for it tells me that in the leaves of -every forest, and in the flowers of every garden, and in the waters -of every rivulet, there are worlds teeming with life, and numberless -as are the glories of the firmament. The one has suggested to me that -beyond and above all that is visible to man, there may lie fields -of creation which sweep immeasurably along, and carry the impress of -the Almighty's hand to the remotest scenes of the universe. The other -suggests to me, that within and beneath all that minuteness which the -aided eye of man has been able to explore, there may lie a region of -invisibles; and that, could we draw aside the mysterious curtain which -shrouds it from our senses, we might there see a theatre of as many -wonders as astronomy has unfolded; a universe within the compass of -a point so small, as to elude all the powers of the microscope, but -where the wonder-working God finds room for the exercise of all his -attributes, where he can raise another mechanism of worlds, and fill -and animate them all with the evidences of his glory." - - * * * * * - -_Opinions of the American Press Respecting the Foregoing Discovery._ - -"HERSCHEL'S GREAT DISCOVERIES.--We are too much pleased with the -remarks of the sensible, candid, and scientific portions of the public -press upon the extracts which we have published relative to these -wonders of the age, to direct our attention very severely to-day to -that sceptical class of our contemporaries to whom none of these -attributes can be ascribed. Consummate ignorance is always incredulous -to the higher order of scientific discoveries, because it cannot -possibly comprehend them. Its mental thorax is quite capacious enough -to swallow any dogmas, however great, that are given upon the authority -of names; but it strains most perilously to receive the great truths -of reason and science. We scarcely ever knew a very ignorant person -who would believe in the existence of those myriads of invisible -beings which inhabit a drop of water, and every grain of dust, until -he had actually beheld them through the microscope by which they are -developed. Yet these very persons will readily believe in the divinity -of Matthias the prophet, and in the most improbable credenda of -extravagant systems of faith. The _Journal of Commerce_, for instance, -says it cannot believe in these great discoveries of Dr. Herschel, yet -it believes and defends the innocence of the murderer Avery. These -who in a former age imprisoned Galileo for asserting _his_ great -discoveries with the telescope, and determined upon sentencing him to -be burnt alive, nevertheless believed that Simon Magus actually flew in -the air by the aid of the devil, and that when that aid was withdrawn -he fell to the ground and broke his neck. The great mechanical -discoverer, Worcester, obtained no credence for his theories in his -day, though they are now being continually demonstrated by practical -operation. Happily, however, those who impudently and ignorantly deny -the great discoveries of Herschel, are chiefly to be found among those -whose faith or whose scepticism, would never be received as a guide for -the opinions of other men. From among that portion of the public press -whose intelligence and acquirements render them competent judges of the -great scientific questions now before the community, we extract the -following frank declarations of their opinions."--_New York Sun_, Sep. -1, 1835. - -"No article, we believe, has appeared for years, that will command -so general a perusal and publication. Sir John has added a stock of -knowledge to the present age that will immortalize his name, and place -it high on the page of science."--_Daily Advertiser._ - -"DISCOVERIES IN THE MOON.--We commence to-day the publication of an -interesting article which is stated to have been copied from the -_Edinburgh Journal of Science_, and which made its first appearance -here in a contemporary journal of this city. It appears to carry -intrinsic evidence of being an authentic document."--_Mercantile -Advertiser._ - -"STUPENDOUS DISCOVERY IN ASTRONOMY.--We have read with unspeakable -emotions of pleasure and astonishment, an article from the last -_Edinburgh Scientific Journal_, containing an account of the recent -discoveries of Sir John Herschel at the Cape of Good Hope."--_Albany -Daily Advertiser._ - -"It is quite proper that the _Sun_ should be the means of shedding -so much light on the _Moon_. That there should be winged people in -the Moon does not strike us as more wonderful than the existence of -such a race of beings on earth; and that there does or did exist such -a race rests on the evidence of that most veracious of voyagers and -circumstantial of chroniclers, Peter Wilkins, whose celebrated work -not only gives an account of the general appearance and habits of a -most interesting tribe of flying Indians, but also of all those more -delicate and engaging traits which the author was enabled to discover -by reason of the conjugal relations he entered into with one of the -females of the winged tribe."--_N. Y. Evening Post._ - -"We think we can trace in it marks of transatlantic origin."--_N. Y. -Commercial Advertiser._ - -"The writer (Dr. Andrew Grant) displays the most extensive and -accurate knowledge of astronomy, and the description of Sir John's -recently improved instruments, the principle on which the inestimable -improvements were founded, the account of the wonderful discoveries -in the moon, &c., are all probable and plausible, and have an air of -intense verisimilitude."--_N. Y. Times._ - -"GREAT ASTRONOMICAL DISCOVERIES!--By the late arrivals from England -there has been received in this country a supplement to the _Edinburgh -Journal of Science_ containing intelligence of the most astounding -interest from Prof. Herschel's observatory at the Cape of Good Hope.... -The promulgation of these discoveries creates a new era in astronomy -and science generally."--_New Yorker._ - -"Our enterprising neighbors of the _Sun_, we are pleased to learn, are -likely to enjoy a rich reward from the late _lunar_ discoveries. They -deserve all they receive from the public--'they are worthy.'"--_N. Y. -Spirit of '76._ - -"After all, however, our doubts and incredulity may be a wrong to the -learned astronomer, and the circumstances of this wonderful discovery -may be correct. Let us do him justice, and allow him to tell his story -in his own way."--_N. Y. Sunday News._ - -"The article is said to be an extract from a supplement to the -_Edinburgh Journal of Science_. It sets forth difficulties encountered -by Sir John, on obtaining his glass castings for his great telescope, -with magnifying powers of 42,000. _The account, excepting the -magnifying power, has been before published_" [_i. e._, in the -Supplement to the _Edinburgh Journal of Science_.--Ed. _Sun_].--_U. S. -Gazette._ - -"It is not worth while for us to express an opinion as to the truth -or falsity of the narrative, as our readers can, after an attentive -perusal of the whole story, decide for themselves. Whether true or -false, the article is written with consummate ability, and possesses -intense interest."--_Philadelphia Inquirer._ - -"These are but a handful of the innumerable certificates of credence, -and of complimentary testimonials with which the universal press of -the country is loading our tables. Indeed, we find very few of the -public papers express any other opinion. We have named the _Journal of -Commerce_ as an exception, because it not only ignorantly doubted the -authenticity of the discoveries, but ill-naturedly said that we had -fabricated them for the purpose of making a noise and drawing attention -to our paper. - -"Col. Webb of the _Courier and Inquirer_ has said nothing upon the -subject; but he only feels the more, and we are this moment assured -that he has made arrangements with the proprietors of the Charleston -steam-packets to take the splendid boat William Gibbons of that line, -and charter her for the Cape of Good Hope, whither he is going with all -his family--including Hoskin. - -"We yesterday extracted from the celebrated Supplement, a mathematical -problem demonstrating an entirely new, and the only true method of -measuring the height of the lunar mountains. We were not then aware of -its great importance as a demonstration, also, of the authenticity of -the great discoveries. But several eminent mathematicians have since -called and assured us, that it is the greatest mathematical discovery -of the present age. Now, that problem was either predicated by us, or -by some other person, who has thereby made the greatest of all modern -discoveries in mathematical astronomy. We did not make it, for we know -nothing of mathematics whatever; therefore, it was made by the only -person to whom it can rationally be ascribed, namely, Herschel the -astronomer, its only avowed and undeniable author."--_Editor of the -Sun._ - -FOOTNOTES: - -[1] - - "As when the Moon,[2] refulgent lamp of night! - O'er heav'n's clear azure spreads her sacred light, - When not a breath disturbs the deep serene, - And not a cloud o'ercasts the solemn scene; - Around her throne the vivid planets roll, - And stars unnumber'd gild the glowing pole, - O'er the dark trees a yellower verdure shed, - And tip with silver ev'ry mountain's head; - Then shine the vales, the rocks in prospect rise, - A flood of glory bursts from all the skies." - - HOMER. - -The earth is accompanied by a MOON or satellite, whose distance is -237,000 miles, and diameter 2,160. Her surface is composed of hill and -dale, of rocks and mountains, nearly two miles high, and of circular -cavities, sometimes five miles in depth and forty in diameter. She -possesses neither _rivers_, nor _lakes_, nor _seas_, and we cannot -discover with the telescope any traces of living beings, or any -monuments of their hands. Viewing the earth as we now do, as the -_third_ planet in order from the sun, can we doubt that it is a globe -like the rest, poised in ether like them, and, like them, moving round -the central luminary? - -[2] _As when the moon, &c._ This comparison is inferior to none in -_Homer_. It is the most beautiful night-piece that can be found in -poetry. He presents you with a prospect of the heavens, the seas, and -the earth; the stars shine, the air is serene, the world enlighten'd, -and the moon mounted in glory. - -[3] For an account of the singular views which the ancients had -entertained on this subject, see "The Theology of the PhÅ“nicians," -by _Sanchoniatho_, who flourished about the time of the Trojan war. -Published in a collection of _Ancient Fragments_. New York. 1835. - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Moon Hoax, by Richard Adams Locke - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MOON HOAX *** - -***** This file should be named 62779-0.txt or 62779-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/6/2/7/7/62779/ - -Produced by deaurider, Martin Pettit and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - - -Title: The Moon Hoax - A Discovery that the Moon has a Vast Population of Human Beings - -Author: Richard Adams Locke - -Release Date: July 28, 2020 [EBook #62779] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MOON HOAX *** - - - - -Produced by deaurider, Martin Pettit and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive) - - - - - - -</pre> - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_ii" id="Page_ii">[Pg ii]</a></span></p> - -<div class="center"><img src="images/i02.jpg" alt="The Moon" /></div> - -<hr /> - -<div class="center"><img src="images/title.jpg" alt="Title Page" /></div> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_iii" id="Page_iii">[Pg iii]</a></span></p> - -<h1>THE <br />MOON HOAX;</h1> - -<p class="bold">OR,</p> - -<p class="bold">A DISCOVERY THAT THE</p> - -<p class="bold2">MOON</p> - -<p class="bold">HAS A VAST POPULATION OF</p> - -<p class="bold2">HUMAN BEINGS.</p> - -<p class="bold">BY<br />RICHARD ADAMS LOCKE.</p> - -<p class="bold">Illustrated with a View of the Moon,</p> - -<p class="bold">AS SEEN BY LORD ROSSE'S TELESCOPE.</p> - -<div class="box"> -<p class="bold">"The clouds still rested on one half of it, insomuch that I could -discover nothing in it; but the other appeared to me a vast ocean -planted with innumerable islands, that were covered with fruits and -flowers, and interwoven with a thousand little shining seas that -ran among them. I could see persons dressed in glorious habits with -garlands upon their heads, passing among the trees, lying down by the -sides of fountains, or resting on beds of flowers; and could hear a -confused harmony of singing birds, falling waters, human voices, and -musical instruments. Gladness grew in me upon the discovery of so -delightful a scene. I wished for the wings of an eagle, that I might -fly away to those happy seats; but the genius told me there was no -passage to them except through the gates of death that I saw opening -every moment upon the bridge."</p> - -<p class="right">ADDISON.</p></div> - -<div class="center"><img src="images/logo.jpg" alt="Logo" /></div> - -<p class="bold">NEW YORK:<br /> WILLIAM GOWANS,<br /> 1859.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_iv" id="Page_iv">[Pg iv]</a></span></p> - -<p class="center">Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1859, by<br /> -WILLIAM GOWANS,<br />in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for -the Southern District of New York.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_v" id="Page_v">[Pg v]</a></span></p> - -<h2>ADVERTISEMENT.</h2> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>It appears to be as natural for the human mind to be craving after the -wonderful, the mysterious, the marvellous, and the new discoveries, as -it is for the physical appetite to desire food, drink, and sleep, and -thereby as it were constantly attempting to lift up the veil that hides -incomprehensibilities from our vision.</p> - -<p>This interposition was, no doubt, wisely ordained, for the gazing upon -such mysteries might strike us blind, and rob us of the little stock of -happiness allotted to us while probationers here. May this longing not -be the germ of the proof of our immortality?</p> - -<p>The history of the human race is not only filled with instances of -this kind of craving, but it is universal, from the loftiest minds -as approach nearest the deity, such as Newton, La Place, and Mrs. -Somerville, down to the most untutored savage that roams the forest -wilds. Hence the key to the popularity of these charming productions -which fascinate our youth and continue to delight our manhood by -letting us into the supposed mysteries of an enchanting fairy land, -with a grace of narrative that quite takes us captive, while our -curiosity and wonder is raised to the highest pitch in watching the -developements unfolded in the narratives of these authors, and quite -impatient till we learn the result of the plot, or discovery. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_vi" id="Page_vi">[Pg vi]</a></span></p> - -<p>I allude to such productions as the Arabian Nights, Sir Thomas More's -Utopia, Bishop Berkeley's Adventures of Signior Gaudentio Di Lucca, -Swift's Gulliver's Travels, De Foe's Robinson Crusoe, Bunyan's -Pilgrim's Progress, and Lord Erskine's Armata, besides numerous others -of a similar character but of a less celebrated reputation.</p> - -<p>Among this class of extraordinary fictitious narratives and supposed -discovery, may be placed the renowned Moon Hoax, by Richard Adams -Locke. When it first made its appearance from day to day in one of the -morning papers, the interest in the discovery was intense, so much so -that the circulation of the paper augmented five fold, and in fact, -was the means of giving the journal a permanent footing as a daily -newspaper. Nor did this multiplied circulation of the paper satisfy -the public appetite. The proprietors of the journal had an edition of -60,000 published in pamphlet form, which were sold off in less than one -month; and of late this pamphlet edition has become so scarce that a -single copy was lately sold at the sale of Mr. Haswell's Library for -$3.75.</p> - -<p>The book is still in demand. As an instance of this the following will -give some idea at what pains and cost some will go to procure it. I -lately had a letter from a Gentleman residing in Wisconsin, making -inquiry if I had such a book, he further informed me that his attention -had been called to my book establishment in consequence of having sent -to the <i>Sunday Times</i>, published in this city, the following query, -"Can you inform me if such a book can be procured, and if so where, -as 'The celebrated Moon Hoax?'" The answer was that if it could be -procured at all, it would be at 85 Centre Street, New York. By this -circuitous method, this dilligent far-west bookcollector procured his -copy of the "Moon Hoax" to his great satisfaction.</p> - -<p>August 1, 1859.</p> - -<p class="right"><span class="smcap">Publisher.</span></p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[Pg 7]</a></span></p> - -<h2>GREAT <br />ASTRONOMICAL DISCOVERIES</h2> - -<p class="bold">LATELY MADE</p> - -<p class="bold2">BY SIR JOHN HERSCHEL, L.L., D.F.R.S., &c.,</p> - -<p class="bold">AT THE</p> - -<p class="bold2">CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p class="bold">FIRST PUBLISHED IN THE NEW YORK SUN IN AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER, 1835, FROM -THE SUPPLEMENT TO THE EDINBURGH JOURNAL OF SCIENCE.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>In this unusual addition to our Journal, we have the happiness of -making known to the British public, and thence to the whole civilized -world, recent discoveries in Astronomy which will build an imperishable -monument to the age in which we live, and confer upon the present -generation of the human race a proud distinction through all future -time. It has been poetically said, that the stars of heaven are the -hereditary regalia of man, as the intellectual sovereign of the animal -creation. He may now fold the Zodiack around him with a loftier -consciousness of his mental supremacy.</p> - -<p>It is impossible to contemplate any great Astronomical discovery -without feelings closely allied to a sensation of awe, and nearly akin -to those with which a departed spirit may be supposed to discover the -realities of a future state. Bound by the irrevocable laws of nature -to the globe on which we live, creatures "close shut up in infinite -expanse," it seems like acquiring a fearful supernatural power when any -remote mysterious works of the Creator yield tribute to our curiosity. -It seems<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[Pg 8]</a></span> almost a presumptuous usurpation of powers denied us by the -divine will, when man, in the pride and confidence of his skill, steps -forth, far beyond the apparently natural boundary of his privileges, -and demands the secrets and familiar fellowship of other worlds. We -are assured that when the immortal philosopher to whom mankind is -indebted for the thrilling wonders now first made known, had at length -adjusted his new and stupendous apparatus with a certainty of success, -he solemnly paused several hours before he commenced his observations, -that he might prepare his own mind for discoveries which he knew would -fill the minds of myriads of his fellow-men with astonishment, and -secure his name a bright, if not transcendant conjunction with that -of his venerable father to all posterity. And well might he pause! -From the hour the first human pair opened their eyes to the glories of -the blue firmament above them, there has been no accession to human -knowledge at all comparable in sublime interest to that which he has -been the honored agent in supplying; and we are taught to believe that, -when a work, already preparing for the press, in which his discoveries -are embodied in detail, shall be laid before the public, they will be -found of incomparable importance to some of the grandest operations of -civilized life. Well might he pause! He was about to become the sole -depository of wondrous secrets which had been hid from the eyes of -all men that had lived since the birth of time. He was about to crown -himself with a diadem of knowledge which would give him a conscious -pre-eminence above every individual of his species who then lived, or -who had lived in the generations that are passed away. He paused ere he -broke the seal of the casket which contained it.</p> - -<p>To render our enthusiasm intelligible, we will state at once, that by -means of a telescope of vast dimensions and an entirely new principle, -the younger Herschel, at his observatory in the Southern Hemisphere, -has already made the most extraordinary discoveries in every planet of -our solar system; has discovered planets in other solar systems; has -obtained a distinct view of objects in the moon, fully equal to that -which the unaided eye commands of terrestrial objects at the distance -of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[Pg 9]</a></span> a hundred yards; has affirmatively settled the question whether -this satellite be inhabited, and by what order of beings; has firmly -established a new theory of cometary phenomena; and has solved or -corrected nearly every leading problem of mathematical astronomy.</p> - -<p>For our early and almost exclusive information concerning these -facts, we are indebted to the devoted friendship of Dr. Andrew Grant, -the pupil of the elder, and for several years past the inseperable -coadjutor of the younger Herschel. The amanuensis of the latter at -the Cape of Good Hope, and the indefatigable superintendent of his -telescope during the whole period of its construction and operation, -Dr. Grant has been enabled to supply us with intelligence equal, -in general interest at least, to that which Dr. Herschel himself -has transmitted to the Royal Society. Indeed our correspondent -assures us that the voluminous documents now before a committee of -that institution contain little more than details and mathematical -illustrations of the facts communicated to us in his own ample -correspondence. For permission to indulge his friendship in -communicating this invaluable information to us, Dr. Grant and -ourselves are indebted to the magnanimity of Dr. Herschel, who, far -above all mercenary considerations, has thus signally honored and -rewarded his fellow-laborer in the field of science. The engravings -of lunar animals and other objects, and of the phases of the several -planets, are accurate copies of drawings taken in the observatory -by Herbert Home, Esq., who accompanied the last powerful series of -reflectors from London to the Cape, and superintended their erection; -and he has thus recorded the proofs of their triumphant success. The -engravings of the belts of Jupiter is a reduced copy of an imperial -folio drawing by Dr. Herschel himself, and contains the results of his -latest observation of that planet. The segment of the inner ring of -Saturn is from a large drawing by Dr. Grant.</p> - -<p>We first avail ourselves of the documents which contain a description -and history of the instrument by which these stupendous discoveries -have been made. A knowledge of the one is essential to the credibility -of the other. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[Pg 10]</a></span></p> - -<h3>THE YOUNGER HERSCHEL'S TELESCOPE.</h3> - -<p>It is well known that the great reflecting telescope of the late elder -Herschel, with an object-glass four feet in diameter, and a tube forty -feet in length, possesses a magnifying power of more than six thousand -times. But a small portion of this power was ever advantageously -applied to the nearer astronomical objects; for the deficiency of -light from objects so highly magnified, rendered them less distinct -than when viewed with a power of a third or fourth of this extent. -Accordingly the powers which he generally applied when observing -the moon or planets, and with which he made his most interesting -discoveries, ranged from 220, 460, 750, and 900 times; although, when -inspecting the double and treble fixed stars, and the more distant -nebulæ, he frequently applied the full capacity of his instrument. -The law of optics, that an object becomes dim in proportion as it is -magnified, seemed, from its exemplification in this powerful telescope, -to form an insuperable boundary to further discoveries in our solar -system. Several years, however, prior to the death of this venerable -astronomer, he conceived it practicable to construct an improved series -of parabolic and spherical reflectors, which, by uniting all the -meritorious points in the Gregorian and Newtonian instruments, with the -highly interesting achromatic discovery of Dolland, would, to a great -degree, remove the formidable obstruction. His plan evinced the most -profound research in optical science, and the most dexterous ingenuity -in mechanical contrivance; but accumulating infirmities, and eventually -death, prevented its experimental application. His son, the present -Sir John Herschel, who had been nursed and cradled in the observatory, -and a practical astronomer from his boyhood, was so fully convinced -of the value of the theory, that he determined upon testing it, at -whatever cost. Within two years of his father's death he completed -his new apparatus, and adapted it to the old telescope with nearly -perfect success. He found that the magnifying power of 6,000 times, -when applied to the moon, which was the severest criterion that could -be selected, produced, under these new<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[Pg 11]</a></span> reflectors, a focal object -of exquisite distinctness, free from every achromatic obscurity, and -containing the highest degree of light which the great speculum could -collect from that luminary.</p> - -<p>The enlargement of the angle of vision which was thus acquired, is -ascertained by dividing the moon's distance from the observatory by -the magnifying power of the instrument; and the former being 240,000 -miles, and the latter 6,000 times, leaves a quotient of 40 miles as -the apparent distance of that planet from the eye of the observer. Now -it is well known that no terrestrial objects can be seen at a greater -distance than this, with the naked eye, even from the most favorable -elevations. The rotundity of the earth prevents a more distant view -than this with the most acute natural vision, and from the highest -eminences; and, generally, objects seen at this distance are themselves -elevated on mountainous ridges. It is not pretended, moreover, that -this forty miles telescopic view of the moon presented its objects with -equal distinctness, though it did in equal size to those of this earth, -so remotely stationed.</p> - -<p>The elder Herschel had nevertheless demonstrated, that with a power -of 1,000 times, he could discern objects in this satellite of not -more than 122 yards in diameter. If therefore the full capability of -the instrument had been elicited by the new apparatus of reflectors -constructed by his son, it would follow, in mathematical ratio, that -objects could be discerned of not more than 22 yards in diameter. Yet -in either case they would be seen as mere feeble, shapeless points, -with no greater conspicuity than they would exhibit upon earth to -the unaided eye at the distance of forty miles. But although the -rotundity of the earth presented no obstruction to a view of these -astronomical objects, we believe Sir John Herschel never insisted -that he had carried out these extreme powers of the telescope in so -full a ratio. The deficiency of light, though greatly economised -and concentrated, still maintained some inverse proportion to the -magnitude of the focal image. The advance he had made in the knowledge -of this planet, though magnificent and sublime, was thus but partial -and unsatisfactory. He was, it is true, enabled to confirm some -discoveries of former observers,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[Pg 12]</a></span> and to confute those of others. -The existence of volcanoes discovered by his father and by Schroeter -of Berlin, and the changes observed by the latter in the volcano in -the <i>Mare Crisium</i> or Lucid Lake, were corroborated and illustrated, -as was also the prevalence of far more extensive volcanic phenomena. -The disproportionate height attributed to the lunar mountains was -corrected from careful admeasurement; whilst the celebrated conical -hills, encircling valleys of vast diameter, and surrounding the lofty -central hills, were distinctly perceived. The formation which Professor -Frauenhofer uncharitably conjectured to be a lunar fortification, -he ascertained to be a tabular buttress of a remarkably pyramidical -mountain; lines which had been whimsically pronounced roads and canals, -he found to be keen ridges of singularly regular rows of hills; and -that which Schroeter imagined to be a great city in the neighborhood of -<i>Marius</i>, he determined to be a valley of disjointed rocks scattered -in fragments, which averaged at least a thousand yards in diameter. -Thus the general geography of the planet, in its grand outlines of -cape, continent, mountain, ocean, and island, was surveyed with greater -particularity and accuracy than by any previous observer; and the -striking dissimilarity of many of its local features to any existing on -our own globe, was clearly demonstrated. The best enlarged maps of that -luminary which have been published were constructed from this survey; -and neither the astronomer nor the public ventured to hope for any -great accession to their developments. The utmost power of the largest -telescope in the world had been exerted in a new and felicitous manner -to obtain them, and there was no reasonable expectation that a larger -one would ever be constructed, or that it could be advantageously -used if it were. A law of nature, and the finitude of human skill, -seemed united in inflexible opposition to any further improvement in -telescopic science, as applicable to the known planets and satellites -of the solar system. For unless the sun could be prevailed upon to -extend a more liberal allowance of light to these bodies, and they -be induced to transfer it, for the generous gratification of our -curiosity, what adequate substitute could be obtained? Telescopes do -not create light, they <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</a></span>cannot even transmit unimpaired that which -they receive. That anything further could be derived from human skill -in the construction of instruments, the labors of his illustrious -predecessors, and his own, left the son of Herschel no reason to hope. -Huygens, Fontana, Gregory, Newton, Hadley, Bird, Short, Dolland, -Herschel, and many others, all practical opticians, had resorted to -every material in any wise adapted to the composition either of lenses -or reflectors, and had exhausted every law of vision which study had -developed and demonstrated. In the construction of his last amazing -specula, Sir John Herschel had selected the most approved amalgams -that the advanced stage of metallic chemistry had combined; and had -watched their growing brightness under the hands of the artificer with -more anxious hope than ever lover watched the eye of his mistress; -and he had nothing further to expect than they had accomplished. He -had the satisfaction to know that if he could leap astride a cannon -ball, and travel upon its wings of fury for the respectable period of -several millions of years, he would not obtain a more enlarged view of -the distant stars than he could now possess in a few minutes of time; -and that it would require an ultra-railroad speed of fifty miles an -hour, for nearly the live-long year, to secure him a more favorable -inspection of the gentle luminary of night. The interesting question, -however, whether this light of the solemn forest, of the treeless -desert, and of the deep blue ocean as it rolls; whether this object of -the lonely turret, of the uplifted eye on the deserted battle-field, -and of all the pilgrims of love and hope, of misery and despair, that -have journeyed over the hills and valleys of this earth, through all -the eras of its unwritten history to those of its present voluminous -record; the exciting question, whether this "observed" of all the sons -of men, from the days of Eden to those of Edinburgh, be inhabited by -beings like ourselves, of consciousness and curiosity, was left for -solution to the benevolent index of natural analogy, or to the severe -tradition that it is tenanted only by the hoary solitaire whom the -criminal code of the nursery had banished thither for collecting fuel -on the Sabbath-day.</p> - -<p>The limits of discovery in the planetary bodies, and in this<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</a></span> one -especially, thus seemed to be immutably fixed; and no expectation was -elevated for a period of several years. But, about three years ago, in -the course of a conversational discussion with Sir David Brewster upon -the merits of some ingenious suggestions by the latter, in his article -on optics in the Edinburgh Encyclopedia (p. 644), for improvements in -the Newtonian Reflectors, Sir John Herschel adverted to the convenient -simplicity of the old astronomical telescopes that were without tubes, -and the object-glass of which, placed upon a high pole, threw its focal -image to a distance of 150, and even 200 feet. Dr. Brewster readily -admitted that a tube was not necessary, provided the focal image -were conveyed into a dark apartment, and there properly received by -reflectors. Sir John then said that, if his father's great telescope, -the tube alone of which, though formed of the lightest suitable -materials, weighed 3,000 lbs., possessed an easy and steady mobility -with its heavy observatory attached, an observatory moveable without -the incumbrance of such a tube, was obviously practical. This also was -admitted, and the conversation became directed to that all-invincible -enemy. The paucity of light in powerful magnifiers. After a few -moments' silent thought, Sir John diffidently inquired whether it would -not be possible to effect <i>a transfusion of artificial light through -the focal object of vision</i>! Sir David, somewhat startled at the -originality of the idea, paused awhile, and then hesitatingly referred -to the refrangibility of rays, and the angle of incidence. Sir John, -grown more confident, adduced the example of the Newtonian Reflector, -in which the refrangibility was corrected by the second speculum, and -the angle of incidence restored by the third. "And," continued he, "why -cannot the illuminated microscope, say the hydro-oxygen, be applied to -render distinct, and, if necessary, even to magnify the focal object?" -Sir David sprung from his chair in an ecstacy of conviction, and -leaping half-way to the ceiling, exclaimed, "Thou art the man!" Each -philosopher anticipated the other in presenting the prompt illustration -that if the rays of the hydro-oxygen microscope, passed through a drop -of water containing the larvæ of a gnat and other objects invisible to -the naked eye, rendered them not only keenly but firmly<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</a></span> magnified to -dimensions of many feet; so could the same artificial light, passed -through the faintest focal object of a telescope, both distinctify (to -coin a new word for an extraordinary occasion) and magnify its feeblest -component members. The only apparent desideratum was a recipient for -the focal image which should transfer it, without refranging it, to the -surface on which it was to be viewed under the revivifying light of the -microscopic reflectors. In the various experiments made during the few -following weeks, the co-operative philosophers decided that a medium of -the purest plate glass (which it is said they obtained, by consent, be -it observed, from the shop window of Mons. Desanges, the jeweller to -his ex-majesty Charles X., in High street) was the most eligible they -could discover. It answered perfectly with a telescope which magnified -100 times, and a microscope of about thrice that power.</p> - -<p>Sir John Herschel then conceived the stupendous fabric of his present -telescope. The power of his father's instrument would still leave him -distant from his favorite planet nearly forty miles, and he resolved to -attempt a greater magnifier. Money, the wings of science as the sinews -of war, seemed the only requisite, and even the acquisition of this, -which is often more difficult than the task of Sisyphus, he determined -to achieve. Fully sanctioned by the high optical authority of Sir David -Brewster, he laid his plan before the Royal Society, and particularly -directed to it the attention of His Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex, -the ever munificent patron of science and the arts. It was immediately -and enthusiastically approved by the committee chosen to investigate -it, and the chairman, who was the Royal President, subscribed his name -for a contribution of £10,000, with a promise that he would zealously -submit the proposed instrument as a fit object for the patronage of -the privy purse. He did so without delay, and his Majesty, on being -informed that the estimated expense was £70,000, naively inquired if -the costly instrument would conduce to any improvement in <i>navigation</i>? -On being informed that it undoubtedly would, the sailor King promised a -<i>carte blanch</i> for the amount which might be required. </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</a></span></p> - -<p>Sir John Herschel had submitted his plans and calculations in -adaptation to an object-glass of twenty-four feet in diameter: just six -times the size of his venerable father's. For casting this ponderous -mass, he selected the large glass-house of Messrs. Hartly and Grant, -(the brother of our invaluable friend Dr. Grant) at Dumbarton. The -material chosen was an amalgamation of two parts of the best crown with -one of flint glass, the use of which, in separate lenses, constituted -the great achromatic discovery of Dolland. It had been found, however, -by accurate experiments, that the amalgam would as completely triumph -over every impediment, both from refrangibility and discoloration, as -the separate lenses. Five furnaces of the metal, carefully collected -from productions of the manufactory, in both the kinds of glass, and -known to be respectively of nearly perfect homogenous quality, were -united, by one grand conductor, to the mould; and on the third of -January, 1833, the first cast was effected. After cooling eight days, -the mould was opened, and the glass found to be greatly flawed within -eighteen inches of the centre. Notwithstanding this failure, a new -glass was more carefully cast on the 27th of the same month, which -on being opened during the first week of February, was found to be -immaculately perfect, with the exception of two slight flaws so near -the line of its circumference that they would be covered by the copper -ring in which it was designed to be enclosed.</p> - -<p>The weight of this prodigious lens was 14,826 lbs. or nearly seven tons -after being polished; and its estimated magnifying power 42,000 times. -It was therefore presumed to be capable of representing objects in -our lunar satellite of little more than eighteen inches in diameter, -provided its focal image of them could be rendered distinct by the -transfusion of artificial light. It was not, however, upon the mere -illuminating power of the hydro-oxygen microscope, as applied to the -focal pictures of this lens, that the younger Herschel depended for -the realization of his ambitious theories and hopes. He calculated -largely upon the almost illimitable applicability of this instrument -as a second magnifier, which would supersede the use,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</a></span> and infinitely -transcend the powers of the highest magnifiers in reflecting telescopes.</p> - -<p>So sanguinely indeed did he calculate upon the advantages of this -splendid alliance, that he expressed confidence in his ultimate ability -to study even the entomology of the moon, in case she contained insects -upon her surface. Having witnessed the completion of this great lens, -and its safe transportation to the metropolis, his next care was the -construction of a suitable microscope, and of the mechanical frame-work -for the horizontal and vertical action of the whole. His plans in every -branch of his undertaking having been intensely studied, even to their -minutest details, were easily and rapidly executed. He awaited only the -appointed period at which he was to convey his magnificent apparatus to -its destination.</p> - -<p>A correspondence had for some time passed between the Boards of -England, France, and Austria, with a view to improvements in the -tables of longitude in the southern hemisphere; which are found to -be much less accurate than those of the northern. The high opinion -entertained by the British Board of Longitude of the principles of the -new telescope, and of the profound skill of its inventor, determined -the government to solicit his services in observing the transit of -Mercury over the sun's disk, which will take place on the 7th of -November in the present year: and which, as it will occur at 7h. 47m. -55s. night, conjunction, meantime; and at 8h. 12m. 22s. middle, true -time, will be invisible to nearly all the northern hemisphere. The -place at which the transits of Mercury and of Venus have generally -been observed by the astronomers of Europe, when occurring under these -circumstances, is the Cape of Good Hope; and no transit of Venus having -occurred since the year 1769, and none being to occur before 1874, -the accurate observation of the transits of Mercury, which occur more -frequently, has been found of great importance both to astronomy and -navigation. To the latter useful art, indeed, the transits of Mercury -are nearly as important as those of Venus; for although those of the -latter planet have the peculiar advantage of determining exactly the -great solar parallax, and thence the distances of all the planets -from the sun, yet the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</a></span> transits of Mercury, by exactly determining -the place of its own node, independently of the parallax of the great -orb, determine the parallax of the earth and moon; and are therefore -especially valuable in lunar observations of Longitude. The Cape of -Good Hope has been found preferable, in these observations, to any -other station in the hemisphere. The expedition which went to Peru, -about the middle of the last century, to ascertain, in conjunction with -another in Lapland, the true figure of the earth, found the attraction -of the mountainous regions so strong as to cause the plum-line of -one of their large instruments to deflect seven or eight seconds -from the true perpendicular; whilst the elevated plains at the Cape -unite all the advantages of a lucid atmosphere with an entire freedom -from mountainous obstruction. Sir John Herschel, therefore, not only -accepted the appointment with high satisfaction, but requested that -it might commence at least a year before the period of the transit, -to afford him time to bring his ponderous and complicated machinery -into perfect adjustment, and to extend his knowledge of the southern -constellations.</p> - -<p>His wish was immediately assented to, and his arrangements being -completed, he sailed from London on the 4th of September, 1834, -in company with Dr. Andrew Grant, Lieutenant Drummond, of the -Royal Engineers, F.R.A.S., and a large party of the best English -mechanics. They arrived, after an expeditious and agreeable passage, -and immediately proceeded to transport the lens, and the frame of -the large observatory, to its destined site, which was a piece of -table-land of great extent and elevation, about thirty-five miles to -the north-east of Capetown; and which is said to be the very spot on -which De la Caille, in 1750, constructed his invaluable solar tables, -when he measured a degree of the meridian, and made a great advance, to -exactitude in computing the solar parallax from that of Mars and the -Moon. Sir John accomplished the ascent to the plains by means of two -relief teams of oxen, of eighteen each, in about four days; and, aided -by several companies of Dutch boors, proceeded at once to the erection -of his gigantic fabric.</p> - -<p>The ground plan of the structure is in some respects similar to that -of the Herschel telescope in England, except that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</a></span> instead of circular -foundations of brickwork, it consists of parallel circles of railroad -iron, upon wooden framework; so constructed that the turn-outs, or -rather turn-ins, from the largest circle, will conduct the observatory, -which moves upon them, to the innermost circle, which is the basis of -the lens-works; and to each of the circles that intervene. The diameter -of the smallest circle is twenty-eight feet: that of the largest our -correspondent has singularly forgotten to state, though it may be -in some measure computed from the angle of incidence projected by -the lens, and the space occupied by the observatory. The latter is a -wooden building fifty feet square and as many high, with a flat roof -and gutters of thin copper. Through the side proximate to the lens, -is an aperture four feet in diameter to receive its rays, and through -the roof another for the same purpose in meridional observations. The -lens, which is inclosed in a frame of wood, and braced to its corners -by bars of copper, is suspended upon an axis between two pillars which -are nearly as high as those which supported the celebrated quadrant of -Uleg Beg, being one hundred and fifty feet. These are united at the top -and bottom by cross-pieces, and strengthened by a number of diagonal -braces; and between them is a double capstan for hoisting the lens from -its horizontal line with the observatory to the height required by -its focal distance when turned to the meridian; and for elevating it -to any intermediate degree of altitude that may be needed. This last -operation is beautifully regulated by an immense double sextant, which -is connected and moves with the axis of the lens, and is regularly -divided into degrees, minutes, and seconds; and the horizontal circles -of the observatory being also divided into 360 degrees, and minutely -subdivided, the whole instrument has the powers and regularity of the -most improved theodolite. Having no tube, it is connected with the -observatory by two horizontal levers, which pass underneath the floor -of that building from the circular basis of the pillars; thus keeping -the lens always square with the observatory, and securing to both a -uniform and simple movement. By means of these levers, too, a rack and -windlass, the observatory is brought to any degree of approximation -to the pillars that the altitude of an observation may<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</a></span> require; and -although, when at its nearest station it cannot command an observation -with the great lens within about fifteen degrees of the meridian, it -is supplied with an excellent telescope of vast power, constructed by -the elder Herschel, by which every high degree can be surveyed. The -field of view, therefore, whether exhibited on the floor or on the -wall of the apartment, has a diameter of nearly fifty feet, and, being -circular, it has therefore an area of nearly 1875 feet. The place of -all the horizontal movements having been accurately levelled by Lieut. -Drummond, with the improved level of his invention which bears his -name, and the wheels both of the observatory and of the lens-works -being facilitated by friction-rollers in patent axle-boxes filled -with oil, the strength of one man applied to the extremity of the -levers is sufficient to propel the whole structure upon either of the -railroad circles; and that of two men applied to the windlass is fully -adequate to bring the observatory to the basis of the pillars. Both of -these movements, however, are now effected by a locomotive apparatus -commanded within the apartment by a single person, and showing, by -means of an ingenious index, every inch of progression or retrogression.</p> - -<p>We have not thus particularly described the telescope of the younger -Herschel because we consider it the most magnificent specimen of -philosophical mechanism of the present or any previous age, but -because we deemed an explicit description of its principles and powers -an almost indispensable introduction to a statement of the sublime -expansion of human knowledge which it has achieved. It was not fully -completed until the latter part of December, when the series of large -reflectors for the microscope arrived from England; and it was brought -into operation during the first week of the ensuing month and year. -But the secrecy which had been maintained with regard to its novelty, -its manufacture, and its destination, was not less rigidly preserved -for several months respecting the grandeur of its success. Whether the -British Government were sceptical concerning the promised splendor -of its discoveries, or wished them to be scrupulously veiled until -they had accumulated a a full-orbed glory for the nation and reign in -which they <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[Pg 21]</a></span>originated, is a question which we can only conjecturally -solve. But certain it is that the astronomer's royal patrons enjoined -a masonic taciturnity upon him and his friends until he should -have officially communicated the results of his great experiment. -Accordingly, the world heard nothing of him or his expedition until -it was announced a few months since in the scientific journals of -Germany, that Sir John Herschel, at the Cape of Good Hope, had written -to the astronomer-royal of Vienna, to inform him that the portentous -comet predicted for the year 1835, which was to approach so near this -trembling globe that we might hear the roaring of its fires, had turned -upon another scent, and would not even shake a hair of its tail upon -our hunting-grounds. At a loss to conceive by what extra authority he -had made so bold a declaration, the men of science in Europe who were -not acquainted with his secret, regarded his "postponement," as his -discovery was termed, with incredulous contumely, and continued to -terrorize upon the strength of former predictions.</p> - -<h3>NEW LUNAR DISCOVERIES.</h3> - -<p>Until the 10th of January, the observations were chiefly directed to -the stars in the southern signs, in which, without the aid of the -hydro-oxygen reflectors, a countless number of new stars and nebulæ -were discovered. But we shall defer our correspondent's account of -these to future pages, for the purpose of no longer withholding from -our readers the more generally and highly interesting discoveries which -were made in the lunar world. And for this purpose, too, we shall defer -Dr. Grant's elaborate mathematical details of the corrections which -Sir John Herschel has made in the best tables of the moon's tropical, -sidereal, and synodic revolutions, and of those phenomena of syzygies -on which a great part of the established lunar theory depends.</p> - -<p>It was about half-past nine o'clock on the night of the 10th, the moon -having then advanced within four days of her mean libration, that the -astronomer adjusted his instruments for the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[Pg 22]</a></span> inspection of her eastern -limb. The whole immense power of his telescope was applied, and to its -focal image about one half of the power of his microscope. On removing -the screen of the latter, the field of view was covered throughout its -entire area with a beautifully distinct, and even vivid representation -of <i>basaltic rock</i>. Its color was a greenish brown, and the width -of the columns, as defined by their interstices on the canvass, was -invariably twenty-eight inches. No fracture whatever appeared in the -mass first presented, but in a few seconds a shelving pile appeared of -five or six columns width, which showed their figure to be hexagonal, -and their articulations similar to those of the basaltic formation at -Staffa. This precipitous shelf was profusely covered with a dark red -flower, "precisely similar," says Dr. Grant, "to the Papaver Rhœas, -or rose-poppy of our sublunary cornfields; and this was the first -organic production of nature, in a foreign world, ever revealed to the -eyes of men."</p> - -<p>The rapidity of the moon's ascension, or rather of the earth's diurnal -rotation, being nearly equal to five hundred yards in a second, would -have effectually prevented the inspection, or even the discovery -of objects so minute as these, but for the admirable mechanism -which constantly regulates, under the guidance of the sextant, the -required altitude of the lens. But its operation was found to be so -consummately perfect, that the observers could detain the object upon -the field of view for any period they might desire. The specimen of -lunar vegetation, however, which they had already seen, had decided -a question of too exciting an interest to induce them to retard its -exit. It had demonstrated that the moon has an atmosphere constituted -similarly to our own, and capable of sustaining organized, and -therefore, most probably, animal life. The basaltic rocks continued -to pass over the inclined canvass plane, through three successive -diameters, when a verdant declivity of great beauty appeared, which -occupied two more. This was preceded by another mass of nearly the -former height, at the base of which they were at length delighted to -perceive that novelty, a lunar forest. "The trees," says Dr. Grant, -"for a period of ten minutes, were of one unvaried kind, and unlike<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[Pg 23]</a></span> -any I have seen, except the largest kind of yews in the English -churchyards, which they in some respects resemble." These were followed -by a level green plain, which, as measured by the painted circle on our -canvass of forty-nine feet, must have been more than half a mile in -breadth; and then appeared as fine a forest of firs, unequivocal firs, -as I have ever seen cherished in the bosom of my native mountains. -Wearied with the long continuance of these, we greatly reduced the -magnifying power of the microscope, without eclipsing either of the -reflectors, and immediately perceived that we had been insensibly -descending, as it were, a mountainous district of a highly diversified -and romantic character, and that we were on the verge of a lake, or -inland sea; but of what relative locality or extent, we were yet too -greatly magnified to determine. On introducing the feeblest achromatic -lens we possessed, we found that the water, whose boundary we had just -discovered, answered in general outline to the Mare Nubium of Riccoli, -by which we detected that, instead of commencing, as we supposed, on -the eastern longitude of the planet, some delay in the elevation of -the great lens had thrown us nearly upon the axis of her equator. -However, as she was a free country, and we not, as yet, attached to any -particular province, and moreover, since we could at any moment occupy -our intended position, we again slid in our magic lenses to survey the -shores of the Mare Nubium. Why Riccoli so termed it, unless in ridicule -of Cleomedes, I know not; for fairer shores never angels coasted on -a tour of pleasure. A beach of brilliant white sand, girt with wild -castellated rocks, apparently of green marble, varied at chasms, -occurring every two or three hundred feet, with grotesque blocks of -chalk or gypsum, and feathered and festooned at the summit with the -clustering foliage of unknown trees, moved along the bright wall of our -apartment until we were speechless with admiration. The water, wherever -we obtained a view of it, was nearly as blue as that of the deep ocean, -and broke in large white billows upon the strand. The action of very -high tides was quite manifest upon the face of the cliffs for more than -a hundred miles; yet diversified as the scenery was during this and -a much greater <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[Pg 24]</a></span>distance, we perceived no trace of animal existence, -notwithstanding we could command at will a perspective or a foreground -view of the whole. Mr. Holmes, indeed, pronounced some white objects -of a circular form, which we saw at some distance in the interior of a -cavern, to be bona fide specimens of a large cornu ammonis; but to me -they appeared merely large pebbles, which had been chafed and rolled -there by the tides. Our chase of animal life was not yet to be rewarded.</p> - -<p>Having continued this close inspection nearly two hours, during which -we passed over a wide tract of country, chiefly of a rugged and -apparently volcanic character; and having seen few additional varieties -of vegetation, except some species of lichen, which grew everywhere -in great abundance, Dr. Herschel proposed that we should take out all -our lenses, give a rapid speed to the panorama, and search for some of -the principal valleys known to astronomers, as the most likely method -to reward our first night's observation with the discovery of animated -beings. The lenses being removed, and the effulgence of our unutterably -glorious reflectors left undiminished, we found, in accordance with our -calculations, that our field of view comprehended about twenty-five -miles of the lunar surface, with the distinctness both of outline and -detail which could be procured of a terrestrial object at the distance -of two and a half miles; an optical phenomenon which you will find -demonstrated in Note 5. This afforded us the best landscape views we -had hitherto obtained, and although the accelerated motion was rather -too great, we enjoyed them with rapture. Several of those famous -valleys, which are bounded by lofty hills of so perfectly conical a -form as to render them less like works of nature than of art, passed -the canvass before we had time to check their flight; but presently a -train of scenery met our eye, of features so entirely novel, that Dr. -Herschel signalled for the lowest convenient gradation of movement. It -was a lofty chain of obelisk-shaped, or very slender pyramids, standing -in irregular groups, each composed of about thirty or forty spires, -every one of which was perfectly square, and as accurately truncated -as the finest specimens of Cornish crystal. They were of a faint lilac -hue, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[Pg 25]</a></span> very resplendent. I now thought that we had assuredly fallen -on productions of art; but Dr. Herschel shrewdly remarked, that if the -Lunarians could build thirty or forty miles of such monuments as these, -we should ere now have discovered others of a less equivocal character. -He pronounced them quartz formations, of probably the wine-colored -amethyst species, and promised us, from these and other proofs which he -had obtained of the powerful action of laws of crystallization in this -planet, a rich field of mineralogical study. On introducing a lens, his -conjecture was fully confirmed; they were monstrous amethysts, of a -diluted claret color, glowing in the intensest light of the sun! They -varied in height from sixty to ninety feet, though we saw several of -a still more incredible altitude. They were observed in a succession -of valleys divided by longitudinal lines of round-breasted hills, -covered with verdure and nobly undulated; but what is most remarkable, -the valleys which contained these stupendous crystals were invariably -barren, and covered with stones of a ferruginous hue, which were -probably iron pyrites. We found that some of these curiosities were -situated in a district elevated half a mile above the valley of the -Mare Fœcunditatis, of Mayer and Riccioli; the shores of which soon -hove in view. But never was a name more inappropriately bestowed. From -"Dan to Beersheba" all was barren, barren—the sea-board was entirely -composed of chalk and flint, and not a vestige of vegetation could -be discovered with our strongest glasses. The whole breadth of the -northern extremity of this sea, which was about three hundred miles, -having crossed our plane, we entered upon a wild mountainous region -abounding with more extensive forests of larger trees than we had -before seen—the species of which I have no good analogy to describe. -In general contour they resembled our forest oak; but they were much -more superb in foliage, having broad glossy leaves like that of the -laurel, and tresses of yellow flowers which hung, in the open glades, -from the branches to the ground. These mountains passed, we arrived -at a region which filled us with utter astonishment. It was an oval -valley, surrounded, except at a narrow opening towards the south, by -hills, red as the purest vermilion, and evidently<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[Pg 26]</a></span> crystallized; for -wherever a precipitous chasm appeared—and these chasms were very -frequent, and of immense depth—the perpendicular sections presented -conglomerated masses of polygon crystals, evenly fitted to each other, -and arranged in deep strata, which grew darker in color as they -descended to the foundations of the precipices. Innumerable cascades -were bursting forth from the breasts of every one of these cliffs, -and some so near their summits, and with such great force, as to form -arches many yards in diameter. I never was so vividly reminded of -Byron's simile, "the tale of the white horse in the Revolution." At the -foot of this boundary of hills was a perfect zone of woods surrounding -the whole valley, which was about eighteen or twenty miles wide, at -its greatest breadth, and about thirty in length. Small collections of -trees, of every imaginable kind, were scattered about the whole of the -luxuriant area; and here our magnifiers blest our panting hopes with -specimens of conscious existence. In the shade of the woods on the -south-eastern side, we beheld continuous herds of brown quadrupeds, -having all the external characteristics of the bison, but more -diminutive than any species of the bos genus in our natural history. -Its tail is like that of our bos grunniens; but in its semi-circular -horns, the hump on its shoulders, and the depth of its dewlap, and the -length of its shaggy hair, it closely resembled the species to which -I first compared it. It had, however, one widely distinctive feature, -which we afterwards found common to nearly every lunar quadruped -we have discovered; namely, a remarkable fleshy appendage over the -eyes, crossing the whole breadth of the forehead and united to the -ears. We could most distinctly perceive this hairy veil, which was -shaped like the upper front outline of a cap known to the ladies as -Mary Queen of Scots' cap, lifted and lowered by means of the ears. It -immediately occurred to the acute mind of Dr. Herschel, that this was -a providential contrivance to protect the eyes of the animal from the -great extremes of light and darkness to which all the inhabitants of -our side of the moon are periodically subjected.</p> - -<p>The next animal perceived would be classed on earth as a monster. It -was of a bluish lead color, about the size of a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[Pg 27]</a></span> goat, with a head and -beard like him, and a <i>single horn</i>, slightly inclined forward from -the perpendicular. The female was destitute of the horn and beard, but -had a much longer tail. It was gregarious, and chiefly abounded on the -acclivitous glades of the woods. In elegance of symmetry it rivalled -the antelope, and like him it seemed an agile sprightly creature, -running with great speed, and springing from the green turf with all -the unaccountable antics of a young lamb or kitten. This beautiful -creature afforded us the most exquisite amusement. The mimicry of its -movements upon our white painted canvass was as faithful and luminous -as that of animals within a few yards of the camera obscura, when seen -pictured upon its tympan. Frequently when attempting to put our fingers -upon its beard, it would suddenly bound away into oblivion, as if -conscious of our earthly impertinence; but then others would appear, -whom we could not prevent nibbling the herbage, say or do what we would -to them.</p> - -<p>On examining the centre of this delightful valley, we found a large -branching river, abounding with lovely islands, and water-birds of -numerous kinds. A species of grey pelican was the most numerous; but -a black and white crane, with unreasonably long legs and bill, were -also quite common. We watched their pisciverous experiments a long -time, in hopes of catching sight of a lunar fish; but although we were -not gratified in this respect, we could easily guess the purpose with -which they plunged their long necks so deeply beneath the water. Near -the upper extremity of one of these islands we obtained a glimpse -of a strange amphibious creature, of a spherical form, which rolled -with great velocity across the pebbly beach, and was lost sight of in -the strong current which set off from this angle of the island. We -were compelled, however, to leave this prolific valley unexplored, -on account of clouds which were evidently accumulating in the lunar -atmosphere, our own being perfectly translucent. But this was itself -an interesting discovery, for more distant observers had questioned or -denied the existence of any humid atmosphere in this planet.</p> - -<p>The moon being now low on her descent, Dr. Herschel inferred that the -increasing refrangibility of her rays would<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[Pg 28]</a></span> prevent any satisfactory -protraction of our labors, and our minds being actually fatigued with -the excitement of the high enjoyments we had partaken, we mutually -agreed to call in the assistants at the lens, and reward their -vigilant attention with congratulatory bumpers of the best "East -India Particular." It was not, however, without regret that we left -the splendid valley of the red mountains, which, in compliment to the -arms of our royal patron, we denominated "the Valley of the Unicorn;" -and it may be found in Blunt's map, about midway between the Mare -Fœcunditatis and the Mare Nectaris.</p> - -<p>The nights of the 11th and 12th being cloudy, were unfavorable -to observation; but on those of the 13th and 14th further animal -discoveries were made of the most exciting interest to every human -being. We give them in the graphic language of our accomplished -correspondent:—</p> - -<p>"The astonishing and beautiful discoveries which we had made during our -first night's observation, and the brilliant promise which they gave -of the future, rendered every moonlight hour too precious to reconcile -us to the deprivation occasioned by these two cloudy evenings; and -they were borne with strictly philosophical patience, notwithstanding -that our attention was closely occupied in superintending the erection -of additional props and braces to the twenty-four feet lens, which we -found had somewhat vibrated in a high wind that arose on the morning of -the 11th. The night of the 13th (January) was one of pearly purity and -loveliness. The moon ascended the firmament in gorgeous splendor, and -the stars, retiring around her, left her the unrivalled queen of the -hemisphere. This being the last night but one, in the present month, -during which we should have an opportunity of inspecting her western -limb, on account of the libration in longitude which would thence -immediately ensue, Dr. Herschel informed us that he should direct our -researches to the parts numbered 2, 11, 26, and 20 in Blunt's map, and -which are respectively known in the modern catalogue by the names of -Endymion, Cleomedes, Langrenus, and Petavius. To the careful inspection -of these, and the regions between them and the extreme western rim, he -proposed to devote the whole of this highly<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[Pg 29]</a></span> favorable night. Taking -then our twenty-five miles breadth of her surface upon the field of -view, and reducing it to a slow movement, we soon found the first very -singularly shaped object of our inquiry. It is a highly mountainous -district, the loftier chains of which form three narrow ovals, two of -which approach each other in slender points, and are united by one -mass of hills of great length and elevation; thus presenting a figure -similar to that of a long skein of thread, the bows of which have been -gradually spread open from their connecting knot. The third oval looks -also like a skein, and lies as if carelessly dropped from nature's -hand in connection with the other; but that which might fancifully be -supposed as having formed the second bow of this second skein is cut -open, and lies in scattered threads of smaller hills which cover a -great extent of level territory. The ground plan of these mountains -is so remarkable that it has been accurately represented in almost -every lineal map of the moon that has been drawn; and in Blunt's, -which is the best, it agrees exactly with my description. Within the -grasp, as it were, of the broken bow of hills last mentioned, stands -an oval-shaped mountain, enclosing a valley of an immense area, and -having on its western ridge a volcano in a state of terrific eruption. -To the north-east of this, across the broken, or what Mr. Holmes called -'the vagabond mountains,' are three other detached oblong formations, -the largest and last of which is marked F in the catalogue, and -fancifully denominated the Mare Mortuum, or more commonly the 'Lake -of Death.' Induced by a curiosity to divine the reason of so sombre -a title, rather than by any more philosophical motive, we here first -applied our hydro-oxygen magnifiers to the focal image of the great -lens. Our twenty-five miles portion of this great mountain circus had -comprehended the whole of its area, and of course the two conical -hills which rise in it about five miles from each other; but although -this breadth of view had heretofore generally presented its objects -as if seen within a terrestrial distance of two and a half miles, we -were, in this instance, unable to discern these central hills with -any such degree of distinctness. There did not appear to be any mist -or smoke around them, as in the case of the volcano which<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[Pg 30]</a></span> we had -left in the south-west, and yet they were comparatively indistinct -upon the canvass. On sliding in the gas-light lens the mystery was -immediately solved. They were old craters of extinct volcanoes, from -which still issued a heated though transparent exhalation, that kept -them in an apparently oscillatory or trembling motion, most unfavorable -to examination. The craters of both these hills, as nearly as we -could judge under this obstruction, were about fifteen fathoms deep, -devoid of any appearance of fire, and of nearly a yellowish white -color throughout. The diameter of each was about nine diameters of -our painted circle, or nearly 450 feet; and the width of the rim -surrounding them about 1000 feet; yet notwithstanding their narrow -mouths, these two chimneys of the subterranean deep had evidently -filled the whole area of the valley in which they stood with the lava -and ashes with which it was encumbered, and even added to the height, -if not indeed caused the existence of the oval chain of mountains which -surrounded it. These mountains, as subsequently measured, from the -level of some large lakes around them, averaged the height of 2,800 -feet; and Dr. Herschel conjectured from this and the vast extent of -their abutments, which ran for many miles into the country around them, -that these volcanoes must have been in full activity for a million of -years. Lieut. Drummond, however, rather supposed that the whole area -of this oval valley was but the exhausted crater of one vast volcano, -which in expiring had left only these two imbecile representatives -of its power. I believe Dr. Herschel himself afterwards adopted this -probable theory, which is indeed confirmed by the universal geology -of the planet. There is scarcely a hundred miles of her surface, not -even excepting her largest seas and lakes, in which circular or oval -mountainous ridges may not be easily found; and many, very many of -these having numerous enclosed hills in full volcanic operation, which -are now much lower than the surrounding circles, it admits of no doubt -that each of these great formations is the remains of one vast mountain -which has burnt itself out, and left only these wide foundations of its -ancient grandeur. A direct proof of this is afforded in a tremendous -volcano, now in its prime, which I shall hereafter<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[Pg 31]</a></span> notice. What gave -the name of 'The Lake of Death' to the annular mountain I have just -described, was, I suppose, the dark appearance of the valley which -it encloses, and which, to a more distant view than we obtained, -certainly exhibits the general aspect of the waters on this planet. The -surrounding country is fertile to excess: between this circle and No. -2 (Endymion), which we proposed first to examine, we counted not less -than twelve luxuriant forests, divided by open plains, which waved in -an ocean of verdure, and were probably prairies like those of North -America. In three of these we discovered numerous herds of quadrupeds -similar to our friends the bisons in the Valley of the Unicorn, but -of much larger size; and scarcely a piece of woodland occurred in our -panorama which did not dazzle our vision with flocks of white or red -birds upon the wing.</p> - -<p>"At length we carefully explored the Endymion. We found each of -the three ovals volcanic and sterile within; but, without, most -rich, throughout the level regions around them, in every imaginable -production of a bounteous soil. Dr. Herschel has classified not less -than thirty-eight species of forest trees, and nearly twice this number -of plants, found in this tract alone, which are widely different to -those found in more equatorial latitudes. Of animals, he classified -nine species of mammalia, and five of ovipara. Among the former is -a small kind of rein-deer, the elk, the moose, the horned bear, and -the biped beaver. The last resembles the beaver of the earth in every -other respect than in its destitution of a tail, and its invariable -habit of walking upon only two feet. It carries its young in its arms -like a human being, and moves with an easy gliding motion. Its huts -are constructed better and higher than those of many tribes of human -savages, and from the appearance of smoke in nearly all of them, there -is no doubt of its being acquainted with the use of fire. Still its -head and body differ only in the points stated from that of the beaver, -and it was never seen except on the borders of lakes and rivers, in -which it has been observed to immerse for a period of several seconds.</p> - -<p>"Thirty degrees farther south, in No. 11, or Cleomedes, an<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[Pg 32]</a></span> immense -annular mountain, containing three distinct craters, which have been so -long extinguished that the whole valley around them, which is eleven -miles in extent, is densely crowded with woods nearly to the summits of -the hills. Not a rod of vacant land, except the tops of these craters, -could be descried, and no living creature, except a large white bird -resembling the stork. At the southern extremity of this valley is -a natural archway or cavern, 200 feet high, and 100 wide, through -which runs a river which discharges itself over a precipice of grey -rock 80 feet in depth, and then forms a branching stream through a -beautiful campaign district for many miles. Within twenty miles of this -cataract is the largest lake, or rather inland sea, that has been found -throughout the seven and a half millions of square miles which this -illuminated side of the moon contains. Its width, from east to west, -is 198 miles, and from north to south, 266 miles. Its shape, to the -northward, is not unlike that of the bay of Bengal, and it is studded -with small islands, most of which are volcanic. Two of these, on the -eastern side, are now violently eruptive; but our lowest magnifying -power was too great to examine them with convenience, on account of the -cloud of smoke and ashes which beclouded our field of view: as seen by -Lieut. Drummond, through our reflecting telescope of 2,000 times, they -exhibited great brilliancy. In a bay, on the western side of this sea, -is an island 55 miles long, of a crescent form, crowded through its -entire sweep with the most superb and wonderful natural beauties, both -of vegetation and geology. Its hills are pinnacled with tall quartz -crystals, of so rich a yellow and orange hue that we at first supposed -them to be pointed flames of fire; and they spring up thus from smooth -round brows of hills which are covered as with a velvet mantle. Even -in the enchanting little valleys of this winding island we could often -see these splendid natural spires, mounting in the midst of deep green -woods, like church steeples in the vales of Westmoreland. We here first -noticed the lunar palm-tree, which differs from that of our tropical -latitudes only in the peculiarity of very large crimson flowers, -instead of the spadix protruded from the common calyx. We, however, -perceived no fruit on any <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[Pg 33]</a></span>specimens we saw: a circumstance which we -attempted to account for from the great (theoretical) extremes in the -lunar climate. On a curious kind of tree-melon we nevertheless saw -fruit in great abundance, and in every stage of inception and maturity. -The general color of these woods was a dark green, though not without -occasional admixtures of every tint of our forest seasons. The hectic -flush of autumn was often seen kindled upon the cheek of earliest -spring; and the gay drapery of summer in some places surrounded trees -leafless as the victims of winter. It seemed as if all the seasons here -united hands in a circle of perpetual harmony. Of animals we saw only -an elegant striped quadruped about three feet high, like a miniature -zebra; which was always in small herds on the green sward of the hills; -and two or three kinds of long-tailed birds, which we judged to be -golden and blue pheasants. On the shores, however, we saw countless -multitudes of univalve shell-fish, and among them some huge flat ones, -which all three of my associates declared to be cornu ammonæ; and I -confess I was here compelled to abandon my sceptical substitution of -pebbles. The cliffs all along these shores were deeply undermined by -tides; they were very cavernous, and yellow crystal stalactites larger -than a man's thigh were shooting forth on all sides. Indeed every -rood of this island appeared to be crystallized; masses of fallen -crystals were found on every beach we explored, and beamed from every -fractured headland. It was more like a creation of an oriental fancy -than a distant variety of nature brought by the powers of science to -ocular demonstration. The striking dissimilitude of this island to -every other we had found on these waters, and its near proximity to -the main land, led us to suppose that it must at some time have been -a part of it; more especially as its crescent bay embraced the first -of a chain of smaller ones which ran directly thither. The first one -was a pure quartz rock, about three miles in circumference, towering -in naked majesty from the blue deep, without either shore or shelter. -But it glowed in the sun almost like a sapphire, as did all the lesser -ones of whom it seemed the king. Our theory was speedily confirmed; for -all the shore of the main land was battlemented and spired with these -unobtainable<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[Pg 34]</a></span> jewels of nature; and as we brought our field of view to -include the utmost rim of the illuminated boundary of the planet, we -could still see them blazing in crowded battalions as it were, through -a region of hundreds of miles. In fact we could not conjecture where -this gorgeous land of enchantment terminated; for as the rotary motion -of the planet bore these mountain summits from our view, we became -further remote from their western boundary.</p> - -<p>"We were admonished by this to lose no time in seeking the next -proposed object of our search, the Langrenus, or No. 26, which is -almost within the verge of the libration in longitude, and of which, -for this reason, Dr. Herschel entertained some singular expectations.</p> - -<p>"After a short delay in advancing the observatory upon the levers, and -in regulating the lens, we found our object and surveyed it. It was -a dark narrow lake seventy miles long, bounded, on the east, north, -and west, by red mountains of the same character as those surrounding -the Valley of the Unicorn, from which it is distant to the south-west -about 160 miles. This lake, like that valley, opens to the south upon -a plain not more than ten miles wide, which is here encircled by a -truly magnificent amphitheatre of the loftiest order of lunar hills. -For a semicircle of six miles these hills are riven, from their brow -to their base, as perpendicularly as the outer walls of the Colosseum -at Rome; but here exhibiting the sublime altitude of at least two -thousand feet, in one smooth unbroken surface. How nature disposed of -the huge mass which she thus prodigally carved out, I know not; but -certain it is that there are no fragments of it left upon the plain, -which is a declivity without a single prominence except a billowy tract -of woodland that runs in many a wild vagary of breadth and course to -the margin of the lake. The tremendous height and expansion of this -perpendicular mountain, with its bright crimson front contrasted with -the fringe of forest on its brow, and the verdure of the open plain -beneath, filled our canvass with a landscape unsurpassed in unique -grandeur by any we had beheld. Our twenty-five miles perspective -included this remarkable mountain, the plain, a part of the lake, and -the last graduated <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[Pg 35]</a></span>summits of the range of hills by which the latter -is nearly surrounded. We ardently wished that all the world could -view a scene so strangely grand, and our pulse beat high with the -hope of one day exhibiting it to our countrymen in some part of our -native land. But we were at length compelled to destroy our picture, -as a whole, for the purpose of magnifying its parts for scientific -inspection. Our plain was of course immediately covered with the ruby -front of this mighty amphitheatre, its tall figures, leaping cascades, -and rugged caverns. As its almost interminable sweep was measured off -upon the canvass, we frequently saw long lines of some yellow metal -hanging from the crevices of the horizontal strata in wild net-work, -or straight pendant branches. We of course concluded that this was -virgin gold, and we had no assay-master to prove to the contrary. On -searching the plain, over which we had observed the woods roving in -all the shapes of clouds in the sky, we were again delighted with -the discovery of animals. The first observed was a quadruped with an -amazingly long neck, head like a sheep, bearing two long spiral horns, -white as polished ivory, and standing in perpendicular parallel to each -other. Its body was like that of the deer, but its fore-legs were most -disproportionally long, and its tail, which was very bushy and of a -snowy whiteness, curled high over its rump, and hung two or three feet -by its side. Its colors were bright bay and white in brindled patches, -clearly defined, but of no regular form. It was found only in pairs, in -spaces between the woods, and we had no opportunity of witnessing its -speed or habits. But a few minutes only elapsed before three specimens -of another animal appeared, so well known to us all that we fairly -laughed at the recognition of so familiar an acquaintance in so distant -a land. They were neither more nor less than three good large sheep, -which would not have disgraced the farms of Leicestershire, or the -shambles of Leadenhall-market. With the utmost scrutiny, we could find -no mark of distinction between these and those of our native soil; they -had not even the appendage over the eyes, which I have described as -common to lunar quadrupeds. Presently they appeared in great numbers, -and on reducing the lenses, we found them in flocks over a great part<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[Pg 36]</a></span> -of the valley. I need not say how desirous we were of finding shepherds -to these flocks, and even a man with blue apron and rolled up sleeves -would have been a welcome sight to us, if not to the sheep; but they -fed in peace, lords of their own pastures, without either protector or -destroyer in human shape.</p> - -<p>"We at length approached the level opening to the lake, where the -valley narrows to a mile in width, and displays scenery on both sides -picturesque and romantic beyond the powers of a prose description. -Imagination, borne on the wings of poetry, could alone gather similes -to portray the wild sublimity of this landscape, where dark behemoth -crags stood over the brows of lofty precipices, as if a rampart in the -sky; and forests seemed suspended in mid air. On the eastern side there -was one soaring crag, crested with trees, which hung over in a curve -like three-fourths of a Gothic arch, and being of a rich crimson color, -its effect was most strange upon minds unaccustomed to the association -of such grandeur with such beauty.</p> - -<p>"But whilst gazing upon them in a perspective of about half a mile, we -were thrilled with astonishment to perceive four successive flocks of -large winged creatures, wholly unlike any kind of birds, descend with a -slow even motion from the cliffs on the western side, and alight upon -the plain. They were first noticed by Dr. Herschel, who exclaimed, -'Now, gentlemen, my theories against your proofs, which you have often -found a pretty even bet, we have here something worth looking at: I -was confident that if ever we found beings in human shape, it would be -in this longitude, and that they would be provided by their Creator -with some extraordinary powers of locomotion: first exchange for my -number D.' This lens being soon introduced, gave us a fine half-mile -distance, and we counted three parties of these creatures, of twelve, -nine, and fifteen in each, walking erect towards a small wood near -the base of the eastern precipices. Certainly they <i>were</i> like human -beings, for their wings had now disappeared, and their attitude in -walking was both erect and dignified. Having observed them at this -distance for some minutes, we introduced lens H <i>z</i> which brought -them to the apparent proximity of eighty yards; the highest clear -magnitude we possessed until the latter end of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[Pg 37]</a></span> March, when we effected -an improvement in the gas-burners. About half of the first party had -passed beyond our canvass; but of all the others we had a perfectly -distinct and deliberate view. They averaged four feet in height, were -covered, except on the face, with short and glossy copper-colored hair, -and had wings composed of a thin membrane, without hair, lying snugly -upon their backs, from the top of the shoulders to the calves of the -legs. The face, which was of a yellowish flesh color, was a slight -improvement upon that of the large orang outang, being more open and -intelligent in its expression, and having a much greater expansion -of forehead. The mouth, however, was very prominent, though somewhat -relieved by a thick beard upon the lower jaw, and by lips far more -human than those of any species of the simia genus. In general symmetry -of body and limbs they were infinitely superior to the orang outang; -so much so, that, but for their long wings, Lieut. Drummond said they -would look as well on a parade ground as some of the old cockney -militia! The hair on the head was a darker color than that of the body, -closely curled, but apparently not woolly, and arranged in two curious -semicircles over the temples of the forehead. Their feet could only -be seen as they were alternately lifted in walking; but, from what we -could see of them in so transient a view, they appeared thin, and very -protuberant at the heel.</p> - -<p>"Whilst passing across the canvass, and whenever we afterwards saw -them, these creatures were evidently engaged in conversation; their -gesticulation, more particularly the varied action of their hands -and arms, appeared impassioned and emphatic. We hence inferred that -they were rational beings, and although not perhaps of so high an -order as others which we discovered the next month on the shores of -the Bay of Rainbows, that they were capable of producing works of art -and contrivance. The next view we obtained of them was still more -favorable. It was on the borders of a little lake, or expanded stream, -which we then for the first time perceived running down the valley to a -large lake, and having on its eastern margin a small wood.</p> - -<p>"Some of these creatures had crossed this water and were<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[Pg 38]</a></span> lying like -spread eagles on the skirts of the wood. We could then perceive that -they possessed wings of great expansion, and were similar in structure -to those of the bat, being a semi-transparent membrane expanded in -curvilineal divisions by means of straight radii, united at the back -by the dorsal integuments. But what astonished us very much was the -circumstance of this membrane being continued, from the shoulders to -the legs, united all the way down, though gradually decreasing in -width. The wings seemed completely under the command of volition, for -those of the creatures whom we saw bathing in the water, spread them -instantly to their full width, waved them as ducks do theirs to shake -off the water, and then as instantly closed them again in a compact -form. Our further observation of the habits of these creatures, who -were of both sexes, led to results so very remarkable, that I prefer -they should first be laid before the public in Dr. Herschel's own work, -where I have reason to know they are fully and faithfully stated, -however incredulously they may be received.— * * * * * The three -families then almost simultaneously spread their wings, and were lost -in the dark confines of the canvass before we had time to breathe from -our paralyzing astonishment. We scientifically denominated them the -Vespertilio-homo, or man-bat; and they are doubtless innocent and happy -creatures, notwithstanding that some of their amusements would but ill -comport with our terrestrial notions of decorum. The valley itself we -called the Ruby Colosseum, in compliment to its stupendous southern -boundary, the six mile sweep of precipices two thousand feet high. -And the night, or rather morning, being far advanced, we postponed -our tour to Petavius (No. 20), until another opportunity." We have, -of course, faithfully obeyed Dr. Grant's private injunction to omit -those highly curious passages in his correspondence which he wished -us to suppress, although we do not perceive the force of the reason -assigned for it. It is true, the omitted paragraphs contain facts which -would be wholly incredible to readers who do not carefully examine the -principles and capacity of the instrument with which these marvellous -discoveries have been made; but so will nearly all of those which he -has kindly permitted us to publish; and it was for this<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[Pg 39]</a></span> reason that -we considered the explicit description which we have given of the -telescope so important a preliminary. From these, however, and other -prohibited passages, which will be published by Dr. Herschel, with the -certificates of the civil and military authorities of the colony, and -of several Episcopal, Wesleyan, and other ministers, who, in the month -of March last, were permitted, under stipulation of temporary secrecy, -to visit the observatory, and become eye-witnesses of the wonders which -they were requested to attest, we are confident his forthcoming volumes -will be at once the most sublime in science, and the most intense in -general interest, that ever issued from the press.</p> - -<p>The night of the 14th displayed the moon in her mean libration, or -full; but the somewhat humid state of the atmosphere being for several -hours less favorable to a minute inspection than to a general survey -of her surface, they were chiefly devoted to the latter purpose. But -shortly after midnight the last veil of mist was dissipated, and -the sky being as lucid as on the former evenings, the attention of -the astronomers was arrested by the remarkable outlines of the spot -marked Tycho, No. 18, in Blunt's lunar chart; and in this region they -added treasures to human knowledge which angels might well desire to -win. Many parts of the following extract will remain forever in the -chronicles of time:—</p> - -<p>"The surface of the moon, when viewed in her mean libration, even with -telescopes of very limited power, exhibits three oceans of vast breadth -and circumference, independently of seven large collections of water, -which may be denominated seas. Of inferior waters, discoverable by the -higher classes of instruments, and usually called lakes, the number -is so great that no attempt has yet been made to count them. Indeed, -such a task would be almost equal to that of enumerating the annular -mountains which are found upon every part of her surface, whether -composed of land or water. The largest of the three oceans occupies a -considerable portion of the hemisphere between the line of her northern -axis and that of her eastern equator, and even extends many degrees -south of the latter. Throughout its eastern boundary, it so closely -approaches that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[Pg 40]</a></span> of the lunar sphere, as to leave in many places -merely a fringe of illuminated mountains, which are here, therefore, -strongly contra-distinguished from the dark and shadowy aspect of the -great deep. But peninsulas, promontories, capes, and islands, and a -thousand other terrestrial figures, for which we can find no names in -the poverty of <i>our</i> geographical nomenclature, are found expanding, -sallying forth, or glowing in insular independence, through all the -'billowy boundlessness' of this magnificent ocean. One of the most -remarkable of these is a promontory, without a name, I believe, in -the lunar charts, which starts from an island district denominated -Copernicus by the old astronomers, and abounding, as we eventually -discovered, with great natural curiosities. This promontory is indeed -most singular. Its northern extremity is shaped much like an imperial -crown, having a swelling bow, divided and tied down in its centre by a -band of hills which is united with its forehead band or base. The two -open spaces formed by this division are two lakes, each eighty miles -wide; and at the foot of these, divided from them by the band of hills -last mentioned, is another lake, larger than the two put together, and -nearly perfectly square. This one is followed, after another hilly -division, by a lake of an irregular form; and this one yet again, by -two narrow ones, divided longitudinally, which are attenuated northward -to the main land. Thus this skeleton promontory of mountain ridges runs -396 miles into the ocean, with six capacious lakes, enclosed within -its stony ribs. Blunt's excellent lunar chart gives this great work -of nature with wonderful fidelity, and I think you might accompany -my description with an engraving from it, much to your reader's -satisfaction. (See plate 4.)</p> - -<p>"Next to this, the most remarkable formation in this ocean is a -strikingly brilliant annular mountain of immense altitude and -circumference, standing 330 miles E.S.E., commonly known as Aristarchus -(No. 12), and marked in the chart as a large mountain, with a great -cavity in its centre. That cavity is now, as it was probably wont to be -in ancient ages, a volcanic crater, awfully rivalling our Mounts Etna -and Vesuvius in the most terrible epochs of their reign. Unfavorable as -the state of the atmosphere was to close examination, we could<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[Pg 41]</a></span> easily -mark its illumination of the water over a circuit of sixty miles. If -we had before retained any doubt of the power of lunar volcanoes to -throw fragments of their craters so far beyond the moon's attraction -that they would necessarily gravitate to this earth, and thus account -for the multitude of massive aerolites which have fallen and been found -upon our surface, the view which we had of Aristarchus would have set -our scepticism forever at rest. This mountain, however, though standing -300 miles in the ocean, is not absolutely insular, for it is connected -with the main land by four chains of mountains, which branch from it as -a common centre.</p> - -<p>"The next great ocean is situated on the western side of the meridian -line, divided nearly in the midst by the line of the equator, and -is about 900 miles in north and south extent. It is marked C in the -catalogue, and was fancifully called the Mare Tranquillitatis. It is -rather two large seas than one ocean, for it is narrowed just under the -equator by a strait not more than 100 miles wide. Only three annular -islands of a large size, and quite detached from its shores, are to be -found within it; though several sublime volcanoes exist on its northern -boundary; one of the most stupendous of which is within 120 miles of -the Mare Nectaris before mentioned. Immediately contiguous to this -second great ocean, and separated from it only by a concatenation of -dislocated continents and islands, is the third, marked D, and known -as the Mare Serenitatis. It is nearly square, being about 330 miles -in length and width. But it has one most extraordinary peculiarity, -which is a perfectly straight ridge of hills, certainly not more than -five miles wide, which starts in a direct line from its southern to -its northern shore, dividing it exactly in the midst. This singular -ridge is perfectly <i>sui generis</i>, being altogether unlike any mountain -chain either on this earth or on the moon itself. It is so very keen, -that its great concentration of the solar light renders it visible to -small telescopes; but its character is so strikingly peculiar, that -we could not resist the temptation to depart from our predetermined -adherence to a general survey, and examine it particularly. Our lens G -<i>x</i> brought it within the small distance of 800 yards, and its whole -width of four or five miles snugly<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[Pg 42]</a></span> within that of our canvass. Nothing -that we had hitherto seen more highly excited our astonishment. Believe -it or believe it not, it was one entire crystallization!—its edge, -throughout its whole length of 340 miles, is an acute angle of solid -quartz crystal, brilliant as a piece of Derbyshire spar just brought -from a mine, and containing scarcely a fracture or a chasm from end to -end! What a prodigious influence must our thirteen times larger globe -have exercised upon this satellite, when an embryo in the womb of time, -the passive subject of chemical affinity! We found that wonder and -astonishment, as excited by objects in this distant world, were but -modes and attributes of ignorance, which should give place to elevated -expectations, and to reverential confidence in the illimitable power of -the Creator.</p> - -<p>"The dark expanse of waters to the south of the first great ocean -has often been considered a fourth; but we found it to be merely a -sea of the first class, entirely surrounded by land, and much more -encumbered with promontories and islands than it has been exhibited -in any lunar chart. One of its promontories runs from the vicinity -of Pitatus (No. 19), in a slightly curved and very narrow line, to -Bullialdus (No. 22), which is merely a circular head to it, 264 miles -from its starting place. This is another mountainous ring, a marine -volcano, nearly burnt out, and slumbering upon its cinders. But -Pitatus, standing upon a bold cape of the southern shore, is apparently -exulting in the might and majesty of its fires. The atmosphere being -now quite free from vapor, we introduced the magnifiers to examine -a large bright circle of hills which sweep close beside the western -abutments of this flaming mountain. The hills were either of snow-white -marble or semi-transparent crystal, we could not distinguish which, -and they bounded another of those lovely green valleys, which, -however monotonous in my descriptions, are of paradisaical beauty and -fertility, and like primitive Eden in the bliss of their inhabitants. -Dr. Herschel here again predicated another of his sagacious theories. -He said the proximity of the flaming mountain, Bullialdus, must be so -great a local convenience to dwellers in this valley during the long -periodical absence of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[Pg 43]</a></span> solar light, as to render it a place of populous -resort for the inhabitants of all the adjacent regions, more especially -as its bulwark of hills afforded an infallible security against any -volcanic eruption that could occur. We therefore applied our full power -to explore it, and rich indeed was our reward.</p> - -<p>"The very first object in this valley that appeared upon our canvass -was a magnificent work of art. It was a temple—a fane of devotion, or -of science, which, when consecrated to the Creator, <i>is</i> devotion of -the loftiest order; for it exhibits his attributes purely free from -the masquerade, attire, and blasphemous caricature of controversial -creeds, and has the seal and signature of his own hand to sanction -its aspirations. It was an equitriangular temple, built of polished -sapphire, or of some resplendent blue stone, which, like it displayed -a myriad points of golden light twinkling and scintillating in the -sunbeams. Our canvass, though fifty feet in diameter, was too limited -to receive more than a sixth part of it at one view, and the first -part that appeared was near the centre of one of its sides, being -three square columns, six feet in diameter at its base, and gently -tapering to a height of seventy feet. The intercolumniations were each -twelve feet. We instantly reduced our magnitude, so as to embrace the -whole structure in one view, and then indeed it was most beautiful. -The roof was composed of some yellow metal, and divided into three -compartments, which were not triangular planes inclining to the centre, -but subdivided, curbed, and separated, so as to present a mass of -violently agitated flames rising from a common source of conflagration -and terminating in wildly waving points. This design was too manifest, -and too skilfully executed to be mistaken for a single moment. Through -a few openings in these metallic flames we perceived a large sphere of -a darker kind of metal nearly of a clouded copper color, which they -enclosed and seemingly raged around, as if hieroglyphically consuming -it. This was the roof; but upon each of the three corners there was -a small sphere of apparently the same metal as the large centre one, -and these rested upon a kind of cornice, quite new in any order of -architecture with which we are acquainted, but nevertheless exceedingly -graceful<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[Pg 44]</a></span> and impressive. It was like a half-opened scroll, swelling -off boldly from the roof, and hanging far over the walls in several -convolutions. It was of the same metal as the flames, and on each side -of the building it was open at both ends. The columns, six on each -side, were simply plain shafts, without capitals or pedestals, or any -description of ornament; nor was any perceived in other parts of the -edifice. It was open on each side, and seemed to contain neither seats, -altars, nor offerings; but it was a light and airy structure, nearly a -hundred feet high from its white glistening floor to its glowing roof, -and it stood upon a round green eminence on the eastern side of the -valley. We afterwards, however, discovered two others, which were in -every respect fac-similes of this one; but in neither did we perceive -any visitants besides flocks of wild doves which alighted upon its -lustrous pinnacles. Had the devotees of these temples gone the way of -all living, or were the latter merely historical monuments? What did -the ingenious builders mean by the globe surrounded by flames? Did -they by this record any past calamity of <i>their</i> world, or predict any -future one of <i>ours</i>? I by no means despair of ultimately solving not -only these but a thousand other questions which present themselves -respecting the objects in this planet; for not the millionth part of -her surface has yet been explored, and we have been more desirous of -collecting the greatest possible number of new facts, than of indulging -in speculative theories, however seductive to the imagination.</p> - -<p>"But we had not far to seek for inhabitants of this 'Vale of the -Triads.' Immediately on the outer border of the wood which surrounded, -at the distance of half a mile, the eminence on which the first of -these temples stood, we saw several detached assemblies of beings -whom we instantly recognized to be of the same species as our winged -friends of the Ruby Colosseum near the lake Langrenus. Having adjusted -the instrument for a minute examination, we found that nearly all the -individuals in these groups were of a larger stature than the former -specimens, less dark in color, and in <i>every respect</i> an improved -variety of the race. They were chiefly engaged in eating a large yellow -fruit like a gourd, sections of which they<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[Pg 45]</a></span> divided with their fingers, -and ate with rather uncouth voracity, throwing away the rind. A smaller -red fruit, shaped like a cucumber, which we had often seen pendant from -trees having a broad dark leaf, was also lying in heaps in the centre -of several of the festive groups; but the only use they appeared to -make of it was sucking its juice, after rolling it between the palms of -their hands and nibbling off an end. They seemed eminently happy, and -even polite, for we saw, in many instances, individuals sitting nearest -these piles of fruit, select the largest and brightest specimens, -and throw them archwise across the circle to some opposite friend or -associate who had extracted the nutriment from those scattered around -him, and which were frequently not a few. While thus engaged in their -rural banquets, or in social converse, they were always seated with -their knees flat upon the turf, and their feet brought evenly together -in the form of a triangle. And for some mysterious reason or other -this figure seemed to be an especial favorite among them; for we found -that every group or social circle arranged itself in this shape before -it dispersed, which was generally done at the signal of an individual -who stepped into the centre and brought his hands over his head in an -acute angle. At this signal each member of the company extended his -arms forward so as to form an acute horizontal angle with the extremity -of the fingers. But this was not the only proof we had that they were -creatures of order and subordination. * * * * We had no opportunity of -seeing them actually engaged in any work of industry or art; and so far -as we could judge, they spent their happy hours in collecting various -fruits in the woods, in eating, flying, bathing, and loitering about -upon the summits of precipices. * * * * But although evidently the -highest order of animals in this rich valley, they were not its only -occupants. Most of the other animals which we had discovered elsewhere, -in very distant regions, were collected here; and also at least eight -or nine new species of quadrupeds. The most attractive of these was -a tall white stag with lofty spreading antlers, black as ebony. We -several times saw this elegant creature trot up to the seated parties -of the semi-human beings I have described, and browse the herbage<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[Pg 46]</a></span> -close beside them, without the least manifestation of fear on its part -or notice on theirs. The universal state of amity among all classes -of lunar creatures, and the apparent absence of every carnivorous -or ferocious species, gave us the most refined pleasure, and doubly -endeared to us this lovely nocturnal companion of our larger, but less -favored world. Ever again when I 'eye the blue vault and bless the -<i>useful</i> light,' shall I recall the scenes of beauty, grandeur, and -felicity, I have beheld upon her surface, not 'as <i>through</i> a glass -darkly, but face to face;' and never shall I think of that line of our -thrice noble poet,</p> - -<div class="center"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i16">——'Meek Diana's crest<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Sails through the azure air, an island of the blest,'<br /></span> -</div></div></div> - -<p>without exulting in my knowledge of its truth."</p> - -<p>With the careful inspection of this instructive valley, and a -scientific classification of its animal, vegetable, and mineral -productions, the astronomers closed their labors for the night; -labors rather mental than physical, and oppressive, from the extreme -excitement which they naturally induced. A singular circumstance -occurred the next day, which threw the telescope quite out of use for -nearly a week, by which time the moon could be no longer observed -that month. The great lens, which was usually lowered during the day, -and placed horizontally, had, it is true, been lowered as usual, -but had been inconsiderately left in a perpendicular position. -Accordingly, shortly after sunrise the next morning, Dr. Herschel and -his assistants, Dr. Grant and Messrs. Drummond and Home, who slept in -a bungalow erected a short distance from the observatory circle, were -awakened by the loud shouts of some Dutch farmers and domesticated -Hottentots (who were passing with their oxen to agricultural labor), -that the "big house" was on fire! Dr. Herschel leaped out of bed from -his brief slumbers, and, sure enough, saw his observatory enveloped in -a cloud of smoke.</p> - -<p>Luckily it had been thickly covered, within and without, with a coat -of Roman plaster, or it would inevitably have been destroyed with -all its invaluable contents; but, as it was, a hole fifteen feet -in circumference had been burnt completely through the "reflecting -chamber," which was attached to the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[Pg 47]</a></span> side of the observatory nearest -the lens, through the canvass field on which had been exhibited so many -wonders that will ever live in the history of mankind, and through -the outer wall. So fierce was the concentration of the solar rays -through the gigantic lens, that a clump of trees standing in a line -with them was set on fire, and the plaster of the observatory walls, -all round the orifice, was vitrified to blue glass. The lens being -almost immediately turned, and a brook of water being within a few -hundred yards, the fire was soon extinguished, but the damage already -done was not inconsiderable. The microscope lenses had fortunately -been removed for the purpose of being cleaned, but several of the -metallic reflectors were so fused as to be rendered useless. Masons and -carpenters were procured from Cape Town with all possible dispatch, and -in about a week the whole apparatus was again prepared for operation.</p> - -<p>The moon being now invisible Dr. Herschel directed his inquiries to the -primary planets of the system, and first to the planet Saturn. We need -not say that this remarkable globe has for many ages been an object -of the most ardent astronomical curiosity. The stupendous phenomenon -of its double ring having baffled the scrutiny and conjecture of many -generations of astronomers, was finally abandoned as inexplicable. It -is well known that this planet is stationed in the system 900 millions -of miles distant from the sun, and that having the immense diameter -of 79,000 miles, it is more than nine hundred times larger than the -earth. Its annual motion round the sun is not accomplished in less than -twenty-nine and a half of our years, whilst its diurnal rotation upon -its axis is accomplished in 10h. 16m., or considerably less than half -a terrestrial day. It has not less than seven moons, the sixth and the -seventh of which were discovered by the elder Herschel in 1789. It is -thwarted by mysterious belts or bands of a yellowish tinge, and is -surrounded by a double ring—the outer one of which is 204,000 miles -in diameter. The outside diameter of the inner ring is 184,000 miles, -and the breadth of the outer one being 7,200 miles, the space between -them is 28,000 miles. The breadth of the inner ring is much greater -than that of the other, being 20,000 miles; and its distance from -the body of Saturn is more<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[Pg 48]</a></span> than 30,000. These rings are opaque, but -so thin that their edge has not until now been discovered. Sir John -Herschel's most interesting discovery with regard to this planet is the -demonstrated fact that these two rings are composed of the fragments -of two destroyed worlds, formerly belonging to our solar system, and -which, on being exploded, were gathered around the immense body of -Saturn by the attraction of gravity, and yet kept from falling to its -surface by the great centrifugal force created by its extraordinary -rapidity on its axis. The inner ring was therefore the first of -these destroyed worlds (the former station of which in the system is -demonstrated in the argument which we subjoin), which was accordingly -carried round by the rotary force, and spread forth in the manner we -see. The outer ring is another world exploded in fragments, attracted -by the law of gravity as in the former case, and kept from uniting with -the inner ring by the centrifugal force of the latter. But the latter, -having a slower rotation than the planet, has an inferior centrifugal -force, and accordingly the space between the outer and inner ring is -nearly ten times less than that between the inner ring and the body of -Saturn. Having ascertained the mean density of the rings, as compared -with the density of the planet, Sir John Herschel has been enabled to -effect the following beautiful demonstration. [Which we omit, as too -mathematical for popular comprehension.—<i>Ed. Sun.</i>]</p> - -<p>Dr. Herschel clearly ascertained that these rings are composed of -rocky strata, the skeletons of former globes, lying in a state of wild -and ghastly confusion, but not devoid of mountains and seas. * * * * -The belts across the body of Saturn he has discovered to be the smoke -of a number of immense volcanoes, carried in these straight lines by -the extreme velocity of the rotary motion. * * * * [And these also -he has ascertained to be the belt of Jupiter.—But the portion of -the work which is devoted to this subject, and to the other planets, -as also that which describes the astronomer's discoveries among the -stars, is comparatively uninteresting to general readers, however -highly it might interest others of scientific taste and mathematical -acquirements.—<i>Ed. Sun.</i>]</p> - -<p>* * * * "It was not until the new moon of the month of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[Pg 49]</a></span> March, that the -weather proved favorable to any continued series of lunar observations; -and Dr. Herschel had been too enthusiastically absorbed in -demonstrating his brilliant discoveries in the southern constellations, -and in constructing tables and catalogues of his new stars, to avail -himself of the few clear nights which intervened.</p> - -<p>"On one of these, however, Mr. Drummond, myself, and Mr. Holmes, made -those discoveries near the Bay of Rainbows, to which I have somewhere -briefly alluded. The bay thus fancifully denominated is a part of -the northern boundary of the first great ocean which I have lately -described, and is marked in the chart with the letter O. The tract -of country which we explored on this occasion is numbered 6, 5, 8, -7, in the catalogue, and the chief mountains to which these numbers -are attached are severally named Atlas, Hercules, Heraclides Verus, -and Heraclides Falsus. Still farther to the north of these is the -island circle called Pythagoras, and numbered 1; and yet nearer the -meridian line is the mountainous district marked R, and called the -Land of Drought, and Q, the Land of Hoar Frost; and certainly the name -of the latter, however theoretically bestowed, was not altogether -inapplicable, for the tops of its very lofty mountains were evidently -covered with snow, though the valleys surrounding them were teeming -with the luxuriant fertility of midsummer. But the region which we -first particularly inspected was that of Heraclides Falsus (No. 7), -in which we found several new specimens of animals, all of which were -horned and of a white or grey color; and the remains of three ancient -triangular temples which had long been in ruins. We thence traversed -the country southeastward, until we arrived at Atlas (No. 6), and it -was in one of the noble valleys at the foot of this mountain that we -found the very superior species of the Vespertilio-homo. In stature -they did not exceed those last described, but they were of infinitely -greater personal beauty, and appeared in our eyes scarcely less lovely -than the general representations of angels by the more imaginative -schools of painters. Their social economy seemed to be regulated by -laws or ceremonies exactly like those prevailing in the Vale of the -Triads, but their works of art were<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[Pg 50]</a></span> more numerous, and displayed a -proficiency of skill quite incredible to all except actual observers. I -shall, therefore, let the first detailed account of them appear in Dr. -Herschel's authenticated natural history of this planet."</p> - -<p>[This concludes the Supplement, with the exception of forty pages -of illustrative and mathematical notes, which would greatly enhance -the size and price of this work, without commensurably adding to its -general interest.—<i>Ed. Sun.</i>]</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[Pg 51]</a></span></p> - -<h2>APPENDIX.</h2> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<h3>THE MOON AS KNOWN AT THE PRESENT TIME.</h3> - -<div class="center"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">"Ye sacred muses, with whose beauty fir'd,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">My soul is ravish'd, and my brain inspir'd.<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Whose priest I am, whose holy fillets wear;<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Would you your poet's first petition hear;<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Give me the ways of wandering stars to know:<br /></span> -<span class="i0">The depths of heav'n above, and earth below.<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Teach me the various labours of the moon,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">And whence proceed th' eclipses of the sun.<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Why flowing tides prevail upon the main,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">And in what dark recess they shrink again.<br /></span> -<span class="i0">What shakes the solid earth, what cause delays<br /></span> -<span class="i0">The summer nights, and shortens winter days."<br /></span> -<div class="right"><span class="smcap">Virgil.</span><br /></div> -</div></div></div> - -<p>The picture on the title-page is probably the best and minutest view -of the moon, that has ever been laid before the public. Most of our -readers are aware that the mountains and hollows of the moon have -been accurately and thoroughly mapped by astronomers, and baptized -by appropriate names. For the benefit of meritorious students of -astronomical geography, we subjoin the names of all those which -have been christened. At the present season it will amply repay the -possessor of a small telescope to identify the several localities with -the aid of the map.</p> - -<p>In olden time the moon was a goddess. Whatever the ignorant mind -of the time was incapable of grasping was supernatural. Thus arose -the pale, chaste Deity of the Night, robed in virgin white, roaming -dreamily under the partial shade of trees, loving to see her fair -image reflected in streams, and shedding a complacent light on tender -meetings. We are not heathens—far from it: but who among us has not<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[Pg 52]</a></span> -at some time or other paid homage to the Queen of Night<a name="FNanchor_1_1" id="FNanchor_1_1"></a><a href="#Footnote_1_1" class="fnanchor">[1]</a>, and thanked -her for the gentle light which has shown the way to some fair hand.</p> - -<p>We say, in blunt scientific terms, that she—or it—is a satellite of -the earth, suspended in her—or its—present position by the contrasted -attraction of the sun and the earth. This is the unromantic version of -the naked fact.</p> - -<p>There was a time when the earth was an uncomfortable semi-incandescent -mass, in the act of cooling off for practical purposes. The atmosphere -was tropical throughout the globe. All things were intensely -impregnated—or, as the philosophers say, supersaturated—with carbon. -Between the dry land and the waters there was no division. There was -no ocean, and consequently no continents. All was hot mud, with here -and there a lake or a short river, and here and there a dry, parched, -torrid eminence. In those days there were animals and plants, but no -human beings. Both animals and plants were like the age in which they -flourished—to our notions monstrous. Monsters were the rule, both in -the vegetable and the animated world. Creatures were born, and grew -to sizes which dwarf the elephant. Plants thrust their heads above -the mud, and, in that carboniferous atmosphere, attained heights<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[Pg 53]</a></span> -which would have towered above the tallest trees of our forests. But -in proportion to the rapidity of their growth was the brevity of -their life; for these were the days of earthquakes and terrestrial -convulsions. Probably no day elapsed without some earthquake or -volcanic eruption.</p> - -<p>The light of day was dull and obscured. Masses of opaque matter floated -through the atmosphere as thickly as dust specks float through a ray -of sunlight in a darkened room.<a name="FNanchor_3_3" id="FNanchor_3_3"></a><a href="#Footnote_3_3" class="fnanchor">[3]</a> The hot air, thick and dull, hung a -listless mist over the face of the earth, which was even then almost -without form and void. When the sun went down, dense darkness covered -the earth. There was no lesser light to rule the night; dim twinklings -in the far distance, hardly piercing the pall which wrapped our planet, -were the only contrasts to the Egyptian blackness of the dark hours.</p> - -<p>But the internal fires which sprung from the vitals of the earth -almost supplied the want of a nocturnal luminary. It is probable that -there were but few spots on the globe which were out of view of some -flaming volcano. We count the active volcanoes by integers. When we -have enumerated Etna, Vesuvius, Hecla, Jorullo, Colima, and one or -two others, we have reached the end of our list. In the days of Homer -the volcanoes were counted by scores; in the carboniferous age they -may have, must have, flourished by hundreds and thousands. That vast -incandescent mass, of which the crust only had cooled, kept boiling -up every few hours, and furiously pouring out the vials of its wrath -upon an earth inhabited by transitory creatures. Go where the traveller -may, he will still find traces of this terrible age. That tell-tale -rock—"the trap"—is peculiar to no meridian; and from the Hudson's Bay -territories nearly to Cape Magellan, from Spitzbergen to Borneo, either -this, or some mountain range of volcanic origin, here with scoriæ -disseminated through the more regular formations, there with copper or -gold held in a native state in half-decayed quartz, tell a very legible -story of the time when all the component parts of the earth were in -a fluid state, and were thrown off by the boiling mass beneath as a -kettle throws off froth and scum.</p> - -<p>There came a day when the under crust could no longer bear the weight -of the mass which, after being thrown off daily, returned, by the -force of gravitation, to the surface of its parent. A time came when -the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[Pg 54]</a></span> incandescent and inchoate planet—if so daring a figure may be -ventured—felt the necessity of unusually strenuous measures. It -gathered all its fiery energies, and mustered all its fearful strength. -The effect was universal, not local. With such bodies distances of -25,000 miles must be trifling, and the earth's meridian—a paltry 8000 -miles—not worth mentioning. One can imagine the purpose and effort -being common to the entire molten and raging mass.</p> - -<p>It came at last. After throes of inconceivable agony, with a roar and a -convulsion which must have destroyed every living thing then existent -upon the face of the planet, in the midst of general chaos, confusion, -and desolation, the earth relieved itself. It tore from its half-cooled -surface immense masses, and projected them with monstrous force into -space; not on one side alone, but on all. Lumps of earth four and five -miles in thickness, and thousands of miles long and wide, were in an -instant forced upwards with such force as to pass beyond the circle of -the earth's attraction. These various masses, thus launched into space, -soon felt the attraction of each other, and assembled together. They -met, and, agreeably to the sublime law of celestial bodies, remained -suspended in space at the point where the attraction of the earth meets -that of the sun. That other celestial law which forbids the torpidity -of any atom of matter compelled the aggregated mass to revolve, and the -revolution forced the mass into a spherical shape.</p> - -<p>Thus the moon came into being. An offshoot from the earth, it pays -homage to its parent by revolving round it, and reflecting back to -it a part of the sun's light during the period when that luminary is -obscured to us. Had the force with which its substance was expelled -from the body of the earth been less, it would have returned to our -surface, just as those fragments of matter called aerolites do at -regular intervals; had that force been greater, it would have entered -upon the vast area which is the domain of the sun, and would have been -attracted to that great cosmical body, and been fused by its intense -heat. It was sent abroad with precisely the force necessary to sustain -it <i>in equilibrio</i> between the earth and the sun, and hence it is "the -lesser light which rules the night."</p> - -<p>This is not the only service which it renders us. By its creation it -caused great hollows in the surface of the earth. Into these hollows -the waters which lay on the face of the deep naturally gathered, and -became oceans, lakes, seas, and rivers. The cavities drained the -earth of the moisture which had rendered it unfit for the habitation -of the higher order of vertebrated creatures. Thus by degrees were -formed the great<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[Pg 55]</a></span> Atlantic and Pacific, the Northern and the Southern -oceans, leaving here and there tracts of cool, dry land for man to -inhabit at the word of his Creator. Nor did the office of the moon stop -here. While it was upheld in space by the attraction of the earth, it -returned the compliment by exercising a reciprocal attraction upon the -waters for which it had created beds. With the beautiful regularity -which is the characteristic of heavenly bodies, it affected them at -uniform intervals, causing the tides to flow and to ebb, and to vibrate -between the spring and the neap flow. Lastly, it relieved the earth -of a vast quantity of superincumbent matter, equal, in fact, to over -one-fiftieth of the whole bulk of the planet. One must imagine the -earth in the condition of a gentleman who has dined copiously, and -whose interior is troubled by an unusual burden; the convulsion which -led to the creation of the moon is similar to the effect of the dose -which the gentleman, if he be wise, will instantly take.</p> - -<p>In departing from us, and setting up for herself, the moon forgot some -articles of baggage which were essential to her future comfort and -prosperity. Among these were air and water. How we came by these two -useful commodities it were hard to say.</p> - -<p>This is made quite certain by the discoveries of astronomers. Rains, -dews, oceans, lakes, hail, snow, clouds, are all unknown to the moon. -Nothing shields its surface from the burning rays of the sun. Wherever -the light of that fierce luminary penetrates the moon's surface is -incessantly hot.</p> - -<p>Of volcanic origin, the moon is true to its descent. It is full of -volcanoes, most of which, however, perhaps from a conviction of the -uselessness of further action—there being nothing to destroy, and -no one even to see their explosions—are now silent and torpid. But -they wrought out their destiny so long and so faithfully, that the -surface of the moon is frightfully disfigured and uneven. Switzerland -is a prairie compared to the smoothest part of the moon's surface. It -is nothing but incessant mountain and hollow. Lunar Alps and Rocky -Mountains intersect every few miles of the surface. The Himalayas -would be unnoticed among the gigantic ranges which ornament the lunar -superficies. And the projections, mighty as they are, are but trifling -in comparison with the hollows. It would seem as though the moon, with -apish weakness, had tried to imitate the earth in throwing off space -for rivers and oceans—forgetting that it contained no water to fill -the cavities. Astronomers have made the most extraordinary discoveries -in reference to these lunar hollows. Some of them appear to be about -fifty miles deep, and a <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[Pg 56]</a></span>hundred miles or so wide, with precipitous -sides; Mitchell has vividly described these terrible places. Those who -have looked over a precipice a few hundred feet in depth may perhaps -form some rude idea of what it must be to gaze down into a hole fifty -miles deep—so deep that the bottom would almost escape the eye, were -there an intervening atmosphere—a great, monstrous cave, with no -vegetation either on the borders or on the top, or on the sides or on -the bottom; no life of any kind, not even, the least sound, to break -the endless monotony of silence—everywhere dull, warm scoriæ, lava, -and stones of volcanic origin. But even these are the smallest of the -lunar cavities. Latterly, acute astronomers, with improved instruments, -have gazed into holes in the moon's surface, and estimated them to be -no less than two hundred and fifty and three hundred miles deep, with -fissures in them through which the sunlight penetrated.</p> - -<p>Fancy the scene! Well may it have been termed the abomination of -desolation. Surely this fair earth, with all its gloomy places and all -its dreary scenes, contains nothing so overwhelming in its terrible -despair as the moon. And who, gazing at its mild white face as it -emerges from the cover of a cloud, would deem it so sad and desolate a -sphere?</p> - -<p>There are no "men in the moon," There cannot be, for they could not -exist without air and water. 'Tis a pity, for the sight of this planet -of ours, thirteen times the size which the moon appears to us, as fair, -and bright, and shining as our nightly luminary, would be a sight worth -seeing.</p> - -<p>Science has made such progress, and common sense has so far kept pace -with it, that the old idea that this was the only inhabited sphere in -the universe is now completely exploded. There is no reason to believe -that our planet is the only one in our solar system which is devoted -to a useful career; nor is there any ground for imagining that our sun -is the only one, of the myriad of suns we see every night, which gives -light, and heat, and happiness to human creatures. On the contrary, -the supreme wisdom of the Deity affords a fair presumption that this -little planet of ours is but as a grain of sand among the worlds which -have been created for the glory of God, and that each planet after its -kind is fitted for the habitation of creatures whose office and purpose -it is to thank and bless Him for their existence. Moons may be an -exception for a time.</p> - -<p>Of all this we know but little, and can only conjecture vaguely. As -science advances, we may have telescopic instruments so superior to -those now in use that we shall be able to decipher the moon's surface -as<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[Pg 57]</a></span> plainly as a distant shore on our own planet. But visits thither -must ever remain as impossible as they are at present. The story of -Hans Pfall will remain a brilliant imagination to the end of time.</p> - -<p>"In consequence of the moon having no atmosphere, or but a very thin -one, all celestial objects must be seen with very great distinctness. -The earth, when full, appears to an inhabitant of the moon thirteen -times as large as the moon appears to us; that is, its diameter is -about 3-6/10 times as large as our apparent lunar diameter. It is -always on the same part of the heaven, when seen from the same part of -the moon. M. Quetelet, in his <i>Astronomie Elémentaire</i>, Paris, 1826, a -very good work, which ought to be translated, has the following remarks -on the appearance of the earth at the moon, which we would rather quote -than vouch for, though they may possibly be well founded.</p> - -<p>"Our vast continents, our seas, even our forests are visible to them; -they perceive the enormous piles of ice collected at the poles, and the -girdle of vegetation which extends on both sides of the equator; as -well as the clouds which float over our heads, and sometimes hide us -from them. The burning of a town or forest could not escape them, and -if they had good optical instruments, they could even see the building -of a new town, or the sailing of a fleet."</p> - -<p>The lunar day, as we shall afterwards see, is equivalent to our actual -month of 29½ days: though the rotation of the moon on her axis is -performed in the sidereal month of 27 days 8 hours nearly. Hence the -inhabitant of the moon sees the sun for 14¾ of our days together, -which time is followed by a night of the same duration. Of course the -existence of any animal like man is impossible there, as well on this -account as on that of the want of an atmosphere.</p> - -<p>The phases which the earth presents to the moon are similar in -appearance to those which the moon presents to the earth, but in a -different order. Thus, when it is new moon at the earth, it is full -earth at the moon: and the contrary. When the moon is in her first -quarter, the earth is in its third quarter, and so on; while half-moon -at the earth is accompanied by half-earth at the moon.</p> - -<p>There is no branch of science better fitted to be made the leading -subject of general instruction than that which relates to the planetary -and sidereal universe. The truths which it reveals are so startling -in their nature, and apparently so far beyond the reach of human -intelligence, that men of high literary name have confessed their -incapacity to understand them, and their inability to believe them. -There are few, indeed, we fear, who really believe that they sojourn -on a revolving<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[Pg 58]</a></span> globe, and that each day and year of life is measured -by its revolutions. There are few who believe that the great luminary -of the firmament, whose restless activity they daily witness, is an -immovable star, controlling, by its solid mass, the primary planets of -our system, and forming, as it were, the gnomon of the great dial which -measures the thread of life and the tenure of empires. Fewer still -believe that each of the million of stars—those atoms of light which -the telescope can scarcely descry—are the centres of planetary systems -that may equal or surpass our own; and still smaller is the number who -believe that the solid pavement of the globe upon which we nightly -slumber is an elastic crust, imprisoning fires and forces which have -often burst forth in tremendous energy, and are, at this very instant, -struggling to escape—now finding an outlet in volcanic fires—now -heaving and shaking the earth—now upraising islands and continents, -and gathering strength perhaps for some final outburst which may -shatter our earth in pieces, or change its form, or scatter its waters -over the land. And yet these are truths than which there is nothing -truer, and nothing more worthy of our study.</p> - -<p>In order to learn, then, what is the constitution, and what has been -or may be the probable history of the various worlds in our firmament, -we must study the constitution and physical history of our own. -The men of limited reason who believed that the earth was created -and launched into its ethereal course when man was summoned to its -occupation, must have either denied altogether the existence of our -solar system, or have regarded all its planets as coeval with their -own, and as but the ministers to its convenience. Science, however, -has now corrected this error, and liberated the pious mind from its -embarrassments. The Palæontologist—the student of ancient life—has -demonstrated, by evidence not to be disputed, that the earth had been -inhabited by animals and adorned with plants during immeasurable cycles -of time antecedent to the creation of man—that when the volcano, the -earthquake, and the flood, had destroyed and buried them, nobler forms -of life were created to undergo the same fiery ordeal:—and that, -by a series of successive creations and catastrophes, the earth was -prepared for the residence of man, and the rich materials in its bosom -elaborated for his use, and thrown within his grasp. In the age of our -own globe, then, we see the age of its brother planets, and in the -antiquity of our own system we see the antiquity of the other systems -of the universe. In our catastrophes, too, we recognise theirs, and in -our advancing knowledge and progressive civilization, we witness the -development of the universal<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[Pg 59]</a></span> mind—the march of the immortal spirit to -its final destiny of glory or of shame.</p> - -<p>The following are the names which have been given to the mountains and -valleys, or hollows, in the moon, and which are referred to in the -accompanying picture [See title page].</p> - -<p class="center">MOUNTAINS.</p> - -<table summary="MOUNTAINS"> - <tr> - <td class="left">1. The Apennines. </td> - <td class="left">| </td> - <td>6.</td> - <td class="left">The Altai Mountains.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">2. The Caucasus.</td> - <td class="left">| </td> - <td>7.</td> - <td class="left">The Cordilleras.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">3. The Alps.</td> - <td class="left">| </td> - <td>8.</td> - <td class="left">The Riphæ Mountains.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">4. Taurus.</td> - <td class="left">| </td> - <td>9.</td> - <td class="left">The Carpathians.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">5. Taurus.</td> - <td class="left">| </td> - <td>10.</td> - <td class="left">The Hercynian Mountains.</td> - </tr> -</table> - -<p class="center">HOLLOWS, OR VALLEYS.</p> - -<table summary="HOLLOWS, OR VALLEYS"> - <tr> - <td class="left">A. The Crisian Sea.</td> - <td class="left">| </td> - <td>L.</td> - <td class="left">The Middle Bay.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">B. The Sea of Fertility (!!). </td> - <td class="left">| </td> - <td>M.</td> - <td class="left">The Sea of Clouds.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">C. The Sea of Nectar.</td> - <td class="left">| </td> - <td>N.</td> - <td class="left">The Sea of Mist.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">D. The Tranquil Sea.</td> - <td class="left">| </td> - <td>O.</td> - <td class="left">The Bay of Epidemics.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">E. The Serene Sea.</td> - <td class="left">| </td> - <td>P.</td> - <td class="left">The Stormy Ocean.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">F. The Sea of Dreams.</td> - <td class="left">| </td> - <td>Q.</td> - <td class="left">The Showery Sea.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">G. The Sea of Death.</td> - <td class="left">| </td> - <td>R.</td> - <td class="left">The Sea of Rainbows.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">H. The Dreamy Marsh.</td> - <td class="left">| </td> - <td>S.</td> - <td class="left">The Sea of Dews.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">I. The Cold Sea.</td> - <td class="left">| </td> - <td>T.</td> - <td class="left">Humboldt's Sea.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">K. The Sea of Vapors.</td> - <td class="left">| </td> - <td></td> - <td class="left"></td> - </tr> -</table> - -<p>As will be seen, astronomers have done what they could to relieve the -dreariness of nature by a free indulgence in fanciful names.</p> - -<p>Dr. Chalmers, speaking of the advantages derived from the discovery of -the telescope and microscope, says, "The one led me to see a system -in every star. The other leads me to see a world in every atom. The -one taught me that this mighty globe, with the whole burden of its -people, and of its countries, is but a grain of sand on the high field -of immensity. The other teaches me that every grain of sand may harbor -within it the tribes and families of a busy population. The one told -me of the insignificance of the world I tread upon. The other redeems -it from all its insignificance; for it tells me that in the leaves of -every forest, and in the flowers of every garden, and in the waters -of every rivulet, there are worlds teeming with life, and numberless -as are the glories of the firmament. The one has suggested to me that -beyond<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[Pg 60]</a></span> and above all that is visible to man, there may lie fields -of creation which sweep immeasurably along, and carry the impress of -the Almighty's hand to the remotest scenes of the universe. The other -suggests to me, that within and beneath all that minuteness which the -aided eye of man has been able to explore, there may lie a region of -invisibles; and that, could we draw aside the mysterious curtain which -shrouds it from our senses, we might there see a theatre of as many -wonders as astronomy has unfolded; a universe within the compass of -a point so small, as to elude all the powers of the microscope, but -where the wonder-working God finds room for the exercise of all his -attributes, where he can raise another mechanism of worlds, and fill -and animate them all with the evidences of his glory."</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p class="center"><i>Opinions of the American Press Respecting the Foregoing Discovery.</i></p> - -<p>"<span class="smcap">Herschel's Great Discoveries.</span>—We are too much pleased -with the remarks of the sensible, candid, and scientific portions of -the public press upon the extracts which we have published relative -to these wonders of the age, to direct our attention very severely -to-day to that sceptical class of our contemporaries to whom none -of these attributes can be ascribed. Consummate ignorance is always -incredulous to the higher order of scientific discoveries, because it -cannot possibly comprehend them. Its mental thorax is quite capacious -enough to swallow any dogmas, however great, that are given upon the -authority of names; but it strains most perilously to receive the great -truths of reason and science. We scarcely ever knew a very ignorant -person who would believe in the existence of those myriads of invisible -beings which inhabit a drop of water, and every grain of dust, until -he had actually beheld them through the microscope by which they are -developed. Yet these very persons will readily believe in the divinity -of Matthias the prophet, and in the most improbable credenda of -extravagant systems of faith. The <i>Journal of Commerce</i>, for instance, -says it cannot believe in these great discoveries of Dr. Herschel, yet -it believes and defends the innocence of the murderer Avery. These -who in a former age imprisoned Galileo for asserting <i>his</i> great -discoveries with the telescope, and determined upon sentencing him to -be burnt alive, nevertheless believed that Simon Magus actually flew in -the air by the aid of the devil, and that when that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[Pg 61]</a></span> aid was withdrawn -he fell to the ground and broke his neck. The great mechanical -discoverer, Worcester, obtained no credence for his theories in his -day, though they are now being continually demonstrated by practical -operation. Happily, however, those who impudently and ignorantly deny -the great discoveries of Herschel, are chiefly to be found among those -whose faith or whose scepticism, would never be received as a guide for -the opinions of other men. From among that portion of the public press -whose intelligence and acquirements render them competent judges of the -great scientific questions now before the community, we extract the -following frank declarations of their opinions."—<i>New York Sun</i>, Sep. -1, 1835.</p> - -<p>"No article, we believe, has appeared for years, that will command -so general a perusal and publication. Sir John has added a stock of -knowledge to the present age that will immortalize his name, and place -it high on the page of science."—<i>Daily Advertiser.</i></p> - -<p>"<span class="smcap">Discoveries in the Moon.</span>—We commence to-day the publication -of an interesting article which is stated to have been copied from the -<i>Edinburgh Journal of Science</i>, and which made its first appearance -here in a contemporary journal of this city. It appears to carry -intrinsic evidence of being an authentic document."—<i>Mercantile -Advertiser.</i></p> - -<p>"<span class="smcap">Stupendous Discovery in Astronomy.</span>—We have read with -unspeakable emotions of pleasure and astonishment, an article from -the last <i>Edinburgh Scientific Journal</i>, containing an account of -the recent discoveries of Sir John Herschel at the Cape of Good -Hope."—<i>Albany Daily Advertiser.</i></p> - -<p>"It is quite proper that the <i>Sun</i> should be the means of shedding -so much light on the <i>Moon</i>. That there should be winged people in -the Moon does not strike us as more wonderful than the existence of -such a race of beings on earth; and that there does or did exist such -a race rests on the evidence of that most veracious of voyagers and -circumstantial of chroniclers, Peter Wilkins, whose celebrated work -not only gives an account of the general appearance and habits of a -most interesting tribe of flying Indians, but also of all those more -delicate and engaging traits which the author was enabled to discover -by reason of the conjugal relations he entered into with one of the -females of the winged tribe."—<i>N. Y. Evening Post.</i></p> - -<p>"We think we can trace in it marks of transatlantic origin."—<i>N. Y. -Commercial Advertiser.</i></p> - -<p>"The writer (Dr. Andrew Grant) displays the most extensive and -accurate knowledge of astronomy, and the description of Sir John's<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[Pg 62]</a></span> -recently improved instruments, the principle on which the inestimable -improvements were founded, the account of the wonderful discoveries -in the moon, &c., are all probable and plausible, and have an air of -intense verisimilitude."—<i>N. Y. Times.</i></p> - -<p>"<span class="smcap">Great Astronomical Discoveries!</span>—By the late arrivals from -England there has been received in this country a supplement to the -<i>Edinburgh Journal of Science</i> containing intelligence of the most -astounding interest from Prof. Herschel's observatory at the Cape of -Good Hope.... The promulgation of these discoveries creates a new era -in astronomy and science generally."—<i>New Yorker.</i></p> - -<p>"Our enterprising neighbors of the <i>Sun</i>, we are pleased to learn, are -likely to enjoy a rich reward from the late <i>lunar</i> discoveries. They -deserve all they receive from the public—'they are worthy.'"—<i>N. Y. -Spirit of '76.</i></p> - -<p>"After all, however, our doubts and incredulity may be a wrong to the -learned astronomer, and the circumstances of this wonderful discovery -may be correct. Let us do him justice, and allow him to tell his story -in his own way."—<i>N. Y. Sunday News.</i></p> - -<p>"The article is said to be an extract from a supplement to the -<i>Edinburgh Journal of Science</i>. It sets forth difficulties encountered -by Sir John, on obtaining his glass castings for his great telescope, -with magnifying powers of 42,000. <i>The account, excepting the -magnifying power, has been before published</i>" [<i>i. e.</i>, in the -Supplement to the <i>Edinburgh Journal of Science</i>.—Ed. <i>Sun</i>].—<i>U. S. -Gazette.</i></p> - -<p>"It is not worth while for us to express an opinion as to the truth -or falsity of the narrative, as our readers can, after an attentive -perusal of the whole story, decide for themselves. Whether true or -false, the article is written with consummate ability, and possesses -intense interest."—<i>Philadelphia Inquirer.</i></p> - -<p>"These are but a handful of the innumerable certificates of credence, -and of complimentary testimonials with which the universal press of -the country is loading our tables. Indeed, we find very few of the -public papers express any other opinion. We have named the <i>Journal of -Commerce</i> as an exception, because it not only ignorantly doubted the -authenticity of the discoveries, but ill-naturedly said that we had -fabricated them for the purpose of making a noise and drawing attention -to our paper.</p> - -<p>"Col. Webb of the <i>Courier and Inquirer</i> has said nothing upon the -subject; but he only feels the more, and we are this moment assured -that he has made arrangements with the proprietors of the Charleston<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[Pg 63]</a></span> -steam-packets to take the splendid boat William Gibbons of that line, -and charter her for the Cape of Good Hope, whither he is going with all -his family—including Hoskin.</p> - -<p>"We yesterday extracted from the celebrated Supplement, a mathematical -problem demonstrating an entirely new, and the only true method of -measuring the height of the lunar mountains. We were not then aware of -its great importance as a demonstration, also, of the authenticity of -the great discoveries. But several eminent mathematicians have since -called and assured us, that it is the greatest mathematical discovery -of the present age. Now, that problem was either predicated by us, or -by some other person, who has thereby made the greatest of all modern -discoveries in mathematical astronomy. We did not make it, for we know -nothing of mathematics whatever; therefore, it was made by the only -person to whom it can rationally be ascribed, namely, Herschel the -astronomer, its only avowed and undeniable author."—<i>Editor of the -Sun.</i></p> - -<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_1_1" id="Footnote_1_1"></a><a href="#FNanchor_1_1"><span class="label">[1]</span></a></p></div> - -<div class="center"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">"As when the Moon,<a name="FNanchor_2_2" id="FNanchor_2_2"></a><a href="#Footnote_2_2" class="fnanchor">[2]</a> refulgent lamp of night!<br /></span> -<span class="i0">O'er heav'n's clear azure spreads her sacred light,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">When not a breath disturbs the deep serene,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">And not a cloud o'ercasts the solemn scene;<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Around her throne the vivid planets roll,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">And stars unnumber'd gild the glowing pole,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">O'er the dark trees a yellower verdure shed,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">And tip with silver ev'ry mountain's head;<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Then shine the vales, the rocks in prospect rise,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">A flood of glory bursts from all the skies."<br /></span> -<div class="right"><span class="smcap">Homer.</span><br /></div> -</div></div></div> - -<p>The earth is accompanied by a <span class="smcap">Moon</span> or satellite, whose -distance is 237,000 miles, and diameter 2,160. Her surface is composed -of hill and dale, of rocks and mountains, nearly two miles high, and -of circular cavities, sometimes five miles in depth and forty in -diameter. She possesses neither <i>rivers</i>, nor <i>lakes</i>, nor <i>seas</i>, and -we cannot discover with the telescope any traces of living beings, or -any monuments of their hands. Viewing the earth as we now do, as the -<i>third</i> planet in order from the sun, can we doubt that it is a globe -like the rest, poised in ether like them, and, like them, moving round -the central luminary?</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_2_2" id="Footnote_2_2"></a><a href="#FNanchor_2_2"><span class="label">[2]</span></a> <i>As when the moon, &c.</i> This comparison is inferior to -none in <i>Homer</i>. It is the most beautiful night-piece that can be -found in poetry. He presents you with a prospect of the heavens, the -seas, and the earth; the stars shine, the air is serene, the world -enlighten'd, and the moon mounted in glory.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_3_3" id="Footnote_3_3"></a><a href="#FNanchor_3_3"><span class="label">[3]</span></a> For an account of the singular views which the -ancients had entertained on this subject, see "The Theology of the -Phœnicians," by <i>Sanchoniatho</i>, who flourished about the time of the -Trojan war. Published in a collection of <i>Ancient Fragments</i>. New York. -1835.</p></div> - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Moon Hoax, by Richard Adams Locke - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MOON HOAX *** - -***** This file should be named 62779-h.htm or 62779-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/6/2/7/7/62779/ - -Produced by deaurider, Martin Pettit and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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