From the Earth to the Moon direct in ninety-seven hours and twenty minutes, and a trip round it . s,the whole three caught a glimpse of that mysterious disc whichthe eye of man now saw. for the first time. What could they dis-tinguish at a distance which they could not estimate ? Somelengthened bands along the disc, real clouds formed in the midstof a very confined atmosphere, from which emerged not only allthe mountains, but also projections of less importance; its circles,its yawning craters, as capriciously placed as on the visible sur-face. Then immense spaces, no longer arid plains, but r
From the Earth to the Moon direct in ninety-seven hours and twenty minutes, and a trip round it . s,the whole three caught a glimpse of that mysterious disc whichthe eye of man now saw. for the first time. What could they dis-tinguish at a distance which they could not estimate ? Somelengthened bands along the disc, real clouds formed in the midstof a very confined atmosphere, from which emerged not only allthe mountains, but also projections of less importance; its circles,its yawning craters, as capriciously placed as on the visible sur-face. Then immense spaces, no longer arid plains, but real seas,oceans, widely distributed, reflecting on their liquid surface all thedazzling magic of the fires of space ; and, lastly, on the surface ofthe continents, large dark masses, looking like immense forestsunder the rapid illumination of a brilliance. Was it an illusion, a mistake, an optical illusion ? Could theygive a scientific assent to an observation so superficially obtained ?Dared they pronounce upon the question of its habitability after6C slight a glimpso of the invisible disc ?. WHAT A SIGUT. [p. 2m: HYPERBOLA OR PARABOLA. 269 But the lightnings ia space subsided by degrees ; its accidentalbiillianey died away ; the aslcioids dispersed iu diHi rent direc-tions and were extinguished in the distance. The ether returnedto its accustomed darkness ; the stars, eclipsed for a moiueut,again twinkled in the firmament, and the disc, bo hastily discerned,was again buried in impenetrable night. .-O ROUND TH6 MOON. CHAPTER XVI. THE SOUTHERX HEMISPHERE. The projectile had just escaped a terrible danger, and a veryunforeseen one. Who would have thought of such a rencontrewith meteors ? These erring bodies might create serious perilsfor the travellers. They were to them so many sandbanks uponthat sea of ether which, less fortunate than sailors, they could notescape. But did these adventurers complain of space ? No, notsince nature had given them the splendid sight of a cosmical
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