The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1871-03-10

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tronomer and his assistants determined
to devote themselves to an investiga-
ton of comparatively limited area of
tkc moons surface. The landscape fes-
lures Of this area were described by the
hoaxer with much minutencs3, and va
rious animals resembling the bison,
reindeer, moose, on the earth; but
with sufficient variations TO make them
remarkable, were reported as having
been seen, together with good many
which resembled nothing existing any
where but in the vivid Imagination OF
Mr.. Locke. The most interesting Of
all the supposed discoveries, however,
was that of creatures resembling hu-
man beings. They were said to be
about four feet in height, and were COW
cred, except the face, with short and
glossy copper.colored hair. They had
wings composed Of thin membrane,
without hair, which lay snugIy upon
their backs, from the top of the shoul.
der5 to the calves Of their legs. Their
faces were described as of q yellOwish
scribed in such manner as 70 excite
curious spCcuation5 as to the nature OF
the religion proiessed in the moon. The
Imagination Of the hoaXer expanded as
he got well into the subject, and the
latter part Of his dissertation is mar
rative of wonders which would have
found little credence had it not been
for the ingenious manner in which they
were introduced.
Tho full details of Sir john Her
schel'5 marvellous discoveries were not
completed in the columns Of the Sur
for some time, the instalment5 Of th(
stupendous jest being very adrotly ran
through several numbers, to keep the
excitement up, and not being compile
ted until some time in September
There were persons who doubted thJ
whole thing from the start, it is true
but the mass Of the people swallowed
the story without question. These wer,
the days of the old.fashionGd sailing
packets, when communication Will
with Europe was irregular and uncer
tain, aud IL would of course take con
siderable timo for scientific men an,
dOubters to discover whether or not tn
Edinburg Journal Of Science had pub
lished supplement, and if such wer
the fact, TO ascertain whether or not
had given to the world any such maj
vellous story as was being detailed il
the columns of the Sun. An amusing
and somewhat acrimonious dispute wa
. carried on for some time between tn
X credulous and the 5keptical conccrnin
the pretended discoveries, but the ger
y oral verdict of the people and of I'll
# press was in favor Of accepting them {
f. truth. Some learned professors in OF
\ CSQQllIGGe.?7 eyyen went 50 far as to write
II fuller details. The whole story W,
u told with such wonderful IninutenO
:. and such downright candor as to Iii
;. arm the incrcdulous for the time. 1t
If truo that the hoax, read at the prCset
# day, appears so full Of crudilieS, coitr;
n dicti0nS, and impossbilitics that, i
Ia the light Of our present knowledge,
= would be picked to pieces by Il scho'
y boy. Locke, indeed, carried his joke
a the most extreme limits, and impos,
# on the carelessnoss Of the public in Il
a most reckless way. In one place !
d stated that the lens of Sir John IL
ii schCl's monstrouS telescope would n
pr render perccptible objects less tina
m eighteen inches in diameter, and imm
~ diatcly after referred TO the astronom
* detecting the shape and color Of Il
# eyes of small birds People were I,
70 completely absorbed in the -tartliI
u. pic,ur, as a whole TO notice at on
in such triiiipg defect in one Of it, d
II. tails. Tie wonderful man bats aud Il
!. haity veiis by which the eyes
@. the bisons We're protected from Il
q. glare of the sun were too entertai
n. ing to allow the mind to wander to It
ii interesting absurditios,
lg So the hoax was Il complete succe
Il. for the time, and the fow who doubt(
L. were to be found principally in Il
n ranks Of the ignorant, among those WI
ct knew little or nothing abou, astron
m my. and doubted slmply because til,
~ would ACCEPT no evidence Of the trut
m For many wears the "NCou UoaXn "
he out Of print, and could be found on
m in the .crap. .bo. ks Of curiy,ity.monge
- but in 1859 Il WIS Issued in pamphl
~ form hy William Gowaus, Mt Ne
-. York, and even at that late day had
wide circulation.
Nh, umoop hoov,, ..t,t,i.lpd thc &
un,n firm basl. and Inv fine ii,
tho i,I,o was rIIv cvros,d. a,
H. tho H.ouIa ro,lizaI bov c,,nnlotc
,hov had Ion, nuuod tLo s,..taro
~ ,hn,, no,.n,nors was so cnnnlote
ho -mc,1.. r,I tb,Ift hos .rrn,fnrI IN II
nm day f,,trroot Amoricon ionInoIis,
'sn !, tS2G Afr Iocl,o dissnIvol his 90
I,o nooti,, Win ,ho ,S,o, and of orco, ,st,
,., ,,,l,,,,i T., M, Wi, - ,oIitio,I d,i