The Washington times., 1903-03-29
There is no water III the

/ NO water in sea-
No. my child; here is not a drop on
the whole surface of the moon. nor even
III it's atmosphere. We should suffer
terribly from thirst If we had not 4
good supply in store, which saves us at
least that torment. As 20 the sea OF
which / speak. it is. like all the others
in this world simply sandy plain"
Then why call them seas?" asked
Gertrude.
Because the first astronomers who
discovered them. a hundred and fifty
or two hundred years ago. took them for
seas. as in conformation they much re-
semble the probable appearance Of the
beds Of our oceans. supposing the wa
ter had dried up. But l will tell you
more about it on our return. as I shall
| certainly take the opportunity OF study
ing. the question more closely than has
yet been done"
Well. 90 quickly in that case said
/ Gertrude. "or you will be overtaker by
night: for it must now be or 3 O'Clock
in the afternoon. ! can't tell exactly.
because all our clocks and watches have
stopped"
There is no fear OF night coming. "
said Norbert laughing Unless 1 am
very much out in my calculations. we
can look forward to something like 264
hours OF daylight"
1t is possible? Are the days so long
as that in the moon?"
They last at least fourteen times
twenty hours. There are only twelve
days throughout the lunar year"
And are We not 20 sleep during all
that period?" asked Fatima. in dismsy.
Nothing prevents our sleeping In
fact. we must make a point of having
fixed hours for repose. on account OF
our terrestrial habits We must sleep
in the daytime. that is all"
And will the nights. when they come.
be equally long?'
quite During fourteen times twenty
four hours we shall only have the light
OF the stars and OF the earth
How strange it will be-" cried Fati-
ma.
Not stranger than the long polar
nights and days In the Arctic regions
Of the terrestrial globe. But meanwhile
We must proceed TO our exploration
Come. doctor let US start. Virgil have
you the maps. compass. barometers. and
all necessaries?'
Yes. sir"
"One word more. implored the doe
tor. How will the barometer behave
here?''
Just as it does on earth. or nearly
so. That enables us 10 keep our pro-
vision OF air. and go abou; with i'm
punity in the rarefed atmosphere OF the
moon
If it is so rarehed. how is it that
the barometric tension is the same as
that to which We are used2"
The lunar atmosphere is much higher
than that Of the earth That accords
with the lesser intensity OF the weight
Of the SUI 'acc Of this world and ex-
plains how it Is nat the lunar atmos-
phere is invisible from the earth All
the facts ft in. Bur enough, Let us
US go now. once for all"
They went down the road and the
slope Of the great crater. and we're soon
in the plain strewn with smaller vol
canoes They crossed without stop
ping. and in going toward the south
west, came before long to the edge OF
vast sand bed.
1t extended to the horizon. and as the
young astronomer had foreseen. was ex-
actly like the Sahara. with the exception.
however. that no oasis was visible. and
the solar light was more intense than in
the African desert
Had there been a single Individual.
alive or dead. throughout this vast ex-
panse. he would have been seen ten
leagues of. But not the least vestige or
animate or mamma life disturbed the
solitude.
Let us 90 back and look in the Ap-
pennines,' wrote Norbert. passing his
note book 10 his companions
The great chain OF mountains stretched
from northwest to west It was com
posed OF ranges Of peaks. rising TO the
height Of ten thousand feet above the
Sea Of Serenity. Mauny. Dr. Briet and
Virgil accomplished the first part Of the
ascent in less than an hour. II was not
very easy walking, but the three trav-
elers explored it thoroughly climbing
manfulIy terrace after terrace. until at
length they stood on a summit whence
they commanded a View Of both slopes
quite sixty leagues In extent
Vainly did they sweep the immense
circle with their glasses. The solitude |
was as complete as the bottom Of the /
dried up lunar ocean.
Norbert had Just lowered the glass 4