"Well then," rejoined Almos, bringing one of the books and turning over
the leaves, while a curious smile still played about his mouth, "you
must understand that this was written over a hundred years before
super-radium was discovered, and at that time we had no means of
observing Earth except through the telescope, which showed us the
mountains, seas, and continents, much the same as your telescope must
reveal the physical features of Mars. On the question of whether Earth
is inhabited the author says:

"'That this planet is inhabited we have no reason to doubt, as it is
known to be enveloped in an atmosphere, and it is now a generally
accepted theory that the changes noticed in its color throughout the
year are the seasonal effects on vegetable matter existing on its
surface.... What the inhabitants are like, however, we can only
surmise, but a study of the conditions under which they live will help
us to picture the wild amphibious creatures they must be. Their planet,
more than half covered with water, and being so many millions of miles
nearer the sun than we are, is almost continually enveloped in heavy
clouds of vapor, which, unless they were half fish, must surely
suffocate them. They doubtless seek the depths of water when these
clouds of thick vapor arise. Upon emerging, however, they have to face
such intense heat as none of us could tolerate a minute and live....
They are no doubt provided with steel-like skin to resist this
temperature.... That they are of a fierce temperament there can be
little doubt, as their atmosphere, which is twice the weight of ours, is
so overcharged with electricity, owing to the heat and clouds of vapor,
that violent storms are constantly breaking over them, doubtless killing
thousands of them at a time and tending to make the natures of the
survivors as fierce as the elements which surround them.... Their year