thousands of feet below the surface. We have nothing on our Earth that
can compare with this terribly imposing sight, and as I was studying the
expansive waste I could more readily understand how large numbers of
human beings could be destroyed by such fabulous quantities of boiling
lava as were capable of being thrown from this pit. There is no doubt
that the lava and ashes hurled from this crater alone would send a
withering blast of death-dealing for many hundreds of miles around.

If you have never been privileged to look upon this ponderous chasm face
to face, improve your first opportunity to get a glimpse of it through
as powerful a telescope as possible.




CHAPTER III.

A Visit to Mars.


I need not describe the manner of my flight. It is enough to say that,
to my delight, I reached our neighbor planet called Mars, and at once
proceeded to study its physical features and its human life.

Everything was vastly different from what I had been long accustomed to
see and to imagine, and I felt quite assured that I was living in a
dream. But I knew of no way to convince myself as to my bearings, so I
concluded to make the best use of my time and opportunities, and leave
questionings to the future.