the water, where they floated like swans.

At first, as I have said, the resemblance of their crews to inhabitants
of the earth seemed complete. One would have said that we had met a
yachting party, composed of tall, well-formed, light-complexioned,
yellow-haired Englishmen, the pick of their race. At a distance their
dress alone appeared strange, though it, too, might easily be imitated on
the earth. As well as I can describe it, it bore some resemblance, in
general effect, to the draperies of a Greek statue, and it was specially
remarkable for the harmonious blending of soft hues in its texture.

During a space of at least five minutes we gazed at them, and they at us.
Probably their surprise was greater than ours, because we had been on the
lookout for strange sights, being, of our own volition, in a foreign
world, while they could have had no expectation of such an encounter,
even if, as Edmund had conjectured, they were engaged in exploration. We
could read their astonishment in their gesticulations. Slowly the car and
the nearer of the two air ships drifted closer together. When we were
within less than fifty yards of one another, Jack suddenly called out:

"A woman! By Jo, it's Venus herself!"

His excited voice rang like a rattle of musketry in the heavy air, and
the beings on the air ship started back in alarm. But although, like the
inhabitants of the dark hemisphere, they were, evidently, unaccustomed
to hearing sounds of such forcefulness issue from a living creature no
larger than themselves, they were not faint-hearted, and the air ship did
not, as we half expected it would, take flight. The momentary commotion
was quickly quieted, and our visitors continued their inspection. All of
us immediately recognized the personage whom Jack had singled out as the