greater speed than that with which we had travelled on starting
to touch at the moon. Supposing this velocity to remain uniform, and, with
no known resistance, it might reasonably be expected to do so, we should
arrive at Mars in a little less than forty-two days, the distance of the
planet from the earth being, at this time, about thirty-six million miles.

Nothing occurred for many days to interrupt our journey. We became
accustomed to our strange surroundings, and many entertainments were
provided to while away the time. The astronomers in the expedition found
plenty of occupation in studying the aspects of the stars and the other
heavenly bodies from their new point of view.

Drawing Near to Mars.

At the expiration of about thirty-five days we had drawn so near to Mars
that with our telescopes, which, though small, were of immense power,
we could discern upon its surface features and details which no one had
been able to glimpse from the earth.

As the surface of this world, that we were approaching as a tiger hunter
draws near the jungle, gradually unfolded itself to our inspection,
there was hardly one of us willing to devote to sleep or idleness the
prescribed eight hours that had been fixed as the time during which each
member of the expedition must remain in the darkened chamber. We were
too eager to watch for every new revelation upon Mars.

But something was in store that we had not expected. We were to meet
the Martians before arriving at the world they dwelt in.

Among the stars which shone in that quarter of the heavens where Mars
appeared as the master orb, there was one, lying directly in our path,
which, to our astonishment, as we continued on, altered from the aspect
of a star, underwent a gradual magnification, and soon presented itself
in the form of a little planet.

The Asteroid.

"It is an asteroid," said somebody.

"Yes, evidently; but how does it come inside the orbit of Mars?"

"Oh, there are several asteroids," said one of the astronomers, "which
travel inside the orbit of Mars, along a part of their course, and,
for aught we can tell, there may be many which have not yet been caught
sight of from the earth, that are nearer to the sun than Mars is."

"This must be one of them."

"Manifestly so."

As we drew nearer the mysterious little planet revealed itself to us as
a perfectly formed globe not more than five miles in diameter.

"What is that upon it?" asked Lord Kelvin,