de 75
degrees east, that we first closely approached its surface. Underneath
us was the land called "Hellas," and it was over this land of Hellas
that the Martian air fleet had suddenly made its appearance.

Our westward motion, while at a great height above the planet, had
brought us over another oval-shaped land called "Noachia," surrounded by
the dark ocean, the "Mare Erytraeum." Now approaching nearer the surface
our course was changed so as to carry us toward the equator of Mars.

We passed over the curious, half-drowned continent known to terrestrial
astronomers as the Region of Deucalion, then across another sea, or gulf,
until we found ourselves floating, at a height of perhaps five miles,
above a great continental land, at least three thousand miles broad
from east to west, and which I immediately recognized as that to which
astronomers had given the various names of "Aeria," "Edom," "Arabia,"
and "Eden."

Here the spectacle became of breathless interest.

"Wonderful! Wonderful!"

"Who could have believed it!"

Such were the exclamations heard on all sides.

When at first we were suspended above Hellas, looking toward the north,
the northeast and the northwest, we had seen at a distance some of these
great red regions, and had perceived the curious network of canals by
which they were intersected. But that was a far-off and imperfect view.

Now, when we were near at hand and straight above one of these singular
lands, the magnificence of the panorama surpassed belief.

From the earth about a dozen of the principal canals crossing the
continent beneath us had been perceived, but we saw hundreds, nay,
thousands of them!

It was a double system, intended both for irrigation and for protection,
and far more marvellous in its completeness than the boldest speculative
minds among our astronomers had ever dared to imagine.

"Ha! that's what I always said," exclaimed a veteran from one of our great
observatories. "Mars is red because its soil and vegetation are red."

And certainly appearances indicated that he was right.

There were no green trees, and there was no green grass. Both were red,
not of a uniform red tint, but presenting an immense variety of shades
which produced a most brilliant effect, fairly dazzling our eyes.

But what trees! And what grass! And what flowers!

Gigantic Vegetation.

Our telescopes showed that even the smaller trees must be 200 or 300
feet in height, and there were