ster, jumping up in alarm and running into the air-chamber.
We followed him, and looked all round the room at the different machines
and apparatus, but could find nothing wrong.

John, chancing to look up, however, at once noticed a large bulge on
the inner shell of the vessel, high up on the right-hand side; and then,
turning to me, pointed it out, saying, "I think, Professor, it is pretty
clear now what has happened."

"Yes, that huge bulge explains itself," I replied; "undoubtedly a
fair-sized meteoric stone has collided with our vessel. It is very
fortunate that the stone was not much larger, or there would have been
an end to the _Areonal_ and to us as well. These meteorites travel at
such tremendous speed that, on entering the earth's atmosphere, they
become incandescent owing to the friction of the air, and, unless very
large, are entirely consumed and dissipated into dust before they can
reach the earth. Those that do fall are always partially fused on the
outside by the tremendous heat generated by the friction of our
atmosphere. These meteorites are what people call 'shooting stars,' and
many are under the impression that they really are stars, until the
difference is explained to them."

John said, "We ought to congratulate ourselves upon such a lucky escape
from annihilation; for had our vessel been constructed of any metal less
hard and tough than our 'martalium,' and without a double and packed
shell, it must have been wrecked and entirely destroyed by the shock of
the tremendous concussion it had sustained. Even the very metal of the
casing might have been completely melted by the intense heat generated
by the impact of the meteorite."

"Heh, mon!" exclaimed M'Allister; "it's all very well talking about our
lucky escape, and putting it all down to your own cleverness in
designing and constructing the _Areonal_; but you should rather give
thanks to Providence for saving us, and for enabling you to take the
precautions you did. I say, 'Thank God!'" he remarked, and he solemnly
raised his right hand as he spoke.

"Quite right, M'Allister," replied John: "we are all too prone to credit
ourselves with more than we are entitled to. At the same time,
M'Allister, you must remember that we Englishmen recognise as fully as
you do the over-ruling power of Providence, although we may not be quite
so free in speaking about it in ordinary conversation."

"Yes," I added, "you may be quite sure, M'Allister, that we