OME--RESULTS OF THE MOST RECENT
OBSERVATIONS OF MARS--PROFESSOR LOWELL'S IMPORTANT DISCOVERY

_ADDENDUM_

(_Written by John Yiewsley Claxton, Esq., of Norbury, in the County
Borough of Croydon, Surrey_)

In accordance with the desire of my old friend, Wilfrid Poynders, I am
now about to publish the book which was handed to me by Merna on the
morning of our departure from Mars.

I knew that my dear old friend's thoughts and aspirations ever soared
towards the skies; but, as his last testament shows, his sympathies
embraced all humanity, and I am somewhat reluctant to add anything which
must necessarily bring the subject down to a lower plane.

As a narrative of his own personal experiences in connection with our
trip to Mars, the Professor's work is quite complete; still I thought
his readers would wish to know how it fared with his colleagues after
they left Mars, and have accordingly appended a few pages furnishing
this information.

I am quite convinced that, in deciding to remain behind on the planet,
the Professor, as M'Allister remarked, "did the right thing"; but after
the many years we have spent together in the closest and truest
friendship, I miss him--ah, more than I can say.

It was really a tremendous wrench, that parting with my two old
friends, the Professor and Merna, and leaving them behind on Mars,
although I fully appreciated the Professor's desire to end his days with
his dear son, to whom he had been so strangely reunited.

We started that morning directly after our farewell, and found a large
concourse of people assembled, who had come from all parts of the planet
to see us off.

Soranho and many other high officers of state whom we knew were present,
and, of course, the Professor, Merna, Eleeta, and Siloni, as well as
many others whom we had come to regard as personal friends; and they did
not allow us to depart empty-handed.

Merna handed me the packet which the Professor had referred to. We had
no formal farewell with the Professor--that was all over; but he came
forward at the last moment, and we parted from him with a loving
hand-clasp.

After a most affectionate leave-taking with our other friends, with whom
I took good care to include Siloni, we boarded the _Areonal_. M'Allister
at once took charge of the machinery, switched on the power, and we
immediately rose into the air, amidst shouts of farewell and repeated
good wishes from the assembled multitude.

We rose rapidly; b