my brief stay at Plasden, I again rose high in air
and looked over the oceans with their floating cities. This was one of
the most charming views I ever had of any world.

I paid a passing visit to a few worlds where human life had never risen
to a great height of civilization, nor can I forget the lessons I there
learned of the power of sin. All this one can clearly see who visits the
three worlds lying next in order to Plasden, but I will forbear the sad
and sickening recital of the depth to which a world is carried by sin
when once it gains a haughty ascendency.

The next orb that attracted my attention also lay in the solar system of
Dubhe, and very much resembles our own world in both size and climate.
The people, who are not half our stature, are so differently formed that
I could scarcely believe my own senses.

A description of them would appear only ludicrous, so I shall content
myself with saying that they are refined in their manners and highly
educated in all branches of human knowledge, which does not imply that
their studies are identical with ours.

I was surprised at the splendid arrangement of their cities and the
sensible laws governing them. One can scarcely believe that we are
guilty of so much lost labor in the management of our cities, in our own
way of living, and in providing for our families, until he sets his eyes
on a city of another world that has notably distanced us in this
respect.

These people, though small of stature, are endowed with powerful
muscular systems and, through their intelligence, they have become
masters of the seas and of the land, for the forests give away and
savage tribes fall back before the onward march of the God-directed
conqueror, man.

I then appeared in visible form and walked into one of the largest
cities on this world. I had not passed one-fourth of the way toward the
city's center before I was surrounded by a curious crowd which so
blocked my path that I could make no further progress. You may imagine
their surprise to see a giant, as I appeared to them, with a strangely
shaped head and with a soft, flabby skin, for they at first regarded my
clothing as my skin.

No one could conjecture what sort of an animal I was. I remained mute
and watched the rising tide of excitement. Before anyone could venture
to touch me, I saw a band of officers in double-quick march hastening
toward me with their curiously shaped weapons unfolded.

I stood motionless as t