se the immense numbers of the
stars. The camera, it is estimated, shows at least one hundred millions
in the heavens; and our great telescopes can penetrate through
inconceivable distances of space and render visible millions which the
smaller instruments fail to reveal. Every increase of instrumental
power, however, carries us still farther, and reveals more and more
stars in deeper depths of the illimitable abysses of space.

"In these matters there is no finality, for though with telescopic aid:

'World after world, sun after sun, star after star are past,
Yet systems round in myriads rise more glorious than the last:
The wondrous universe of God still limitless is found,
For endless are its distances, and none its depths can sound!'"

CHAPTER XXI

OUR FIRST VIEW OF THE EARTH FROM MARS--A MARTIAN COURTSHIP

Within a few days we had our first glimpse of the earth from Mars. It
appeared only as a very thin but bright crescent of light, as the
lighted portion was less than one-twelfth part of the whole diameter of
the disc, and it was only visible for a very short time.

Owing to the clear and thin atmosphere of Mars there is very little
scintillation of the stars, and the crescent form of the earth at such
periods as the present can plainly be discerned without the aid of a
glass. To the Martians this is more readily seen than by us, as their
eyes, being larger than ours, have a much greater light grasp.

For the same reason all the stars shine much brighter than they do in
our skies, and many of the smaller ones which can be seen from Mars with
the unaided eye, would here require a low power-glass to render them
visible to us. The fact that Saturn has a ring is quite apparent to the
Martian eye.

Day by day after this we saw the lighted area extending upon the earth,
just the same as on the earth Venus can be seen with a telescope
gradually to pass from the crescent phase to the gibbous form, and
ultimately become full. Our earth is a morning and evening star to Mars
the same as Venus is to the earth, according to its position with regard
to the sun.

Whilst we were looking at the earth, I asked Merna "Whether he had ever
seen the earth transit the sun as we occasionally see Venus or Mercury
do so?"

He answered that "He carefully observed the last transit, which occurred
on a date equivalent to our 8th May 1905, and was very interested in
watching the earth pass, as a small black spot,