except right at the poles.

We have, of course, seen the Martian polar stars. The axial tilt of the
planet being less than that of ours, and in a different direction, and
its orbit being inclined 1 deg. and 51' in regard to the earth's orbit,
it follows that the poles of Mars must point to a different part of the
sky, and a considerable distance from our polar stars.

In the northern hemisphere of Mars the polar star is a small one marked
on our maps in the constellation of Cepheus, and it is almost on the
boundary between that constellation and Cygnus. The pole star lies
nearly in a line joining the brighter stars [alpha] Cephei and
[alpha] Cygni.

The south polar star is a small one marked [symbol] in that part of
the large constellation of Argo Navis which is termed Carnia.

Although the polar stars are very small, they shine more brightly in the
Martian skies than the north polar star does to us, and are therefore
more easily seen.

CHAPTER XXV

MANY THINGS SEEN UPON MARS--I RECEIVE SOME NEWS

During the remainder of our stay upon Mars we visited almost every
important place upon the planet, either by means of air-ships, motors,
or by travelling along the main canals in splendidly equipped electric
boats.

We passed through the whole length of the Eumenides-Orcus, from its
starting-point on the Phoeniceus Lacus, in the southern hemisphere, to
the Trivium Charontis, in the northern hemisphere--a distance of 3540
miles, this being the longest canal on the planet. We visited the Solis
Lacus, or "Lake of the Sun" (an area larger than England), situated in
the southern hemisphere, which has usually been seen by our observers as
a large dark patch, oval in shape. Indications of changes in this area
were, however, noted at the time of the opposition in 1907; and it is
not improbable that further alterations will be seen shortly.

Numerous important towns exist upon this area, and several canals
connect it with surrounding areas.

We visited the north pole in our air-ship, and saw the snow falling
thickly, and rapidly adding to the size and thickness of the snow-cap,
it being winter time. We visited the south pole and watched the
fast-melting snow (the cap being almost at its minimum size) and the
distribution of the resultant water down the various broad channels
which conduct it to the canals, from whence it is carried all over the
planet.

When it is spring in the northern hemisphere the winter snow