ainst the background of the lights on the
large vessels, and we noticed that all the Martians around us quickly
recognised what the lights represented.

Next we had a representation of the spectrum of Sirius, then that of
Aldebaran, and after that a spectrum which we were unable to identify.
Merna explained that it was the spectrum of their south polar star. A
few others were shown, then the line arrangement of the ships was again
broken up, the search-lights extinguished, and the coloured lamps once
more shone out.

Many of the ships now rushed across the sky over our heads in all
directions, and, after a few evolutions, the whole were seen arranged so
as to form four immense concentric circles, with a considerable space
between each ship.

The ships in the two inner circles then began to move slowly, and
passed in two wavy lines alternately in front of one ship and behind the
next ship in the outer circles, the serpentine movement gradually
becoming more and more rapid; and most wonderful changes of colour were
produced by the passage of the vessels past those lighted with lamps of
another colour. Swifter and swifter became the speed until it seemed
utterly impossible that these intricate movements could go on without
resulting in a series of collisions and disasters. Yet, with all this
bewildering whirling, twisting, and intertwining, the ships were guided
on their courses with consummate skill and with an unerring accuracy
which was marvellous to behold.

Another shake of the aerial kaleidoscope and the vessels were seen drawn
up in three parallel lines on the east and three on the west. Then the
search-lights again flashed out, filling the whole intermediate area of
the sky with beams of brilliant coloured light, which were caused to
oscillate sideways and overlap, producing a most gorgeous intermingling
of glowing colours. The Martians certainly had a complete understanding
of all the peculiarities connected with mixtures of coloured lights.

Up to this time silence had reigned, for no sound came to us from this
vast aerial fleet; but now there burst forth from both ranks of vessels
strains of music of such ravishing sweetness that I and my two
colleagues were quite overwhelmed. It seemed as though our mortal bodies
were completely etherealised by the thrilling melodies which floated
down to us from the upper air.

This was not all. When on the earth we had read of attempts to connect
musical tones and chor