idnight, for the purpose of
inspecting Mars with the opera-glass, we spent the interval in obtaining
the history of the child, which we have given above.

The planet Mars being at this time almost in dead opposition to the sun,
and with the earth in conjunction, is of course as near to the earth as
he ever approaches, the distance being thirty-five millions of miles. He
rises toward midnight, and is in the constellation Virgo, where he may
be seen to the greatest possible advantage, being in perigee. Mars is
most like the earth of all the planetary bodies. He revolves on his axis
in a little over twenty-four hours, and his surface is pleasantly
variegated with land and water, pretty much like our own world--the
land, however, being in slight excess. He is, therefore, the most
interesting of all the heavenly bodies to the inhabitants of the earth.

Having all things in readiness, we directed the glass to the planet.
Alas, for all our calculations, the power was insufficient to clear away
the obscurity resulting from imperfect vision and short focus.

Swallowing the bitter disappointment, we hastily made arrangements for
another interview, with a telescope, and bade the family good night.

There is but one large telescope properly mounted in the city, and that
is the property and pride of its accomplished owner, J. P. Manrow, Esq.
We at once procured an interview with that gentleman, and it was agreed
that on Saturday evening the boy should be conveyed to his residence,
picturesquely situated on Russian Hill, commanding a magnificent view of
the Golden Gate and the ocean beyond.

At the appointed hour the boy, his parents and myself presented
ourselves at the door of that hospitable mansion. We were cordially
welcomed, and conducted without further parley into the lofty
observatory on the top of the house. In due time the magnificent tube
was presented at the planet, but it was discovered that the power it was
set for was too low. It was then gauged for 240,000 diameters, being the
full strength of the telescope, and the eye of the boy observer placed
at the eye-glass. One cry of joy, and unalloyed delight told the story!
Mars, and its mountains and seas, its rivers, vales, and estuaries, its
polar snow-caps and grassy plains--its inhabitants, palaces, ships,
villages and cities, were all revealed, as distinctly, clearly and
certainly, as the eye of Kit Carson, from the summits of the Sierra
Nevada range, beheld the s