ne hundred vessels. There was
no smoke, the guns being discharged by compressed air. Each vessel
bore the flag of Atvatabar, a pink-colored disc surrounded by a circle
of green on a violet field. The disc represented the sun above us, the
green circle Atvatabar, and the violet field the surrounding sea. From
the peak of the _Polar King_ the American flag floated, the first flag
of the outer sphere that was ever unrolled in the air of the interior
world.

The ships approached us in double column and presented an appearance
of the utmost grandeur. It was evident we were the discoverers of a
powerful and opulent country, and not a barbarous land. Here were
civilization and courtesy, and, not to be outdone in these qualities,
I ordered a salute from our terrorite guns. The explosive shells
discharged by gunpowder into the sea sent up columns of water and foam
all around us to an astonishing height, and it took a considerable
time for the sea to subside, the gravity of the water being only
one-tenth that of the external ocean.

The Atvatabarese must have been greatly astonished at the explosions,
as Plothoy informed us that no such weapon as ours formed part of the
armament of the Atvatabar navy.

The fleet ceased firing, and presently a gayly-decorated magnic launch
shot off from the flagship, bearing two officers in brilliant
uniforms. Plothoy, as the boat approached us, said the officers were
Admiral Jolar of the fleet and Koshnili, Grand Minister of the
government. The boat came alongside the _Polar King_, and, lowering a
gangway, the illustrious visitors came on board.

Admiral Jolar was arrayed in an olive-green coat, decorated with
overlapping scales of gold embroidery, and olive-green trousers with
an outer stripe similarly decorated. The uniform of Koshnili, the
Grand Minister, was of electric-blue cloth covered with serpentine
bands of gold embroidery, radiating downward. A small but brilliant
retinue accompanied each official. As the distinguished visitors
stepped on deck, the entire fleet saluted us with a second roar of
guns. Plothoy announced their names and dignities. Being able to greet
their excellencies in their own language greatly astonished them.

I learned from the admiral that the Grand Minister Koshnili was sent
by his majesty, King Aldemegry Bhoolmakar, as a special envoy to bid
us welcome in the name of the king and people of Atvatabar. The story
told by Lecholt had been proclaimed by royal au