"After a short delay in advancing the observatory  upon
     the  levers, and in regulating the lens, we found our object
     and surveyed it.  It was a dark narrow  lake  seventy  miles
     long,  bounded,  on  the  east,  north,  and  west,  by  red
     mountains of the same character  as  those  surrounding  the
     Valley  of  the  Unicorn,  from  which  it is distant to the
     south-west about 160 miles.  This lake,  like  that  valley,
     opens  to  the  south  upon  a plain not more than ten miles
     wide,  which  is  here  encircled  by  a  truly  magnificent
     amphitheater  of  the  loftiest order of lunar hills.  For a
     semicircle of six miles these hills are  riven,  from  their
     brow to their base, as perpendicularly as the outer walls of
     the Colosseum at  Rome;  but  here  exhibiting  the  sublime
     altitude  of  at  least  two  thousand  feet,  in one smooth
     unbroken surface.
          How  nature  disposed  of the large mass which she thus
     prodigally carved out, I know not; but certain  it  is  that
     there are no fragments of it left upon the plain, which is a
     declivity without a  single  prominence  except  a  billowly
     tract of woodland that runs in many a will vagary of breadth
     and course to the margin of the lake.  The tremendous height
     and  expansion  of  this  perpendicular  mountain,  with its
     bright crimson front contrasted with the fringe of forest on
     its  brow, and the verdure of the open plain beneath, filled
     out canvass with a landscape unsurpassed in unique  grandeur
     by  any  we  had  beheld.  Our twenty-five miles perspective
     included this remarkable mountain, the plain, a part of  the
     lake,  and  the last graduated summits of the range of hills
     by which the latter is nearly surrounded.
          We  ardently  wished  that  all  the world could view a
     scene so strangely grand, and our pulse beat high  with  the
     hope of one day exhibiting it to our countrymen in some part
     of our native land.  But we  were  at  length  compelled  to
     destroy  our  picture,  as  a  while,  for  the  purpose  of
     magnifying its parts for scientific inspection.   Our  plain
     was  of  course  immediately  covered with the ruby front of
     this  mighty  amphitheater,  its   tall   figures,   leaping
     cascades,  and  rugged  caverns.  As its almost interminable
     sweep was measured off on the  canvass,  we  frequently  saw
     long lines of some yellow metal hanging from the crevices of
     the horizontal strata in will net-work, or straight  pendant
     branches.  We of course concluded that this was virgin gold,
     and we had no assay-master to prove to the contrary.
          On searching the plain, over which we had observed  the
     woods roving in all the shapes of clouds in the sky, we were
     again delighted with the discovery of animals.    The  first
     observed  was  a quadruped with an amazingly long neck, head
     like a sheep,  bearing  two  long  spiral  horns,  white  as
     polished  ivory, and standing in a perpendicular parallel to
     each other.  Its body was like  that  of  a  deer,  but  its
     fore-legs  were  most  disproportionally long, and its tail,
     which was very busy and of a snowy  whiteness,  curled  high
     over  its rump, and hung two or three feet by its side.  Its
     colors were  bright  bay  and  white  in  brindled  parches,
     clearly  defined, but of no regular form.  It was found only
     in pairs, in  spaces  between  the  woods,  and  we  had  no
     opportunity of witnessing its speed or habits.
          But a few minutes only elapsed before  three  specimens
     of  another animal appeared, so well known to us all that we
     fairly  laughed  at  the  recognition  of  so  familiar   an
     acquaintance  in  so distant a land.  They were neither more
     nor less than three good large sheep, which would  not  have
     disgraced  the  farms  of Leicestershire, or the shambles of
     Leanenhall-market.  With the utmost scrutiny, we could  find
     no mark of distinction between these and those of our native
     soil; they had not even the appendage over the eyes, which I
     have  described  as  common  to lunar quadrupeds.  Presently
     they appeared in great numbers, and on reducing the  lenses,
     we  found them in flocks over a great part of the valley.  I
     need not say how desirous we were of  finding  shepherds  to
     these  flocks,  and even a man with blue apron and rolled up
     sleeves would have been a welcome sight to us, if not to the
     sheep;  but  they fed in peace, lords of their own pastures,
     without either protector or destroyer in human shape.
          "We at length approached the level opening to the lake,
     where the valley narrows to a mile in  width,  and  displays
     scenery  on  both  sides picturesque and romantic beyond the
     powers of prose description.    Imagination,  borne  on  the
     wings  of  poetry, could alone gather similes to portray the
     wild sublimity of this landscape, where dark behometh  crags
     stood over the brows of lofty precipices, as if a rampart in
     the sky; and forests seemed suspended in mid air.    On  the
     eastern side there was one soaring crag, crested with trees,
     which hung over in a curve like three-fourths  of  a  Gothic
     arch, and being of a rich crimson color, its effect was most
     strange upon minds unaccustomed to the association  of  such
     grandeur with such beauty.
          "But  whilst gazing upon them in a perspective of about
     half a mile, we were thrilled with astonishment to  perceive
     four  successive  flocks  of  large winged creatures, wholly
     unlike any kind of birds, descend with a  slow  even  motion
     from  the  cliffs  on  the western side, and alight upon the
     plain.    They  were  first  noted  by  Dr.  Herschel,   who
     exclaimed, `Now, gentlemen, my theories against your proofs,
     which you have often found a pretty even bet, we  have  here
     something  worth looking at: I was confident that if we ever
     found beings in human shape, it would be in this  longitude,
     and  that  they would be provided by their Creator with some
     extraordinary powers of locomotion: first  exchange  for  my
     number D.'  This lense being soon introduced, gave us a fine
     half-mile distance, and we counted three  parties  of  these
     creatures,  of  twelve,  none,  and fifteen in each, walking
     erect towards a small wood near  the  base  of  the  eastern
     precipices.
          Certainly the were like human beings, for  their  wings
     had  now disappeared, and their attitude in walking was both
     erect and dignified.  Having observed them at this  distance
     for  some  minutes, we introduced lens Hz which brought them
     to the apparent proximity of eighty yards; the highest clear
     magnitude  we  possessed until the latter end of March, when
     we  effected an improvement in the gas-burners.  About  half
     of the first party had passed beyond our canvass; but of all
     the others we had a perfect distinct  and  deliberate  view.
     They  averaged  four feet in height, were covered, except on
     the face, with short and glossy copper-colored hair, and had
     wings  composed  of  a  thin  membrane,  without hair, lying
     snugly upon their backs, from the top of their shoulders  to
     the  calves  of  their  legs.    The  face,  which  was of a
     yellowish flesh color, was a slight improvement upon that of
     the  large  orang outang, being more open and intelligent in
     its expression, and  having  a  much  greater  expansion  of
     forehead.    The  mouth, however, was very prominent, though
     somewhat relieved by a thick beard upon the lower  jaw,  and
     by  lips  far  more human than those of any species of simia
     genus.
          In  general  symmetry  of  body  and  limbs  they  were
     infinitely superior to the orang outang; so much  so,  that,
     but  for  their  long wings, Lieut. Drummond said they would
     look as well on a parade ground as some of the  old  cockney
     militia!   The hair on the head was a darker color than that
     of the body, closely curled, but apparently not  wooly,  and
     arranged  in two curious semicircles over the temples of the
     forehead.  Their feet could  only  bee  seen  as  they  were
     alternately  lifted  in walking; but, from what we could see
     of them in so transient a view, they appeared thin, and very
     protuberant at the heel.
          "Whilst passing across the  canvass,  and  whenever  we
     afterwards  saw them, these creatures were evidently engaged
     in conversation; their gesticulation, more particularly  the
     varied  action of their hands and arms, appeared impassioned
     and emphatic.  We hence inferred  that  they  were  rational
     beings,  and  although  not  perhaps  of so high an order as
     others which we discovered the next month on the  shores  of
     the Bay of Rainbows, they were capable of producing works of
     art and contrivance.  The next view we obtained of them  was
     still  more  favorable.    It was on the borders of a little
     lake, or expanded stream, which we then for the  first  time
     perceived  running  down  the  valley  to  a large lake, and
     having on its eastern margin a small wood.
          "Some  of  these  creatures  had crossed this water and
     were lying like spread eagles on the skirts of the wood.  We
     could  then  perceive  that  they  possessed  wings of great
     expansion, and were similar in structure to this of the bat,
     being  a  semi-transparent  membrane expanded in curvilineal
     divisions by means of straight radii, united at the back  by
     the  dorsal  integuments.   But what astonished us very much
     was the circumstance of this membrane being continued,  from
     the  shoulders  to the legs, united all the way down, though
     gradually decreasing in width.  The wings seemed  completely
     under  the  command  of volition, for those of the creatures
     whom we saw bathing in the water, spread them  instantly  to
     their  full width, waved them as ducks do their to shake off
     the water, and then as instantly  closed  them  again  in  a
     compact form.
          Our  further  observation  of  the  habits   of   these
     creatures,  who  were  of both sexes, led to results to very
     remarkable, that I prefer they should first be  laid  before
     the  public  in Dr. Herschel's own work, where I have reason
     to know  they  are  fully  and  faithfully  stated,  however
     incredulously  they may be received. -- * * * * *  The three
     families then almost simultaneously spread their wings,  and
     were  lost in the dark confines of the canvass before we had
     time to  breathe  from  our  paralyzing  astonishment.    We
     scientifically  denominated  them  as  Vespertilio-homo,  or
     man-bat;  and  they  are  doubtless   innocent   and   happy
     creatures,  notwithstanding  that  some  of their amusements
     would but  ill  comport  with  our  terrestrial  notions  of
     decorum.   The valley itself we called the Ruby Coloseum, in
     compliment to its stupendous southern boundary, the six mile
     sweep  of precipices two thousand feet high.  And the night,
     or rather morning, being far advanced, we postponed our tour
     to Petavius (No. 20), until another opportunity."
          We have,  of  course,  faithfully  obeyed  Dr.  Grant's
     private  injunction to omit those highly curious passages in
     his correspondence which he wished us to suppress,  although
     we  do not perceive the force of the reason assigned for it.
     It is true, the omitted paragraphs contain facts which would
     be wholly incredible to readers who do not carefully examine
     the principles and capacity of  the  instrument  with  which
     these  marvellous  discoveries  have  been made; but so will
     nearly all  those  which  he  has  kindly  permitted  us  to
     publish;  and  it  was  for  this  reason  we considered the
     explicit description which we have given of the telescope so
     important  a  preliminary.    From these, however, and other
     prohibited  passages,  which  will  be  published   by   Dr.
     Herschel,  with  the  certificates of the civil and military
     authorities  of  the  colony,  and  of  several   Episcopal,
     Wesleyan,  and  other  ministers, who, in the month of March
     last, were permitted, under  the  stipulation  of  temporary
     secrecy,  to  visit the laboratory, and become eye-witnesses
     of the wonders which they were requested to attest,  we  are
     confident  his  forthcoming volumes will be at once the most
     sublime  in  science,  and  the  most  intense  in   general
     interest, that ever issued from the press.
          The night of the 14th displayed the moon  in  her  mean
     libration,  or  full;  but  the  somewhat humid state of the
     atmosphere being for  several  hours  less  favorable  to  a
     minute  inspection  than to a general survey of her surface,
     they were chiefly  devoted  to  the  latter  purpose.    But
     shortly after midnight the last veil of mist was dissipated,
     and the sky being as lucid as on the  former  evenings,  the
     attention  of the astronomers was arrested by the remarkable
     outlines of the spot marked Tycho, No. 18, in Blunt's  lunar
     chart;  and  in  this  region  they added treasures to human
     knowledge which angels might well desire to win.  Many parts
     of   the  following  extract  will  remain  forever  in  the
     chronicles of time:-