"But we had not far to seek  for  inhabitants  of  this
     `Vale of the Triads.' Immediately on the outer border of the
     wood which surrounded, at a distance of  half  a  mile,  the
     eminence  on  which the first of these temples stood, we saw
     several detached assemblies  of  beings  whom  we  instantly
     recognized  to  be of the same species as our winged friends
     of the Ruby Colosseum  near  the  lake  Langrenus.    Having
     adjusted  the  instrument for a minute examination, we found
     that nearly all the individuals  in  these  groups  were  of
     larger  stature  than  the  former  specimens,  less dark in
     color, and in every respect an improved variety of the race.
     They  were  chiefly  engaged  in eating a large yellow fruit
     like a gourd, sections of  which  they  divided  with  their
     fingers, and ate with rather uncouth voracity, throwing away
     the rind.  A smaller red  fruit,  shaped  like  a  cucumber,
     which  we  had  often seen pendant from trees having a broad
     dark leaf, was also lying in heaps in the centre of  several
     of  the  festive  groups;  but the only use they appeared to
     make of it was sucking its juice, after rolling  it  between
     the palms of their hands and nibbling off an end.
          They seemed eminently happy, and even  polite,  for  we
     saw,  in  many  instances, individuals sitting nearest these
     piles of fruit, select the largest and brightest  specimens,
     and  throw  them archwise across the circle to some opposite
     friend or associate who extracted the nutriment  from  those
     scattered  around  him, and which were frequently not a few.
     While thus engaged in their rural  banquets,  or  in  social
     converse, they were always seated with their knees flat upon
     the turf, and their feet brought evenly together in the form
     of a triangle.  And for some mysterious reason or other this
     figure seemed to be an especial favorite among them; for  we
     found  that  every group or social circle arranged itself in
     this shaped before it dispersed, which was generally done at
     the  signal of an individual who stepped into the centre and
     brought his hands over his head in an acute angle.  At  this
     signal  each member of the company extended his arms forward
     so as to form an  acute  angle  horizontal  angle  with  the
     extremity  of  the  fingers.       But this was not the only
     proof  we  had  that  they  were  creatures  of  order   and
     subordination. * * * *  We had no opportunity of seeing them
     actually engaged in any work of industry or art; and so  far
     as   we  could  judge,  they  spent  their  happy  hours  in
     collecting various fruits in the woods, in  eating,  flying,
     bathing, and loitering about on the summits of precipices. *
     * * *  But although evidently the highest order  of  animals
     in this rich valley, they were not its only occupants.  Most
     of the other animals which we had discovered  elsewhere,  in
     very distant regions, were collected here; and also at least
     eight  or  nine  new  species  of  quadrupeds.    The   most
     attractive  of  these  was  a  tall  white  stag  with lofty
     spreading antlers, black as ebony.   We  several  times  saw
     this  elegant  creature trot up to the seated parties od the
     semi-human beings I have described, and browse  the  herbage
     close  beside  them, without the least manifestation of fear
     on his part or notice on their.
          The universal state of amity among all classes of lunar
     creatures, and the apparent absence of every carnivorous  or
     ferocious  creatures, gave us the most refined pleasure, and
     doubly endeared to us this lovely nocturnal companion of our
     larger,  but  less  favored world.  Ever again when `eye the
     blue vault and bless the useful light,' shall I  recall  the
     scenes  of beauty, grandeur and felicity, I have beheld upon
     her surface, not `as through a glass  darkly,  but  face  to
     face;'  and  never  shall I think of that line of our thrice
     noble poet,
     
         ___________________ `Meek Diana's crest
         Sails through the azure air, an island of the blest,'
         without exulting in my knowledge of its truth."
        
          With   the  careful  examination  of  this  instructive
     valley, and  a  scientific  classification  of  its  animal,
     vegetable,  and  mineral productions, the astronomers closed
     their labors  for  the  night;  labors  rather  mental  than
     physical,  and oppressive, from the extreme excitement which
     they naturally induced.  A  singular  circumstance  occurred
     the next day, which three the telescope quite out of use for
     nearly a week, by which time the moon  could  be  no  longer
     observed  that  month.    The  great lens, which was usually
     lowered during the day, and placed horizontally, had, it  is
     true,  been  lowered  as usual, but had been inconsiderately
     left in a  perpendicular  position.    Accordingly,  shortly
     after  sunrise  the  next  morning,  Dr.  Herschel  and  his
     assistants, Dr. Grant and Messrs.  Drummond  and  Home,  who
     slept  in  a  bungalow  erected  a  short  distance from the
     observatory circle, were awakened by the loud shouts of some
     Dutch farmers and domesticated Hottentotts (who were passing
     with their oxen to agricultural labor), that the "big house"
     was  on fire!  Dr. Herschel leaped out of bed from his brief
     slumbers, and, sure enough, saw his observatory enveloped in
     a cloud of smoke.
          Luckily  it  had  been  thickly  covered,  within   and
     without, with a coat of Romanplaster, or it would inevitably
     have been destroyed will all its invaluable  contents;  but,
     as  it  was,  a  hole fifteen feet in circumference had been
     burnt completely though the "reflecting chamber," which  was
     attached  to  the  side of the observatory nearest the lens,
     through the canvass field on which  had  been  exhibited  so
     many  wonders that will ever live in the history of mankind,
     and through the outer wall.  So fierce was the concentration
     of  the solat reyas through the gigantic lense, that a clump
     of trees standing in a line with them was set on  fire,  and
     the plaster of the observatory walls, all round the oriface,
     was  vitrified  to  blue  glass.    The  lens  being  almost
     immediately  turned, and a brook of water being within a few
     hundred yards, the first  was  soon  extinguished,  but  the
     damage  already done was not inconsiderable.  The microscope
     lenses had fortunately been removed for the purpose of being
     cleaned,  but  several  of  the  metallic reflectors were so
     fused as to be rendered useless.  Masons and carpenters were
     procured  from  Cape Town with all possible dispatch, and in
     about a week the whole  apparatus  was  again  prepared  for
     operation.
          The moon being now invisible Dr. Herschel directed  his
     inquiries to the primary planets of the system, and first to
     the planet Saturn.  We need not  say  that  this  remarkable
     globe  has  for  many ages been an object of the most ardent
     astronomical curiosity.  The stupendous  phenomenon  of  its
     double  ring  having  baffled the scrutiny and conjecture of
     many generations of astronomers, was  finally  abandoned  as
     inexplicable.    It  is  well  known  that  this  planet  is
     stationed in the system 900 millions of miles  distant  from
     the  sun,a  nd  that  having  the immense diameter of 79,000
     miles, it is more than nine hundred times larger than earth.
     The  annual motion round the sun os not accomplished in less
     that twenty-nine and a half of our years, whilst its diurnal
     rotation  upon  its  axis  is  accomplished in 10h. 16m., or
     considerably less than half a terrestrial day.  It  has  not
     less  than  seven moons, the sixth and seventh of which were
     discovered by the elder Herschel in 1759.
          It   is  thwarted  by  mysterious  belts  or  bands  of
     yellowish tinge, and is surrounded by a double ring  --  the
     outer  one  of  which  is  204,000  miles  in diameter.  The
     outside diameter of the inner ring is 184,000 miles, and the
     breadth  of  the  outer  one  being  7,200  miles, the space
     between them is 28,000 miles.  The breadth of the inner ring
     is  much greater than that of the other, being 20,000 miles;
     and its distance from  the  body  of  Saturn  is  more  than
     30,000.  These rings are opaque, but so thin that their edge
     has not until now been discovered.
          Sir  John  Herschel's  most  interesting discovery with
     regard to this planet is the demonstrated  fact  that  these
     two  rings  are  composed  of the fragments of two destroyed
     worlds, formerly belonging to our solar system,  and  which,
     on  being exploded, were gathered around the immense body of
     Saturn by the attraction  of  gravity,  and  yet  kept  from
     falling  to  its  surface  by  the  great  centrifugal force
     created by its extraordinary rapidity  on  its  axis.    The
     inner ring was therefore the first of these destroyed worlds
     (the former station of which in the system  is  demonstrated
     in  the  argument  which  we subjoin), which was accordingly
     carried round by the rotary force, and spread forth  in  the
     manner  we see.  The outer ring is another world exploded in
     fragments, attracted by the law of gravity as in the  former
     case,  and  kept  from  uniting  with  the inner ring by the
     centrifugal force of the latter.  But the latter,  having  a
     slower rotation than the planet, has an inferior centrifugal
     force, and accordingly the space between the outer and inner
     ring  is  ten times less than between the inner ring and the
     body of Saturn.  Having ascertained the mean density of  the
     rings,  as compared with the density of the planet, Sir John
     Herschel has been enabled to effect the following  beautiful
     demonstration.  [Which  we  omit,  as  too  mathematical for
     popular comprehension. -- Ed. Sun.]
          Dr.  Herschel  clearly ascertained that these rings are
     composed of rocky strata, the skeletons  of  former  globes,
     lying  is  a  state  of  wild and ghastly confusion, but not
     devoid of mountains and seas. * * * *  The belts across  the
     body of Saturn he has discovered to be the smoke of a number
     of intense volcanoes, carried in these straight lines by the
     extreme  velocity  of  the rotary motion. * * * * [And these
     also he has ascertained to be the belt of  Jupiter.  --  But
     the  portion  of  the work which is devoted to this subject,
     and to the other planets, as also that which  describes  the
     astronomer's  discoveries  among the stars, is comparatively
     uninteresting to general readers, however  highly  it  might
     interest   others   of  scientific  taste  and  mathematical
     acquirements. __ Ed. Sun.]
          * * * *  "It was not until the new moon of the month of
     March, that the weather proved favorable  to  any  continued
     series  of  lunar observations; and Dr. Herschel had been so
     enthusiastically absorbed  in  demonstrating  his  brilliant
     discoveries   in   the   southern   constellations,  and  in
     constructing tables and catalogues  of  his  new  stars,  to
     avail himself of the few clear nights which intervened.
          "On one of these, however, Mr.  Drummond,  myself,  and
     Mr. Holmes, made these discoveries near the Bay of Rainbows,
     to which I have somewhere briefly alluded.   This  bay  thus
     fancifully denominated is a part of the northern boundary of
     the first great ocean which I have lately described, and  is
     marked on the chart with the letter O.  The tract of country
     which we explored on this occasion is numbered  6,5,8,7,  in
     the  catalogue,  and  the  chief  mountains  to  which these
     numbers are attached are severally  named  Atlas,  Hercules,
     Heraclides  Verus,  and Heraclides Falsus.  Still farther to
     the north of these os the island circle  called  Pythagoras,
     and  numbered  1;  and  yet  nearer the meridian line is the
     mountainous district  marked  R,  and  called  the  Land  of
     Drought,  and  Q,  the Land of Hoar Frost; and certainly the
     name of the latter, however theoretically bestowed, was  not
     altogether  inapplicable,  for  the  tops  of its very lofty
     mountains were  evidently  covered  with  snow,  though  the
     valleys  surrounding  them  were  teeming with the luxuriant
     fertility of midsummer.
          But  the  region  which we first particularly inspected
     was that of Heraclided Falsus (No. 7),  in  which  we  found
     several  new  specimens of animals, all of which were horned
     and of a white or grey  color,  and  the  remains  of  three
     ancient triangular temples which had long been in ruins.  We
     thence traversed the country southeastward, until we arrived
     at Atlas (No. 6), and it was one of the noble valleys at the
     foot of this  mountain  that  we  found  the  very  superior
     species  of  the  Vespertilio-homo.  In stature they did not
     exceed those last described, but  they  were  of  infinitely
     greater  personal  beauty, and appeared in our eyes scarcely
     less lovely than the general representations  of  angels  by
     the  more  imaginative  schools  of  painters.  Their social
     economy seemed to be regulated by laws or ceremonies exactly
     like  those  prevailing in the Vale of the Triads, but their
     works of art were more numerous, and displayed a proficiency
     of skill quite incredible to all except actual observers.  I
     shall, therefore, let the first  detailed  account  of  them
     appear  in  Dr.  Herschel's authenticated natural history of
     this planet."
          [This  concludes  the Supplement, with the exception of
     forty pages of illustrative and  mathematical  notes,  which
     would  greatly  enhance  the  size  and  cost  of this work,
     without commeasurably adding to its general interest. --  Ed
     Sun.]