artificial　than　of　natural　protuberance。　The　highest　among　them　does
  not　exceed　three　and　three…quarter　miles　in　perpendicular　elevation；
  but　a　map　of　the　volcanic　districts　of　the　Campi　Phlegraei　would
  afford　to　your　Excellencies　a　better　idea　of　their　general　surface
  than　any　unworthy　description　I　might　think　proper　to　attempt。　The
  greater　part　of　them　were　in　a　state　of　evident　eruption；　and　gave　me
  fearfully　to　understand　their　fury　and　their　power；　by　the　repeated
  thunders　of　the　miscalled　meteoric　stones；　which　now　rushed　upward　by
  the　balloon　with　a　frequency　more　and　more　appalling。
  〃April　18th。　To…day　I　found　an　enormous　increase　in　the　moon's
  apparent　bulk　　and　the　evidently　accelerated　velocity　of　my　descent
  began　to　fill　me　with　alarm。　It　will　be　remembered；　that；　in　the
  earliest　stage　of　my　speculations　upon　the　possibility　of　a　passage
  to　the　moon；　the　existence；　in　its　vicinity；　of　an　atmosphere；　dense
  in　proportion　to　the　bulk　of　the　planet；　had　entered　largely　into　my
  calculations；　this　too　in　spite　of　many　theories　to　the　contrary；
  and；　it　may　be　added；　in　spite　of　a　general　disbelief　in　the
  existence　of　any　lunar　atmosphere　at　all。　But；　in　addition　to　what　I
  have　already　urged　in　regard　to　Encke's　comet　and　the　zodiacal　light；
  I　had　been　strengthened　in　my　opinion　by　certain　observations　of　Mr。
  Schroeter；　of　Lilienthal。　He　observed　the　moon　when　two　days　and　a
  half　old；　in　the　evening　soon　after　sunset；　before　the　dark　part　was
  visible；　and　continued　to　watch　it　until　it　became　visible。　The　two
  cusps　appeared　tapering　in　a　very　sharp　faint　prolongation；　each
  exhibiting　its　farthest　extremity　faintly　illuminated　by　the　solar
  rays；　before　any　part　of　the　dark　hemisphere　was　visible。　Soon
  afterward；　the　whole　dark　limb　became　illuminated。　This　prolongation
  of　the　cusps　beyond　the　semicircle；　I　thought；　must　have　arisen　from
  the　refraction　of　the　sun's　rays　by　the　moon's　atmosphere。　I
  computed；　also；　the　height　of　the　atmosphere　（which　could　refract
  light　enough　into　its　dark　hemisphere　to　produce　a　twilight　more
  luminous　than　the　light　reflected　from　the　earth　when　the　moon　is
  about　32　degrees　from　the　new）　to　be　1；356　Paris　feet；　in　this　view；
  I　supposed　the　greatest　height　capable　of　refracting　the　solar　ray；
  to　be　5；376　feet。　My　ideas　on　this　topic　had　also　received
  confirmation　by　a　passage　in　the　eighty…second　volume　of　the
  Philosophical　Transactions；　in　which　it　is　stated　that　at　an
  occultation　of　Jupiter's　satellites；　the　third　disappeared　after
  having　been　about　1〃　or　2〃　of　time　indistinct；　and　the　fourth　became
  indiscernible　near　the　limb。｛*4｝
  〃Cassini　frequently　observed　Saturn；　Jupiter；　and　the　fixed　stars；
  when　approaching　the　moon　to　occultation；　to　have　their　circular
  figure　changed　into　an　oval　one；　and；　in　other　occultations；　he　found
  no　alteration　of　figure　at　all。　Hence　it　might　be　supposed；　that　at
  some　times　and　not　at　others；　there　is　a　dense　matter　encompassing
  the　moon　wherein　the　rays　of　the　stars　are　refracted。
  〃Upon　the　resistance　or；　more　properly；　upon　the　support　of　an
  atmosphere；　existing　in　the　state　of　density　imagined；　I　had；　of
  course；　entirely　depended　for　the　safety　of　my　ultimate　descent。
  Should　I　then；　after　all；　prove　to　have　been　mistaken；　I　had　in
  consequence　nothing　better　to　expect；　as　a　finale　to　my　adventure；
  than　being　dashed　into　atoms　against　the　rugged　surface　of　the
  satellite。　And；　indeed；　I　had　now　every　reason　to　be　terrified。　My
  distance　from　the　moon　was　comparatively　trifling；　while　the　labor
  required　by　the　condenser　was　diminished　not　at　all；　and　I　could
  discover　no　indication　whatever　of　a　decreasing　rarity　in　the　air。
  〃April　19th。　This　morning；　to　my　great　joy；　about　nine　o'clock；　the
  surface　of　the　moon　being　frightfully　near；　and　my　apprehensions
  excited　to　the　utmost；　the　pump　of　my　condenser　at　length　gave
  evident　tokens　of　an　alteration　in　the　atmosphere。　By　ten；　I　had
  reason　to　believe　its　density　considerably　increased。　By　eleven；　very
  little　labor　was　necessary　at　the　apparatus；　and　at　twelve　o'clock；
  with　some　hesitation；　I　ventured　to　unscrew　the　tourniquet；　when；
  finding　no　inconvenience　from　having　done　so；　I　finally　threw　open
  the　gum…elastic　chamber；　and　unrigged　it　from　around　the　car。　As
  might　have　been　expected；　spasms　and　violent　headache　were　the
  immediate　consequences　of　an　experiment　so　precipitate　and　full　of
  danger。　But　these　and　other　difficulties　attending　respiration；　as
  they　were　by　no　means　so　great　as　to　put　me　in　peril　of　my　life；　I
  determined　to　endure　as　I　best　could；　in　consideration　of　my　leaving
  them　behind　me　momently　in　my　approach　to　the　denser　strata　near　the
  moon。　This　approach；　however；　was　still　impetuous　in　the　extreme；　and
  it　soon　became　alarmingly　certain　that；　although　I　had　probably　not
  been　deceived　in　the　expectation　of　an　atmosphere　dense　in　proportion
  to　the　mass　of　the　satellite；　still　I　had　been　wrong　in　supposing
  this　density；　even　at　the　surface；　at　all　adequate　to　the　support　of
  the　great　weight　contained　in　the　car　of　my　balloon。　Yet　this　should
  have　been　the　case；　and　in　an　equal　degree　as　at　the　surface　of　the
  earth；　the　actual　gravity　of　bodies　at　either　planet　supposed　in　the
  ratio　of　the　atmospheric　condensation。　That　it　was　not　the　case；
  however；　my　precipitous　downfall　gave　testimony　enough；　why　it　was
  not　so；　can　only　be　explained　by　a　reference　to　those　possible
  geological　disturbances　to　which　I　have　formerly　alluded。　At　all
  events　I　was　now　close　upon　the　planet；　and　coming　down　with　the　most
  terrible　impetuosity。　I　lost　not　a　moment；　accordingly；　in　throwing
  overboard　first　my　ballast；　then　my　water…kegs；　then　my　condensing
  apparatus　and　gum…elastic　chamber；　and　finally　every　article　within
  the　car。　But　it　was　all　to　no　purpose。　I　still　fell　with　horrible
  rapidity；　and　was　now　not　more　than　half　a　mile　from　the　surface。　As
  a　last　resource；　therefore；　having　got　rid　of　my　coat；　hat；　and
  boots；　I　cut　loose　from　the　balloon　the　car　itself；　which　was　of　no
  inconsiderable　weight；　and　thus；　clinging　with　both　hands　to　the
  net…work；　I　had　barely　time　to　observe　that　the　whole　country；　as　far
  as　the　eye　could　reach；　was　thickly　interspersed　with　diminutive
  habitations；　ere　I　tumbled　headlong　into　the　very　heart　of　a
  fantastical…looking　city；　and　into　the　middle　of　a　vast　crowd　of　ugly
  little　people；　who　none　of　them　uttered　a　single　syllable；　or　gave
  themselves　the　least　trouble　to　render　me　assistance；　but　stood；　like
  a　parcel　of　idiots；　grinning　in　a　ludicrous　manner；　and　eyeing　me　and
  my　balloon　askant；　with　their　arms　set　a…kimbo。　I　turned　from　them　in
  contempt；　and；　gazing　upward　at　the　earth　so　lately　left；　and　left
  perhaps　for　ever；　beheld　it　like　a　huge；　dull；　copper　shield；　about
  two　degrees　in　diameter；　fixed　immovably　in　the　heavens　overhead；　and
  tipped　on　one　of　its　edges　with　a　crescent　border　of　the　most
  brilliant　gold。　No　traces　of　land　or　water　could　be　discovered；　and
  the　whole　was　clouded　with　variable　spots；　and　belted　with　tropical
  and　equatorial　zones。
  〃Thus；　may　it　please　your　Excellencies；　after　a　series　of　great
  anxieties；　unheard　of　dangers；　and　unparalleled　escapes；　I　had；　at
  length；　on　the　nineteenth　day　of　my　departure　from　Rotterdam；　arrived
  in　safety　at　the　conclusion　of　a　voyage　undoubtedly　the　most
  extraordinary；　and　the　most　momentous；　ever　accomplished；　undertaken；
  or　conceived　by　any　denizen　of　earth。　But　my　adventures　yet　remain　to
  be　related。　And　indeed　your　Excellencies　may　well　imagine　that；　after
  a　residence　of　five　years　upon　a　planet　not　only　deeply　interesting
  in　its　own　peculiar　character；　but　rendered　doubly　so　by　its　intimate
  connection；　in　capacity　of　satellite；　with　the　world　inhabited　by
  man；　I　may　have　intelligence　for　the　private　ear　of　the　States'
  College　of　Astronomers　of　far　more　importance　than　the　details；
  however　wonderful；　of　the　mere　voyage　which　so　happily　concluded。
  This　is；　in　fact；　the　case。　I　have　much　　very　much　which　it　would
  give　me　the　greatest　pleasure　to　communicate。　I　have　much　to　say　of
  the　climate　of　the　planet；　of　its　wonderful　alternations　of　heat　and
  cold；　of　unmitigated　and　burning　sunshine　for　one　fortnight；　and　more
  than　polar　frigidity　for　the　next；　of　a　constant　transfer　of
  moisture；　by　distillation　like　that　in　vacuo；　from　the　point　beneath
  the　sun　to　the　point　the　farthest　from　it；　of　a　variable　zone　of
  running　water；　of　the　people　themselves；　of　their　manners；　customs；
  and　political　institutions；　of　their　peculiar　physical　construction；
  of　their　ugliness；　of　their　want　of　ears；　those　useless　appendages　in
  an　atmosphere　so　peculiarly　modified；　of　their　consequent　ignorance
  of　the　use　and　properties　of　speech；　of　their　substitute　for　speech
  in　a　singular　method　of　inter…communication；　of　the　incomprehensible
  connection　between　each　particular　individual　in　the　moon　with　some
  particular　individual　on　the　earth　　a　connection　analogous　with；
  and　depending　upon；　that　of　the　orbs　of　the　planet　and　the
  satellites；　and　by　means　of　which　the　lives　and　destinie