After reaching the mountains and climbing about three thousand feet up
the side, we decided to go no farther for this was indeed rough going.
Then too, in the distance far up ahead of us we could hear strange
noises as if wild animals might be up there. A feeling of apprehension
filled us with caution. So here about five miles from our ship, at an
elevation of three thousand feet on one of the Moon's mountains we
planted the flag of the World.
As we descended towards the foot of the mountain, we remembered the
forest we had seen from the air and the little lake beyond it. In this
direction now we turned our steps; stopping now and then as we go that
we may not miss a thing along the way. We travel another twelve miles
along the foot of the mountain ridge.
Here we see a small animal jumping from rock to rock up the
mountainside. It looks and jumps much like a kangaroo but it is very
small, measuring only about eighteen inches in height. We watch it for
some time wondering what it is and how it lives. It has seen us too,
but seemed to have not the slightest fear of us as it continues its way
on up the mountain.
From this point we turn again across the plateau towards the forest
which we can plainly see through our glasses. As we have walked along
we have become aware of the fact that the sands of the plateau have
given way to a richer soil which is covered with a vegetation or plant
life. Even across the tip of the plateau as we head towards the forest,
this plant life continues. The atmosphere here too is different. A
moisture similar to dew fills the air which seems to give this plant
life all it needs to grow. And now we see the first fowl of the air
that we have seen since landing on the Moon. What it is, we don't know.
It is a lot larger than any bird we have on Earth and beautiful to
watch as it glides leisurely through space.
Nearing the forest, we seem to be faced with a solid barrier. The
undergrowth is so dense that we cannot even see any tree trunks. We
search diligently for some indication of a path leading into this
denseness, but find none. From the air this forest didn't seem too wide
so we decide to make our own path by hacking our way through. However
we quickly learn this isn't necessary for with very little pressure the
branches break easily.
As we work our way through this brush, we receive somewhat of a
surprise for there are no large trunks to the trees in this forest.
Instead, these are immense bushes growing very high and thick. Yet as
we penetrate deeper into it, the light of the Earth trickles through
the branches, lighting our path as we make it. After about half a mile
of this slow progress, we suddenly emerge into the bright clearness
again and find ourselves almost upon the shore of the beautiful little
lake we had been heading for.
Across the lake, which was about two and a half miles, we could see
some dwellings. These we had not noticed from the air.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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