The Martians, they knew, were very clever, perhaps the cleverest inhabitants of the whole solar system. This, no doubt, came from generations of scientific training, for they were in jeopardy; they knew their ultimate fate and, with a commendable spirit of determination to retard it as long as possible, rose to the occasion and astonished more than one world with their powers of resource. The planet is very small, and although it has many moons some are too minute to be measured by Earth-means, appearing to Earthians as but tiny spots, the largest not more than ten miles or so in diameter. The air of Mars is becoming drier every year; less rain falls, less snow forms, and as vegetation must have moisture it ever becomes more and still more difficult for the Martians to preserve water, for though the atmosphere is like that of Earth in its components it is much clearer and drier. The doomed Martians, therefore, have to husband every drop of water; they build reservoirs, lakes, and swamps, and cut trenches and ditches at all angles and of enormous length, many of them from one thousand to two thousand miles long and some many miles wide. This gigantic scheme of canals is but a great national system of irrigation. Snow forms at the poles during the long Martian winter, and melts in the spring, when it is conducted to all portions of the planet along these immense canals; this causes the vegetation to grow, and the people on Earth see the fresh green growth on the belts and oases after the snow has left the mountain tops. Other large tracts of country are a dark red, whilst others, which are seen from Earth to change from yellow to brown, are marshy land which change in colour according to the quantity of water and moisture stored in them. Notwithstanding all their care, the planet is doomed, and certain as time will come a day when all the skill of skilled Mars will be unable to procure enough water to keep anything alive, and one of the most beautiful little worlds in creation will cease to support any life as existing on it to-day. Time may change the Martians’ physical needs, and they may adapt themselves to altering circumstances so as to be able to live without moisture, as different beings, but from the trend of existing conditions on Mars, life, as we know it, is doomed. Knowing and appreciating this, the Martians are using every endeavour to obtain a continuous supply of that which is even more necessary to the existence of human beings than bread. Being aware of the friendly relations that existed between the Martians and the people of Bona, confined, of course, to telepathy, the travellers had no hesitation in settling down on the planet, feeling sure of a friendly welcome, especially as they knew that the Bonians had telepathed the news and particulars of their visitors and the wonderful ship, both to Mars and Jupiter, and from them the Martians had learned much about Earth, and Great Britain in particular.