The moon hoax : $b or, A discovery that the moon has a vast population of human beings — John Locke — John Shaqi
The moon hoax : $b or, A discovery that the moon has a vast population of human beings
John Locke · en
"At length we carefully explored the Endymion. We found each of
the three ovals volcanic and sterile within; but, without, most
rich, throughout the level regions around them, in every imaginable
production of a bounteous soil. Dr. Herschel has classified not less
than thirty-eight species of forest trees, and nearly twice this number
of plants, found in this tract alone, which are widely different to
those found in more equatorial latitudes. Of animals, he classified
nine species of mammalia, and five of ovipara. Among the former is
a small kind of rein-deer, the elk, the moose, the horned bear, and
the biped beaver. The last resembles the beaver of the earth in every
other respect than in its destitution of a tail, and its invariable
habit of walking upon only two feet. It carries its young in its arms
like a human being, and moves with an easy gliding motion. Its huts
are constructed better and higher than those of many tribes of human
savages, and from the appearance of smoke in nearly all of them, there
is no doubt of its being acquainted with the use of fire. Still its
head and body differ only in the points stated from that of the beaver,
and it was never seen except on the borders of lakes and rivers, in
which it has been observed to immerse for a period of several seconds.
"Thirty degrees farther south, in No. 11, or Cleomedes, an immense
annular mountain, containing three distinct craters, which have been so
long extinguished that the whole valley around them, which is eleven
miles in extent, is densely crowded with woods nearly to the summits of
the hills. Not a rod of vacant land, except the tops of these craters,
could be descried, and no living creature, except a large white bird
resembling the stork. At the southern extremity of this valley is
a natural archway or cavern, 200 feet high, and 100 wide, through
which runs a river which discharges itself over a precipice of grey
rock 80 feet in depth, and then forms a branching stream through a
beautiful campaign district for many miles. Within twenty miles of this
cataract is the largest lake, or rather inland sea, that has been found
throughout the seven and a half millions of square miles which this
illuminated side of the moon contains. Its width, from east to west,
is 198 miles, and from north to south, 266 miles. Its shape, to the
northward, is not unlike that of the bay of Bengal, and it is studded
with small islands, most of which are volcanic. Two of these, on the
eastern side, are now violently eruptive; but our lowest magnifying
power was too great to examine them with convenience, on account of the
cloud of smoke and ashes which beclouded our field of view: as seen by
Lieut. Drummond, through our reflecting telescope of 2,000 times, they
exhibited great brilliancy. In a bay, on the western side of this sea,
is an island 55 miles long, of a crescent form, crowded through its
entire sweep with the most superb and wonderful natural beauties, both
of vegetation and geology.