We are turning towards our original landing field on the plateau instead of going any farther at this time, since we don't know how long we will stay on the Moon and we have a hunch to preserve the fuel.
Rather than return over the same territory we have come, George suggests that we take the light side to see what is there. To our surprise we find ourselves flying over quite a number of large settlements which are discernible from the air. Coming this way, Bob has had to rise to an altitude of forty thousand feet for we are encountering mountain peaks which are around thirty thousand to thirty-two thousand feet elevation. In each case the villages of the people living on the light side are of cliff dweller type, half way up the mountains from the floor of the valley. Through this entire area there is very little vegetation, while the mountains themselves seem to be of volcanic origin and bare of trees or brush.
We have reached our starting place and are landing again. As our passengers leave the ship they try to thank us by much chattering and many gestures with their hands, indicating a great deal of excitement and joyousness, as it appears to us. Both groups of people who had been left behind when we went for our trip were still there awaiting our return and they all gathered around the ship when it landed, looking upon it with amazement.
Our passengers have left the ship and we are following them out. As we do, the leaders of the two tribes grab us by the hands and start talking with excitement to their own people. From what we can get, they seem to be telling them all about the trip, with much enthusiasm and exuberance.
This has continued for several hours.
Now it is over. The two chieftains, the one of the dark race and the one of the light race, shake hands with each other and all the people of both tribes gather together. With one chieftain on each side of us, followed by all the tribespeople, we start walking in the direction of the little lake again. When we reach the brush-forest that we had previously broken a path through, we find they have their own path. It is a wide open thoroughfare which we would have seen when we were here first had not the opening to it been camouflaged, made to look as though it was solid with brush. The natives are removing this camouflage in order for the procession to get down to the lake.
After reaching the lake, the white boys go into the water taking with them little gadgets which we are permitted to examine. These are made of wood or the crotch of a limb with a very sharp point. With them they catch fish at an amazing speed. In a very short time they have caught a large quantity of fish. Then some of the people start to prepare a feast.
During these preparations messengers are dispatched somewhere but we don't know to where.
Realizing that these people are all friendly towards us, we are taking more liberty in openly observing them and what they are wearing.
During all the time we have been with them, we have noticed how very intelligent these Moon people really are in all their ways.