The wings of those great creatures have an expanse of from twelve to fourteen feet, which, with the broad, strong membrane connecting wings with thighs affords a tremendous lifting power, enabling them to rise with marvellous velocity to a great height. When in flight their long tail feathers spread like a huge fan, not only augmenting the rapidity of their flight but steadying it. Observe their feline heads, which, like their short, thick necks, are covered with feathers so minute as to resemble hair. Instead of bills they have protuberant mouths lined with a bony structure in which are embedded short, sharp teeth with which they can, as once I learned to my cost, inflict severe injury, though really they are of a gentle nature, as is evinced in their large, mild, fearless, inquiring eyes.
When fully grown, from tip of mouth to tip of tail, they are about eight feet long. Their great plumed wings and tails and their heads so feline in form and appearance suggest the idea of composite creatures, partaking of the characteristics of both bird and animal, and when in flight they present an imposing but most uncanny appearance. Only the males have mottled plumage; the females uniformly are of a dull brown color.
As I have stated, west of Indoloisa̤ is an extensive region which, for many centuries, has been a desert waste, which has been shunned and left to the forces of the hot winds, ever blowing its loose sands in blinding, stifling clouds over its levelled surface. Recently air transports passed over this forbidding waste, but at the time of which I shall speak, practically it was nearly an unknown land. Prior to the death of my parents I, with some scientific friends, some students and attendants, were, for the purpose of ascertaining the feasibility of reclaiming some portions of the waste lands, exploring the desert, which, to our inquiring minds, offered many attractions. Leisurely we had journeyed from southward to northward, but we were very weary, as were our milch and burthen bearing animals, who were panting from fatigue and the excessive heat. Overhead the azure sky was like a great canopy in which the glowing sun with slanting beams gave promise of the longed for coolness of the approaching evening. Suddenly, high overhead appeared a large, shadowy form, flying with exceeding swiftness. As it flew farther away our gaze followed it with eager curiosity, for in our indistinct view of it we recognized that it was a bird quite unknown to us. When it had almost disappeared from our view it turned about and with incredible velocity came toward us, curiosity seemingly impelling it to a closer scrutiny of our party. When nearly overhead, in ever narrowing circles it dropped lower and lower until it was no more than two hundred feet or so above us. A strange bird, cried some. A winged animal, cried others. A monster, was the final verdict of all. As it gazed at us curiously and apparently without apprehension, we, agape, stood as though spellbound. With much astonishment we observed that apparently it had become motionless above us, and we distinctly heard a humming sound with rising and falling inflections which we supposed were vocal notes, but later we learned that the sounds were occasioned by the rapid vibrations of a peculiar wing attachment. For a short time the creature remained intently regarding us, then swiftly, in ever widening circles, it rose to a great height and again flew westward.
With the enthusiasm of one whose bent of mind mainly is in one direction I at once resolved to search for the habitat of our strange visitor. Of the islands of Indoloisa̤'s waters and of its boundaries southward and northward we possessed accurate knowledge. With its immediate western shore lands we also were acquainted, but of the desert extending far westward we knew comparatively little. After counselling together we decided to proceed northward until we should reach an irrigated region, where we would rest, supply ourselves with food and possibly with some information relating to our strange visitor. Four days' travel brought us to the northern limit of the desert and to a pastoral people inhabiting the irrigated productive lands extending along its arid border. From them we learned that only very recently had any one beheld the great birds, whose lofty flight precluded more than an indistinct view of them. That it was thought that they made their home near Loisa̤ Rûmēsa̤ (Rûmēsa̤, a goddess), which with burthen bearing animals we might reach in about six days. That Loisa̤ Rûmēsa̤ was a body of fresh water we knew and that its northern shore was waste and uninhabited we also knew, so, with some misgiving, but with determination to succeed in our quest we left our hospitable entertainers and travelled westward along the northern limit of the desert, gathering such information as might serve our purpose of a coming time. So impatient were we to reach Loisa̤ Rûmēsa̤ that we travelled early and late and the afternoon of the sixth day brought us to its northern shore, where its sparkling waters sharply indent the sandy waste.
It is a matter of regret to your friends, and I doubt not to yourself, that an attempt to impress upon your memory anything of a technical nature immediately arouses your cautiousness and renders you so positive as to be unreceptive. No, I shall not vex you by attempting to urge you to give the latitude and longitude of localities.
Gentola—Do not, please, for I so fear mistakes that I cannot risk making them. I do indeed regret that I possess such an inconvenient mental trait, for I have found it so much in my own way that I do not find fault with my Spirit friends for objecting to it.
George—Never mind, Gentola̤, we are glad enough to take you as you are and thankful that you are no more objectionable.
Ha-Moufih—You understand George's badinage, and you also understand that I do not mean to chide you. On the contrary I am surprised and delighted with your docile and matter-of-fact manner of accommodating yourself to an experience that well might overwhelm you.
Loisa̤ Rûmēsa̤ is about one hundred and forty miles long and nearly one-third as wide. On the west its waters wash the base of a low, picturesque mountain range named Diafa̤-avina̤ (many hued), which, from northward to southward extends the entire length of the lake, thence curving eastward it grades itself into inconsiderable hills, which at length are lost in an irrigated fertile plain. Your friends contemplate showing you Loisa̤ Rûmēsa̤, but I shall not have the pleasure of accompanying you.
For seven days we remained on its northern shore where nearby was some herbage for our animals, and constantly we were on the lookout for the great birds. Each succeeding day brought us only disappointment, yet did not lessen our ardor or determination to find them. Then, slowly, for three days we journeyed along the eastern shore when again we encamped amid a broken, fertile space of considerable extent. Here we found herbage and wild fruits in abundance, and such numbers and variety of birds that the air was vocal with their notes. Water fowls, too, of various kinds made of the rocky locality a breeding ground and the contents of their nests afforded a welcome addition to our food supply.