Robert, who had often discussed these details with Professor Palmer during the past months, was more interested right then in the probable characteristics of animal life on the planet, and particularly the people. Were they brown-skinned or white, hairy or smooth, with features like our own, or different? He had not forgotten his curious vision of the Martian desert, nor the spell cast over him by the maiden in his dream. She had been neither brown nor ugly. He wished earnestly that the Martians would be like her. These were the thoughts that ran through his mind as he watched the vast fairyland developing beneath him.
By this time the planet’s disk had spread until it formed a low horizon on all sides. Although they were less than a thousand miles distant, the planet’s surface still appeared to be quite level. No indication of mountain ranges could they detect from this height. At an elevation of about three hundred miles Robert checked the velocity of the Sphere further for fear of excessive atmospheric friction. For they should soon be entering the enter edge of the planet’s envelope of gases.
The poles were no longer visible, being lost beyond the rising horizon, as the Sphere was now almost directly over the equator. The planet continued to revolve before their eyes. So long as the Sphere remained beyond the envelope of atmosphere, they were independent of Mars’ rotation.
“Better follow the spin of the planet now, Robert,” said Professor Palmer.
A deflection of the disk soon gave them the desired easterly drift. Gradually, the vast panorama beneath them came to rest.
As they continued to descend, a slight glow began to replace the blackness of space. This indicated the presence of some atmosphere round them. At this point they observed the first sign of vapor upon Mars. A solitary patch of opalescence partly covered one edge of a large, dull-green blotch a little to the northeast of them.
Here and there a certain roughness about the surface of the planet seemed to represent slightly hilly regions, but such places were scarce. The planet’s predominating characteristic appeared to be a monotonous flatness.
The “canals” had now become broad, bluish-green bands, terminating in large circular areas of a similar shade. Robert could almost imagine he saw tree-tops.
Little was said as the Sphere approached the planet’s surface. Each was thrilled with his own imagination and excitement over the immediate prospect of viewing, at close range, the mysterious planet which had so long baffled the experts of the world. Robert retained perfect, skilful control of the Sphere, aided by advice from Professor Palmer as the latter studied the distant Martian landscape intently. Taggert busied himself making notes.
The sky had now taken on a normal glow like that of the Earth’s, and for the first time they felt that they were finally and definitely within the boundaries of the Martian world. The character in detail of the country below was now faintly visible. The earlier suggestion of some moderately hilly regions was emphasised by the setting sun, a low, but ragged, ridge appearing off toward the northwest. It was plain that if they wished to land by daylight there was little time to lose.