The Argosy, Vol. XXIV, No. 3 — page 155: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

A MONTH IN THE MOON. 939 greatest mistake to bring up the deaf mute to express a particular vocabulary by signs; he says there is a universal language of gestures, which is the same in every land, and is, perhaps, the primitive language of humanity ; and that this is the language that should be taught, not only to deaf mutes, but to children in general, in order that they may thus possess a universal idiom. “Virgil is invaluable. He is at present overseer of works; he is super- intending the repairing of the solar heat condensers on which the prisoners are engaged. My uncle and M. Mauny keep the electrical apparatus to themselves. I suspect that M. Norbert has kept to himself alone the secret of the terminals, for fear of some accident happening, such as that fatal escapade of Smith’s. Fatima and I spend three hours every day in making stuff bands, which are to play their part, I am told, in our homeward journey. ‘**No one here is idle except the facet valet ; and perhaps that is because they do not want him to lose the habit. But Smith can make very nice pre- served turtle soup. ‘“* Sir Bucephalus will have it that he is here against his will ; that he took no measures to get here, and never believed, indeed, that the Sx pediGan would succeed. He says M. Mauny must get him out of it. ‘“M. Mauny is the only one who is thoroughly satisfied. He says that the moon is the paradise of astronomers, and the finest observatory in space ; that he would willingly pass two or three years here, and is so sorry that the lack of air necessitates our speedy departure. He can hardly tear himself from his telescopes, even in the daytime. I don’t know what it will be when night comes—the long night so favorable to astronomical research! He will have some valuable notes of this lunar excursion, I imagine.’’ CHAPTER XXXVI.—THE JOURNAL CONTINUED. ‘“Rour hours later.—I have been interrupted in my daily chat with you, dear papa, by uncle, who came. to invite me to go out with him and Sir Bucephalus. You know how, ever since we came here, uncle has had a crav- ing to find some vegetable substance, even if only a little moss or a blade of grass. He says it would be the greatest prize in his collection of herbs, and would make him famous. | ‘‘He has already fixed upon a name for this precious vegetable ; it is to be called Briefa maxima or parvula, according to its size, unless, indeed, it has to be simply Brieta selenensis. But, sad to say, we have not as yet found asingle plant. Uncle is not discouraged, however, and we are now going out to hunt again. He declares also that the air of the moon (for want of a more exact expression) does mea great deal of good, and I ought to take exercise every day, even in this climate, where fatigue is unknown. ‘‘ We started, therefore, in the best of humors. We descended the dried up torrent from the Apennines, which were so nearly fatalto Sir Bucephalus. He pointed out to us the spot where the three conspirators awaited him to steal his oxygen respirator, and I can assure you his tragic attitudes whilst CONnnicloOoks.cO