JT2 THE BORDERLAND OF SCIENCE. 



When at length we passed within the Saturnian 

 atmosphere, which extends but a small distance rela- 

 tively above his visible surface, we obtained at once 

 the most convincing evidence that he cannot possibly 

 be the abode of life. Immediately a strange uproar 

 surrounded us, less intense but scarcely less appalling 

 than that which prevails within the solar atmosphere. 

 Eepeated reverberations seemed to announce either the 

 collision of enormous masses or the occurrence of tre- 

 mendous volcanic outbursts. But the most characteristic 

 of the noises which greeted us was an intense and 

 persistent hissing, as though steam was rushing from a 

 million outlets at once. 



Passing to the illuminated portion of the planet 

 and remaining on the equatorial zone we found our 

 selves still unable to tell whence this hideous noise 

 proceeded. On all sides of us were immense masses 

 and columns of whitish vapour ; some rushing violently 

 to vast distances above us, others sinking, others 

 quiescent in position, but rapidly changing in figure. 

 Directing our perceptions towards the depths beneath 

 us, we could recognise no sign of any surface. We 

 passed downwards for hundreds and hundreds of miles, 

 until we had lost the light of the sun, which was re- 

 placed by the continually increasing glow of the fires 

 "we were approaching. At length, as we passed through 

 a layer of clouds, which could scarcely have been less 

 than twenty thousand miles below what we had re- 

 garded as the surface of the planet, we suddenly beheld 

 a scene so startling that we stayed our course as by 



