EXCITEMENT THROUGHOUT EUROPE 57 



points were near each other, and their light was pale 

 and weak. The third, which he judged to be about 

 three English miles in diameter, exhibited a much 

 stronger and a redder light. This he compared to a 

 burning coal covered with ashes. These points he 

 immediately conceived to be burning mountains, the 

 two first being either nearly extinguished or beginning 

 to burn, and the other in a state of actual eruption. 

 Mr. Herschel did not fail to communicate his observa- 

 tion to the Royal Society ; and the philosophers in this 

 metropolis waited impatiently for the next new moon, 

 which would necessarily confirm the observation, be- 

 cause the eruption would probably not continue above 

 a month, and consequently the phenomena would be 

 then very different, if Mr. Herschel's conjecture was 

 well founded. Friday last, the 18th, the first day of 

 the new moon, several philosophical gentlemen attended 

 Mr. Herschel at his house in the country ; but the 

 weather was too cloudy to permit any observation. 

 The next day I did myself the honour to visit him, 

 with two of my friends. Fortunately, the sky was 

 perfectly clear. After having examined, during two 

 hours, the enlightened part of the moon, by means of 

 Mr. Herschel's astonishing instruments, of which it is 

 impossible to form an adequate idea without having 

 seen them, we directed the telescope to the dark part 

 of this satellite, and the conjecture of this great 

 astronomer was instantly confirmed. The two first- 

 mentioned luminous points had totally disappeared, 

 and the fire of the other was become pale and weak. 

 The diameter of its crater was increased to about six 

 miles. Next month it will probably be entirely in- 

 visible. This discovery of volcanoes in the moon is a 



