From the Nationjil Intelligencer . 
Newport, Ky. Aug. 14. 
Messrs Editors —As some people, who 
are not much versed in my theory of the 
earth, may wonder that I have not treated 
of the moon in any of the memoirs I have 
published, notwithstanding it is the near¬ 
est planet to the earth, and an appendage 
thereto : for the information of such per¬ 
sons the following extract is made, which 
will show that I have long since treated 
on the characteristics of the moon. Those 
characteristics, it may be seen, deserve no 
small consideration, as a corroboration of 
my Mundane Theory. 
As the paragraph in relation to the 
moo.n is short, I add the paragraph which 
succeeds it, which treats of fire balls as a 
proof. Respectfully, 
JOHN CLEVES SYMMES. ! 
EXTRACT, 
From a lecture delivered at Cincinnati, 
; on the 25th of March, 1820, (but not yet. 
publishsd) respecting the conformation of 
; he earth and other planets: [commencing 
at the ninth page of the manuscript.] 
“ Our satellite the Moon may be in some 
* degree open at the poles, (notwithstanding 
her slow rotation) yet, owing to her axis 
! being always at right angles with a line 
drawn from her equator to the earth, we 
are not enabled to see whether they be o- 
pen or not, especially as her atmosphere 
is so light or rare as not to produce much 
refraction. The many vast round deep 
I caverns, seen by the aid of a telescope on 
[fhe surface of the moon, appear as if they 
lad once been polar openings; if so, the 
moon must have been often unbalanced,so 
as to change her axis, either by the action 
of a repeated clashing in the gravity of 
former sister-moons, acting on her; or by 
a near approach (or the concussion) of 
some other conflicting planetary bodies.* 
[ fAe spots of light seen at different 
periods, by different astronomers, on the 
surface of the moon near her poles, when 
Siie was on the face of the sun, in an e- 
ciipse of that luminary, are, I presume. 
