180 
HAROLD’S DISCUSSIONS. 
of the peaks. Good telescopes show most wonder¬ 
ful scenery ; not only peaks, but ranges of mountains, 
large craters of extinct volcanoes, lava slopes, and old 
gorges, such as can not be found on this globe. But 
no seas or oceans and no clouds have been discovered. 
It is therefore thought that both the water and atmos¬ 
phere of the moon have been absorbed by her rock 
strata. 
The moon always presents the same side toward 
us, hence she does not rotate on her axis with her 
revolution. 
The Hebrews, Chinese, and other ancient peoples 
counted time not as we do by the sun, but by the 
moon. Events are said to happen in such and such 
a moon of a certain year. The year contained twelve 
moons, and every third year (nearly) an extra moon 
was counted. 
Hot only in this respect were these nations gov¬ 
erned by the moon. Even at this time some people 
believe that if potatoes are planted when the moon is 
waning they will produce only small ones; or if a 
beef be killed during that period the meat will shrink 
in the kettle. 
Careful observations thus far have proved that 
our luna has no such influence, but it is beyond doubt 
that it does exert great influence upon bodies of 
water, particularly the oceans, causing the tides. Of 
course, it acts equally upon the solid crust, but the 
rigid form presents no visible effects. 
