GREAT ASTRONOMICAL DISCOVERIES

The astronomical world has been thrown into a state of the most intense excitement by the recent discoveries of Sir John Herschel at the Cape of Good Hope. By means of an immense telescope of entirely new principle, constructed by the celebrated optician of New England, our distinguished countryman has been enabled to observe the celestial bodies with a degree of precision far exceeding anything previously attained by human art.

The telescope, which is erected at the Royal Observatory at the Cape, is of dimensions so vast as to stagger belief. The lens measures no less than twenty-four feet in diameter, and weighs upwards of seven tons. The tube is constructed of wrought iron, riveted in the manner of a steam boiler, and the whole apparatus is moved by clockwork of the most ingenious kind, which compensates for the earth's diurnal motion with such accuracy that an object once placed in the field of view remains there for any length of time required.

Sir John, assisted by the learned Dr. Andrew Grant, his companion and amanuensis, has been engaged for several months in a systematic survey of the lunar surface. The results already obtained surpass the wildest dreams of the most imaginative philosopher. The moon, it now appears, is not only inhabited, but supports a variety of animal and vegetable life in a state of organization and development equal to that of our own globe.

The lunar landscape, as described by Sir John, exhibits a diversity of hill and dale, forest and meadow, which at once recalls the most beautiful scenery of our own world. The mountains are of tremendous altitude, many of them exceeding the highest peaks of the Himalayas, and are of volcanic origin, as indicated by the numerous craters which perforate their summits. The seas, or rather lakes, for the moon seems to possess no great body of water comparable to our Atlantic, are of a greenish tint, and are surrounded by shores of a white or yellowish sand, which glitter in the sunlight like gold.

But the most astonishing discoveries relate to the animal and vegetable kingdoms. The following is a summary of the principal forms of life which have been observed:

• Groups of bison, resembling those of North America, but of larger size, grazing upon extensive plains.
• An animal resembling the single-horned goat of antiquity, but of a blue color, with a beard of extraordinary length.
• Herds of miniature zebras, of exquisite beauty, striped alternately in black and white, and not larger than a small dog.
• The unicorn, so long deemed fabulous, is now proved to exist, in form resembling the antelope, with a single straight horn of a pearly white.
• The bipedal beaver, destitute of a tail, which walks erect, carries its young in its arms, and has been observed to build huts of a conical form, with doors and windows.
• The Vespertilio-homo, or man-bat, a creature of the most remarkable organization, combining the human form with the wings of a bat. These beings are four feet in height, covered with short glossy hair, and possess faces which bear a striking resemblance to those of the orangutan. They have been observed in large numbers, engaged in conversation, eating fruits, and apparently engaged in the construction of temples of a style of architecture unknown on Earth.

The Vespertilio-homo, or man-bat, is undoubtedly the most extraordinary discovery in the whole series. These creatures are covered with a fine, glossy hair, of a reddish-brown color, and their faces, although somewhat resembling the orang-outang, have a peculiar expression of intelligence and good-nature. Their wings are of a leathery texture, similar to that of the common bat, but of much larger dimensions, measuring from twelve to fifteen feet from tip to tip. They appear to be of both sexes, and the females carry their young upon their backs, clinging to the long hair of the parent.

Sir John has observed that the man-bats are social in their habits, and appear to possess a language of signs and sounds, by means of which they communicate with each other with great facility. They have been seen to assemble in vast numbers, as if for the purpose of worship or public deliberation, in the magnificent temples which they have constructed of a yellow, crystalline stone, which emits a faint phosphorescent light in the lunar night.

The lunar flora is scarcely less remarkable. The forests consist of trees of a deep purple or crimson hue, their leaves being of a bright scarlet, and the whole presenting a spectacle of the richest coloring. The fruits are of various kinds, and the man-bats have been observed to eat them with evident relish. One species of fruit, resembling a melon in shape, is of a bright golden color, and emits a light sufficient to read by.

It is with deep regret that we announce the premature termination of these observations. The immense lens, by a cruel accident, has been destroyed. The sun, acting upon the great lens, caused it to focus its rays with such intensity that the observatory took fire, and the entire apparatus was consumed before the flames could be extinguished. Fortunately, Sir John and Dr. Grant escaped unhurt, and the records of their observations, which they had previously transmitted to the Royal Society, are preserved.

The scientific world awaits with the utmost anxiety the publication of the full details of these discoveries, which are expected to form the most important contribution to natural philosophy since the invention of the telescope itself.