They were also able to climb the
steepest mountainsides with no more trouble than they would have had in
walking along a terrestrial plain.
On the heights they found no sign either of animal or vegetable
life--only rocks and gravel and sand of a brownish red, apparently
uniform in composition. They took a few lumps of rock and a canvas bag
full of sand back with them from the mountain-side. In the valley
sloping towards the ice-sea they found what had once been watercourses
opening out into rivers towards the sea; and in the lowest parts there
was a kind of lichen-growth clinging to the rocks under the snow. On the
surface of the snow they saw traces of what might have been the tracks
of animals, but, as there was no breath of wind in the attenuated
atmosphere, it was quite possible that these might have been frozen into
permanent shape hundreds or thousands of years before. It was also
possible that if they had explored long enough they might have found
some low forms of animal life, but as they had landed almost on the
equator of the satellite, under the full rays of the Sun, and seen
nothing, this was hardly likely.
"I don't think it is worth while stopping here any longer," said Zaidie,
who was getting a little bit _blase_ with her interplanetary
experiences. "We've got lots to see further on, so if you don't mind I
think I'll just take two or three photographs, then we can get back to
the ship and have dinner and go on and see what Ganymede is like.
Pages:
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189