I was now made aware of another valuable use to which the canals were put, in fact a most important adjunct to the operation of an aerenoid.  The checking of such terrific speed would be impossible, were it not for the water in these canals.  We had covered several hundred miles without propulsion, and our speed had not decreased perceptibly, when, moving a lever at his side, Reon turned the aerenoid slightly downward.  In an instant we were plunging along the surface of the water, sending high into the air great clouds of spray, which formed snow-white banks on either side of the wake, and made a most remarkable picture.  I now realized why this high-speed aerenoid resembled a submarine boat in appearance.

Gradually our speed was reduced until, moving at not more than a mile a minute, we gently left the surface of the water and proceeded down several branch canals.  At last we slowly rose above the top of the canal banks.  Higher and higher we ascended until we were about a thousand feet in the air, and then proceeded at a greatly reduced speed.

A veritable fairyland lay beneath us.  Stretching as far as the eye could reach lay a landscape of pink and green, dotted with white marble buildings of magnificent architecture.  Narrow paths, shaded by trees, could be seen winding in and out over rustic bridges and beside sparkling brooks.  But nowhere did there appear either cities or towns—­not even a road was there to indicate a volume of traffic in any particular direction.

No small aerenoids were to be seen floating about, and as the air in our car was now very close, I realized that in consequence of the light atmosphere of Mars, the sun’s direct rays gave great heat.  It was evidently the custom for Martians to remain as much as possible under cover in the daytime.

Opening the door of the aerenoid to obtain a fresh supply of air, I was at once struck with the remarkable appearance of the sky, which was intensely blue in color, but of such a dark shade as to appear almost black.  It presented all the appearance of night, so many stars were visible and so brightly did they shine, while the sun blazed forth with such brilliancy from the surrounding blackness, that it was impossible to look westward without shading the eyes.  I now appreciated the enormous advantage of having an atmosphere as dense as Earth’s, which diffused the light to a much more comfortable extent.  But the appearance of the Martian sky was magnificent, and I stood lost in admiration until, with a hardly perceptible shock, I discovered that we had come to rest upon a ledge which projected from the circular balcony of a most palatial building.

Jumping out, I moored the aerenoid by means of ropes that were attached to the balcony for that purpose.  I was aware that this was my duty upon landing, and when I had made everything secure, Reon left his place at the levers and joined me.

There were numerous other aerenoids moored to the balcony, some of the high-speed class similar to ours, and a few of the lighter class resembling rowboats.  The balcony was entirely deserted, however, and it was evident that all were inside listening to the recital of the lumaharp.