They build a metallic pipe about ten feet in diameter and from a point some two hundred feet below the surface of the water.  The pipe is built until it extends a few feet above water.  Inside of this pipe is a series of transparent ovals of various sizes.  These ovals are so arranged that the upper one throws its light to the lower one, down through the immense cylinder.  Around each oval is built a series of fin protectors, which is the only part about the telescope I could not fully understand.  They seemed to counteract the refraction of the water, and yet the water must be in the pipe to obtain proper results.

Imagine an astronomer at the base of this huge metallic structure, having at his finger’s ends a dozen wire strings intricately connected with the oval system, and by the proper use of which he can increase or decrease the magnifying power of the ponderous telescope.  The highest magnifying power of a telescope of this size is so great that the Milky Way is penetrated and its solar systems revealed.  What an accomplishment it would be if a telescope of this magnitude could be mounted, a thing that these creatures never attempted to do.  But they have built telescopes of various inclinations, all stationary.  You can form an idea of the patience and endurance of these people when you learn that it required over fifty years of our time for them to perfect one of these large instruments.

Give human brains to any animal under water or over water, and it will grasp for larger views of its Creator and of the things He made.  These people are thoroughly convinced that intelligent life can be found in any world where there is enough water to sustain it.

In the waters of Stazza there are many under-currents similar to our Gulf Stream.  These are used by the inhabitants for transportation.  They construct little hammock cars so that when they are filled with human freight they float in the water.  A simple device which we might call a fin propeller is used to force the car in one direction or another as necessity may require.  It is possible to enter one of these under-streams and thus travel over two thousand miles; then, by rowing only five miles, enter the return current and move homeward.  A car of special design is furnished by each community in which each bridal pair spends the Wedlock Ride, or the Honey-Moon, as we would call it.

[Illustration:  Fishing for Land Animals on a Planet of the Pole Star.]

There is nothing more interesting about this race of beings than the manner in which they pluck land fruit and catch land animals, and yet when you compare this with our world, it is the same to them as fishing is to us.

In all my inter-stellar journeys perhaps there was nothing so amusing to me as to see a company of these water creatures fishing for land animals.  They would creep up near shore and throw out their wire lines with various kinds of bait, according to what they wished to catch.  Then followed the inevitable waiting until some innocent Jullep or Petzel would grasp the tempting morsel on the hook.  A skillful jerk fastened the victim, and instead of pulling him in the water, the fisherman held his breath and rushed out of the water to get his prize.  This has been found to be a safer method than trying to pull the prize into the water.