The point of view of this book is human interest in the other worlds around us.

Around Mars, in particular, a lively war of opinions rages.

“A seam of gold which can be cut with a knife has been found within ten miles of the south pole.”

Saturn is the second of the major, or Jovian, group of planets, and is situated at a mean distance from the sun of 886,000,000 miles.

“This tunnel,” said Dr. Syx, “leads to the mine head, where the ore-bearing rock is blasted.”

There is no other planet that has a moon relatively as large as ours.

Gold in its palmiest days had never enjoyed such a vogue.

There is no reason why everybody should not know the principal planets at sight nearly as well as everybody knows the moon.

“It is my belief that Dr. Max Syx is a deceiver.”

“My dear fellow,” said Hall, laying his hand on my shoulder, “until I see the end of that mystery I shall think of nothing else.”