CHAPTER XI.
FACT AND FANCY.
"Have you ever seen the Moon ?" said a teacher ironically one day in class to one of his pupils.
"No, sir;" was the pert reply; "but I think I can safely say I've heard it spoken about." Though saying what he considered a smart thing, the pupil was probably perfectly right.

Like the immense majority of his fellow beings, he had looked at the Moon, heard her talked of, written poetry about her, but, in the strict sense of the term, he had probably never seen her--that is--scanned her, examined her, surveyed her, inspected her, reconnoitred her--even with an opera glass! Not one in a thousand, not one in ten thousand, has ever examined even the map of our only Satellite.

To guard our beloved and intelligent reader against this reproach, we have prepared an excellent reduction of Beer and Maedler's _Mappa_, on which, for the better understanding of what is to follow, we hope he will occasionally cast a gracious eye.
When you look at any map of the Moon, you are struck first of all with one peculiarity.

Contrary to the arrangement prevailing in Mars and on our Earth, the continents occupy principally the southern hemisphere of the lunar orb.

Then these continents are far from presenting such sharp and regular outlines as distinguish the Indian Peninsula, Africa, and South America.