To go, if you observe, would require that a man
envelop himself thickly in asbestos or some similar non-
conducting substance, leap boldly on the rapid Flies, and
so be shot through the earth's atmosphere in two seconds
and a fraction, carrying with him all the time in a non-
conducting receiver the condensed air he needed, and
landing quietly on B. M. by a precalculated orbit. At
the bottom of our hearts I think we were all afraid.
Some of us confessed to fear; others said, and said
truly, that the population of the Moon was already dense,
and that it did not seem reasonable or worth while, on
any account, to make it denser. Nor has any movement
been renewed for going. But the plan of the bundle of
"things" seemed more feasible, as the things would not
require oxygen. The only precaution seemed to be that
which was necessary for protecting the parcel against
combustion as it shot through the earth's atmosphere. We
had not asbestos enough. It was at first proposed to
pack them all in one of Professor Horsford's safes. But
when I telegraphed this plan to Orcutt, he demurred.
Their atmosphere was but shallow, and with a little too
much force the corner of the safe might knock a very bad
hole in the surface of his world. He said if we would
send up first a collection of things of no great weight,
but of considerable bulk, he would risk that, but he
would rather have no compact metals.
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