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Import Settings:
Base Settings: Brownstone Default
Information Field: Section
Highest Answer Letter: D
Multiple Keywords in Same Paragraph: No
Multiple Choice
Ans: C
Section: 10-1
Ans: C
Section: 10-1
Ans: B
Section: 10-1
Ans: C
Section: 10-1
5. Why is the Moon in a synchronous orbit around Earth, always keeping the same face toward
Earth?
A) There is a strong magnetic attraction between the two bodies which keeps the Moon turned
toward Earth.
B) The Moon must rotate on its axis at the same rate it orbits Earth to conserve angular
momentum.
C) As the Moon rotates, friction between the Moon's large liquid interior and its mantle has
slowed the rate of rotation until it just matches the orbital rate. Over time it will slow further, and
then the Moon will no longer be in a synchronous orbit.
D) When the Moon was molten and experienced chemical differentiation, the gravitational pull
of Earth caused the iron core to form off-center. Now Earth pulls harder on that core, causing it
always to face Earth.
Ans: D
Section: 10-1
Ans: C
Section: 10-1
7. The rotation period of the Moon on its axis with respect to space (its absolute rotation) is
A) infinitely long, because the Moon never rotates.
B) 27.3 days, the sidereal revolution period.
C) 365.25 days, to match Earth's revolution period.
D) 29.5 days, the synodic period.
Ans: B
Section: 10-1 and Table 10-1
8. If viewed from a point directly above the plane of the planetary system, how would the Moon
appear to rotate on its axis?
A) It would rotate once per year as Earth and Moon orbit the Sun together.
B) It would not rotate at all, because we always see the same face on Earth.
C) It would rotate once per day, to maintain its direction toward Earth.
D) It would rotate once per month, or once per revolution about Earth.
Ans: D
Section: 10-1
9. If you were on the Moon, how long would it take between two crossings of a star in the sky
through your zenith?
A) infinite time, because the Moon does not rotate on its axis
B) 27.3 days
C) 23 hours 56 minutes
D) 29.5 days
Ans: B
Section: 10-1 and Table 10-1
10. How long is a “lunar day,” or the time between two successive sunrises or sunsets on the
Moon?
A) about 1 month
B) infinitely long, because the Moon does not rotate about its axis with respect to the Sun
C) about 1 year
D) about 1 day
Ans: A
Section: 10-1
11. Which of the following general statements about the Moon is true?
A) There is one side of the Moon from which Earth can never be seen.
B) The Moon does not rotate on its axis.
C) There is one side of the Moon from which the Sun can never be seen.
D) One side of the Moon is always in darkness.
Ans: A
Section: 10-1
12. If you were standing on the Moon with Earth in view, how much time would elapse between
two successive “Earthrises”?
A) about 1 synodic month
B) about 1 day
C) about 1 sidereal month
D) infinite time, because the same side of the Moon always faces toward Earth
Ans: D
Section: 10-1
13. Which of the following is not true concerning the view from a Moon base that can be seen
from Earth?
A) Earth is always in view at approximately the same position in the sky.
B) The Sun is not always in the sky.
C) Earth shows all the phases of crescent, quarter, gibbous, and full in a period of one month.
D) Earth rises, sets, and moves across the lunar sky.
Ans: D
Section: 10-1
14. Suppose you lived on the rim of the lunar crater Copernicus, which is visible from Earth.
How often would Earth set below your horizon?
A) once every 24 hours
B) once every 27.5 days
C) once every 29.5 days
D) never
Ans: D
Section: 10-1
15. If astronauts set up a permanent settlement at Tranquility Base on the Moon, how many times
each year would Earth rise and set as seen by a resident of this base?
A) 13 times each year
B) once each year
C) never—Earth would remain essentially motionless in the sky
D) 12 times each year
Ans: C
Section: 10-1
16. If astronauts set up a permanent settlement at Tranquility Base on the Moon, how often would
the Sun rise and set as seen by a resident of this base?
A) 365 times each year
B) once each year
C) never—the Sun would remain motionless in the sky
D) about once per month
Ans: D
Section: 10-1
17. Astronauts at a Moon base visible from Earth will not see
A) only one side of Earth, because the Moon revolves at the same rate as Earth rotates.
B) sunrise or sunset, because the Sun will always remain in their sky.
C) the stars moving through their sky, because the Moon does not rotate.
D) Earthrise or Earthset.
Ans: D
Section: 10-1
18. More detail is seen on the Moon at quarter phases than at full phases because (see Figure
10-3, Universe, 10th ed.)
A) surface mists that are prominent at full phase have cleared at quarter phases.
B) parts of the Moon that are visible at these phases show more craters in general.
C) features on the Moon cast distinct shadows to produce high contrast at these phases.
D) the Moon is closer to Earth at these phases.
Ans: C
Section: 10-1 and Figure 10-3
19. If the angular resolution of detail on astronomical objects is limited to about 0.5 arcsecond by
seeing fluctuations in Earth's atmosphere, what is the smallest lunar crater that can be seen from
Earth? (Hint: Use the small-angle formula in Chapter 1, Universe, 10th ed.)
A) about 100 m
B) about 3.8 km
C) about 250 m
D) about 1 km
Ans: D
Section: 10-1
20. Libration is
A) apparent wobbling of the Moon due to the shape and orientation of its orbit and rotation axis.
B) a custom of toasting astronauts with champagne when they touch down on the Moon.
C) exact synchronicity between orbital motion of the Moon and its rotation about its own axis.
D) gradual movement of the terminator across the visible face of the Moon.
Ans: A
Section: 10-1
21. Over time, what fraction of the Moon's surface can we see from Earth?
A) about 60%, because of the shape and orientation of the Moon's orbit and rotation axis
B) 52%, because two observers on Earth see the Moon from slightly different angles
C) 100%, because of the rotation of the Moon about its axis
D) exactly 50%, because the Moon is in synchronous rotation around Earth
Ans: A
Section: 10-1
22. Estimates of the heights of lunar mountains can be made by measuring the lengths of their
shadows when the Sun angle on them is relatively low. If a shadow length on a photograph of an
isolated mountain on a flat plain is measured at 5 km when the solar elevation angle (angle above
the horizon as seen by someone on the Moon) is about 6°, what is the mountain height above the
plain? (A diagram might help, and the small-angle formula in Chapter 1, Universe, 10th ed. will be
useful.)
A) 500 m
B) 5 km
C) 2 km
D) 50 km
Ans: A
Section: 10-1 and Box 1-1
Ans: C
Section: 10-1
Ans: C
Section: 10-1
25. The so-called maria, or “seas” on the lunar surface, do not and could not contain water
because
A) the water would boil and evaporate away rapidly in the vacuum of space.
B) any water falling on the porous surface would soak into it.
C) the water would have frozen into permafrost in the intense cold on the lunar surface.
D) the water would react chemically with the surface rocks.
Ans: A
Section: 10-1
Ans: B
Section: 10-1
Ans: D
Section: 10-1
28. One piece of experimental evidence which supports the idea that the Moon’s craters were
formed by high-speed impacts is that the craters are round. Another piece of evidence is
A) the lava which fills each crater, even the small ones.
B) the long rays which project from all lunar craters.
C) the central peak in the craters.
D) the steep walls of the craters, undercut on the side away from the direction in which the Moon
is rotating.
Ans: C
Section: 10-1
Ans: B
Section: 10-1
30. Which of the following processes has played the greatest role in shaping the surface of the
Moon?
A) erosion by wind and atmospheric gases
B) impacts of interplanetary bodies of all sizes
C) motions of tectonic plates, producing mountain ranges wherever they collide
D) recent volcanic activity, producing large numbers of crater-like volcanic calderas
Ans: B
Section: 10-1
31. Consider a large lunar crater, say 100 km across. What probably caused its formation?
A) a projectile 100 km across
B) a projectile larger than 100 km across (since much of it would vaporize on impact)
C) the shock wave generated by a projectile considerably less than 100 km across
D) a lunar volcano
Ans: C
Section: 10-1
32. Small craters, less than about 400 m, do not last very long on the Moon because
A) they are obliterated by large impacts producing large craters.
B) they are eroded by wind and plate movements.
C) they are eroded by micrometeorite impacts.
D) they soon collapse into the thick undercarpet of the regolith.
Ans: C
Section: 10-1
33. What are the most common shapes of lunar craters and why?
A) round, because the shock wave from the impact that produced them spread out uniformly in
all directions
B) random shapes, because mantle convection has deformed the surface and distorted the craters
since their production by impacts of meteoroids
C) all shapes from round to long and thin, depending on the angle at which the projectile hit the
surface
D) round, because most of the craters were produced by volcanic explosions which formed
calderas, not by meteoroid impacts
Ans: A
Section: 10-1
Ans: D
Section: 10-1
35. Maria are
A) large impact craters in-filled by lava.
B) ancient lake beds, now dry.
C) uplifted regions surrounding large shield volcanoes.
D) heavily cratered highland regions.
Ans: A
Section: 10-1
Ans: C
Section: 10-1
37. What is the diameter of Mare Imbrium, the largest lunar sea, compared to the diameter of the
Moon itself?
A) about 1/3 the diameter
B) about 1/10 the diameter
C) just over 1/2 the diameter
D) about 1/100 the diameter
Ans: A
Section: 10-1
39. What is the most likely cause of the smooth and relatively crater-free surfaces of lunar maria?
A) volcanic ash that rained on the surfaces of the basins in recent geological times
B) dust storms that eroded and smoothed the surface
C) sediments left behind after water flowed into the basins and evaporated
D) lava flows relatively late in the geological history of the Moon
Ans: D
Section: 10-1
Ans: D
Section: 10-1
41. The Moon's appearance, when its whole surface is examined, could be described as
A) craters only on the near side, smooth surface on the far side.
B) surface features uniformly distributed.
C) many maria distributed uniformly on both the near and far sides.
D) maria only on the near side, no major maria on the far side.
Ans: D
Section: 10-1
42. Examination of the whole surface of the Moon shows us that
A) craters exist only on one side of the Moon.
B) the Moon appears to have two distinctly different sides, that seen from Earth and that hidden
from Earth.
C) surface features are distributed uniformly over the whole Moon.
D) the northern hemisphere is distinctly different from the southern hemisphere.
Ans: B
Section: 10-1
Ans: D
Section: 10-1
44. The near and far sides of the Moon are particularly different in that
A) the far side is always in darkness.
B) the average height of the overall terrain is much lower on the far side.
C) the far side has no maria.
D) the number of craters differs markedly, with fewer on the far side.
Ans: C
Section: 10-1
Ans: C
Section: 10-1
46. Taken over the entire surface of the Moon, the older, lighter-colored and heavily cratered
highlands (terrae) take up
A) more than 4/5 of the lunar surface.
B) between 1/3 and 1/2 of the lunar surface.
C) less than 1/5 of the lunar surface.
D) between 1/2 and 3/4 of the lunar surface.
Ans: A
Section: 10-1
47. Is there any correlation between the color of the Moon’s surface material and the elevation at
which it is found?
A) No, colors of surface material are mixed at all elevations.
B) Yes, darker materials are generally found at higher elevations.
C) Yes, darker materials are generally found at lower elevations.
D) No, the Moon’s surface material is all the same color.
Ans: C
Section: 10-1
48. The smooth, dark maria take up what fraction of the entire surface of the Moon?
A) less than 1/5
B) between 1/2 and 3/4
C) more than 4/5
D) between 1/3 and 1/2
Ans: A
Section: 10-1
49. Why are the lunar maria concentrated almost entirely on the near side of the Moon?
A) The apparent concentration of maria on the near side is merely an illusion caused by the fact
that the near side is the only side that we can see.
B) The crust is thicker on the far side of the Moon, restricting massive lava flows after asteroid
impact.
C) Earth's gravity concentrated asteroid impacts on the near side of the Moon.
D) Earth's gravity has concentrated meteoroid impacts on the far side of the Moon, erasing the
ancient, smooth lava plains.
Ans: B
Section: 10-1
Ans: C
Section: 10-1
Ans: B
Section: 10-1
Ans: C
Section: 10-1
53. How were the mountain ranges on the Moon formed?
A) They are “spreading centers,” where magma from the mantle is rising and pushing tectonic
plates apart.
B) They were rims of ancient craters, thrust up by impacts of large asteroids.
C) They were wrinkles in the crust, created when the Moon cooled and shrunk slightly in size.
D) They were pushed up by the collisions of tectonic plates on the lunar surface.
Ans: B
Section: 10-1
Ans: D
Section: 10-1
Ans: A
Section: 10-1
56. Earth has several lithospheric plates that gradually move in a process called plate tectonics.
How many such plates are there on the Moon?
A) one; the entire lithosphere is a single plate
B) five; one for each of the major lunar seas (maria)
C) six; one for the highlands (terrae) and one for each of the major lunar seas (maria)
D) two; the region of the near side occupied by the seas (maria) forms one plate, and the rest of
the Moon (the bulk of the highlands, or terrae) forms the other
Ans: A
Section: 10-1
Ans: A
Section: 10-1
58. The impact craters on Earth are younger than a few million years old, whereas ages of lunar
craters extend back billions of years. Why is this?
A) Earth escaped the heavy bombardment that pelted the Moon early in its history.
B) Earth's surface has been covered by lava flows several times in its history, whereas such
activity ceased on the Moon several million years ago.
C) Weathering by rain and melting snow gradually erases craters on Earth, and this does not
happen on the Moon.
D) Plate tectonics has erased older craters on Earth, whereas this process has not occurred on the
Moon.
Ans: D
Section: 10-1
59. The major features on the near side of the Moon were named
A) in prehistoric times.
B) by the ancient Greeks.
C) in the 17th century.
D) in the 20th century.
Ans: C
Section: 10-1
60. The Moon's South Pole-Aitken Basin is the largest known impact crater in the solar system.
Yet it was never mentioned by the 17th century astronomers who named most of the Moon's
prominent features. What do we believe is the reason for this?
A) Seventeenth century telescopes were not adequate to resolve the Basin.
B) The Basin is of very recent origin, after the 17th century.
C) Dust storms on the Moon have only recently uncovered the Basin.
D) The Basin is on the far side of the Moon.
Ans: D
Section: 10-1
61. Figure 10-4 of Universe, 10th ed., shows the Crater Clavius. It is 232 km in diameter, but it
has relatively few smaller craters within it. This suggests
A) that Crater Clavius is not very old.
B) the smaller craters are older than Clavius itself.
C) Clavius is of volcanic origin.
D) Clavius is an impact crater but the smaller craters are volcanic.
Ans: A
Section: 10-1
62. What actually moves around the Sun along the path we usually call Earth's orbit?
A) the center of Earth
B) the point midway between Earth and the Moon
C) the center of mass of Earth-Moon system
D) the center of mass of Earth-Moon-Sun system
Ans: C
Section: 10-1
63. How many times have human beings landed on the Moon?
A) seven
B) five
C) six
D) four
Ans: C
Section: 10-2
Ans: B
Section: 10-2
65. Which was the first country to send a space probe past the Moon?
A) China
B) France
C) the Soviet Union
D) the United States
Ans: C
Section: 10-2
66. What kind of landing did the first spacecraft make in order to reach the surface of the Moon?
A) manned landing by the Apollo spacecraft
B) crash landing by the Ranger spacecraft
C) “drop and bounce” landing by the Pathfinder spacecraft
D) soft landing by the Surveyor spacecraft
Ans: B
Section: 10-2
67. Which was the first country to land humans on the Moon?
A) China
B) France
C) the United States
D) the Soviet Union
Ans: C
Section: 10-2
68. Which was the first spacecraft to land humans on the Moon?
A) Apollo 13
B) Ranger 9
C) Apollo 11
D) Soyuz 5
Ans: C
Section: 10-2
69. How many countries have soft-landed spacecraft on the Moon and returned lunar samples to
Earth?
A) one—the Soviet Union
B) To avoid the possibility of contaminating Earth, no country has brought lunar samples to
Earth.
C) one—the United States
D) two—the United States and the Soviet Union
Ans: D
Section: 10-2
Ans: D
Section: 10-2
71. Where is ice believed to have been discovered on the Moon?
A) in the floors of craters at the north and south poles, which are permanently shaded from the
Sun
B) No ice has ever been discovered on the Moon, because water cannot exist there in any form.
C) in permafrost under the surface of the lunar highlands
D) as subsurface deposits in maria, from water released by molten lava and trapped under
solidified crust
Ans: A
Section: 10-2
72. Why do we believe comets are the source of the water detected near the Moon’s south pole?
A) We often see comets crashing into the Moon.
B) The water plume observed was analyzed to contain deuterium rather than regular
hydrogen—a characteristic of comets.
C) The water plume observed contained ammonia and methane, substances characteristic of the
ice in comets.
D) Only comet impacts could bury the water to the depths at which it has been found.
Ans: C
Section: 10-2
73. What is considered to be the most likely source for the deposits of ice that have been
discovered at the lunar poles?
A) the Moon's original shallow oceans
B) comets that have crashed onto the lunar surface
C) evaporation of subsurface water from lower latitudes on the Moon, which are heated by the
Sun, and subsequent condensation at the poles
D) molten lava, which releases water as it cools
Ans: B
Section: 10-2
74. Water may have been discovered recently on the Moon in the form of
A) fluid water flowing in deep protected tunnels, some of which have collapsed to form rilles on
the lunar surface.
B) thin, hazy clouds overlying the dark polar regions, where they are shaded from the Sun's heat.
C) permafrost embedded in the centers of the large, dark maria, the color showing the presence of
frost.
D) ice, in deep craters at the north and south poles, perpetually shaded from sunlight.
Ans: D
Section: 10-2
75. Between 1966 and 1968, just prior to the manned Apollo series, five unmanned spacecraft of
the Surveyor series made soft landings on the lunar surface. The main purpose of these missions
was to
A) test the lunar atmosphere to see if it was breathable.
B) test the intensity of cosmic radiation to see if this radiation would threaten astronauts.
C) test the solidity of the lunar surface to see if it would support a spacecraft.
D) mark a series of landing zones for the Apollo missions.
Ans: C
Section: 10-2
76. How were the landing sites for the Apollo missions selected?
A) The first ones were on flat, relatively safe terrain while the final ones were on more
challenging upland terrain.
B) All were on the unknown far side of the Moon because the near side had already been
thoroughly studied from Earth.
C) Each Apollo set down where an unmanned Surveyor had previously landed to explore the
landing site.
D) To explore at different latitudes, one Apollo set down at each pole, one at the equator, and the
rest at middle latitudes.
Ans: A
Section: 10-2
77. It was originally thought questionable whether a manned lunar landing could take place
because
A) of the extreme temperatures on the lunar surface.
B) the lunar surface might be too soft to land upon.
C) of extreme levels of radiation from the decay of radioactive elements and the lack of a
shielding atmosphere.
D) the low atmospheric pressure would adversely affect human beings.
Ans: B
Section: 10-2
78. The spacecraft Clementine observed the Moon in 1994 and provided evidence for ice near the
South Pole. How was this information gathered?
A) A soft landing was made near an ice field.
B) Radar waves were sent out and their reflection from the lunar surface was detected.
C) Reflections of ultraviolet, visible, and infrared from the lunar surface were analyzed.
D) Sensitive heat detectors monitored the lunar surface temperature.
Ans: C
Section: 10-2
79. Detailed examination of the overall surface of the Moon and of the rocks brought back by
Apollo astronauts reveals that
A) unlike Earth's rocks, there is no evidence of water locked into crystal structures in lunar rocks,
but there are significant quantities of ice in cold lunar polar regions.
B) no water exists in either liquid form or ice now but, like terrestrial rocks, some water is
contained within the crystal structure of lunar rocks.
C) there have been short periods in recent history when water existed on the Moon, during which
the rilles or river valleys were formed.
D) water probably existed on the Moon earlier and formed lake beds or maria, but it has
evaporated.
Ans: A
Section: 10-2 and 10-4
80. Most surface rocks on Earth are younger than a few million years old, whereas ages of lunar
rocks have been measured in billions of years. Why is this?
A) The complete surface of Earth has been covered periodically by younger material from
intense volcanic eruptions in the last few million years. No such activity has occurred on the
Moon.
B) Earth's surface undergoes continuous recycling through the underlying mantle because of
plate tectonic activity, and this does not occur on the Moon.
C) The ages of Earth and the Moon are fundamentally different, the Moon being an old object
captured from deep space by a younger Earth.
D) Most of the early surface rocks of Earth have been washed into the sea by weathering and
rainwater, and this does not happen on the Moon.
Ans: B
Section: 10-2 and 10-4
Ans: B
Section: 10-3
Ans: A
Section: 10-3
Ans: A
Section: 10-3
84. Which of the following is the structure for the interior of the Moon?
A) a core which is entirely solid
B) a core which is entirely liquid
C) a solid inner core and a fluid outer core
D) a fluid inner core and a solid outer core
Ans: C
Section: 10-3
Ans: A
Section: 10-3
Ans: C
Section: 10-3
87. Moonquakes
A) never occur; the Moon is seismically quiet.
B) occur but are much weaker and much less frequent than earthquakes.
C) are much more violent and occur much more often than earthquakes.
D) occur, but only from the impact of meteoroids from space.
Ans: B
Section: 10-3
Ans: B
Section: 10-3
89. Moonquakes occur most often when the Moon is near perigee. The reason for this is
A) increased tidal distortion of the Moon by Earth.
B) the higher probability of impacts on the Moon of meteoroids that have been accelerated by
Earth at these lunar phases.
C) increased speed of rotation of the Moon at these times and the consequent reduction of the
gravitational force on the surface.
D) increased sunlight on the Moon's surface at these times.
Ans: A
Section: 10-3
90. The number of meteoroids with masses between 100 g and 1000 kg (between that of a bag of
sugar and that of an automobile!) that hit the Moon each year is
A) about 1000.
B) less than 10.
C) about 1 million.
D) about 100.
Ans: D
Section: 10-3
91. About 100 meteoroids of masses between 100 g and 1000 kg hit the Moon each year. The
Moon is spherical with a total surface area given by 4R2 (where R = radius). If a future lunar
settler owns a parcel of land 1 km by 1 km in size, approximately how often, on average, will a
meteoroid of this size strike somewhere in the parcel?
A) once every 4000 years
B) once every 40,000,000 years
C) four times per year
D) once every 400,000 years
Ans: D
Section: 10-3
92. If we think about two rocks of equal mass on the Moon, one on the near side and one on the
far side, then we can think of the tidal force as the difference between the gravitational force by
Earth on the near-side rock and the gravitational force by Earth on the far-side rock. How quickly
does this tidal force decrease with increasing distance from Earth?
A) 1/r 3
B) 1/r 4
C) 1/r 2
D) 1/r
Ans: A
Section: 10-3 and Box 10-1
93. Considering two rocks of equal mass on the Moon, one on the near side and one on the far
side, we can think of the tidal force as the difference between the gravitational force by Earth on
the near-side rock and on the far-side rock. If the Moon were orbiting at three times its present
distance from Earth, what would the tidal force be, compared to its present value?
A) 0.58
B) 1/81
C) 1/9
D) 1/27
Ans: D
Section: 10-3 and Box 10-1
94. The net tidal force on the Moon is the differential force on the tidal bulges raised by Earth's
gravity on the Moon's surface, and it varies inversely like Earth-Moon distance to the sixth power.
What is the ratio of the net tidal force on the Moon at perigee to the net tidal force at apogee?
A) just slightly over 1
B) almost 2
C) about 10
D) almost 40
Ans: B
Section: 10-3 and Box 10-1
95. The Moon raises tides on Earth. Does Earth raise tides on the Moon?
A) No. The Moon has no oceans (or liquid water of any kind) so there are no tides.
B) No. Earth exerts differential tidal forces on the Moon, but the Moon is much more rigid than
Earth (which is why there are no plate tectonics on the Moon) so these forces have no effect.
C) Yes, but these affect only the deep core of the Moon (the only liquid part of the Moon). The
surface remains unaffected.
D) Yes, small tidal bulges are raised on the Moon's surface as Earth's gravity distorts the Moon's
shape (and causes moonquakes).
Ans: D
Section: 10-3
Ans: C
Section: 10-3
97. What kinds of large-scale changes have occurred on the Moon in the last billion years?
A) None. The Moon is exactly as it was a billion years ago.
B) tectonic activity
C) volcanic activity and large scale lava flows
D) Constant meteoroid impact has gently sculpted the landscape.
Ans: D
Section: 10-3
98. We have gained knowledge about the interior of the Moon from each of the following sources
except one. Which is the exception?
A) seismic equipment left by the Apollo astronauts to measure moonquakes
B) drilling significant distances into the Moon's interior
C) comparing surfaces on the near and far sides of the Moon.
D) comparing the density of the Moon's surface material with its overall density
Ans: B
Section: 10-3
99. We believe the Moon's core is made of iron-rich materials and is partially liquid. We have
formed this opinion based on each of the following activities except one. Which is the exception?
A) observing the orbits of spacecraft near the Moon
B) observing the effect of Earth's tidal forces on the Moon
C) observing the effect of Earth's magnetosphere on the Moon
D) sending radar waves from Earth into the Moon's interior
Ans: D
Section: 10-3
100. Which of the following techniques is not used to gather information about the Moon's
interior?
A) detection of seismic waves which travel through the Moon's interior
B) studies of the Moon's magnetism
C) studies of tides raised on Earth by the Moon
D) measurements of changes in the Moon's atmosphere
Ans: D
Section: 10-3
101. Which one of the following influences has had the most effect on the “weathering” of the
surface rocks of the Moon?
A) wind erosion by the fine dust particles
B) bombardment by the solar wind
C) expansion and contraction because of intense temperature changes
D) meteoritic bombardment
Ans: D
Section: 10-4
102. Lunar rocks brought back by Apollo astronauts and remote-controlled Russian spacecraft
are basically
A) igneous rocks, formed from cooling lava.
B) mostly metamorphic rocks, changed by pressure and heat from their original volcanic lava
state.
C) sedimentary rocks, with layered structure from repeated deposition and subsequent
compression.
D) a mixture of igneous, volcanic, and sedimentary rocks.
Ans: A
Section: 10-4
103. The lunar maria are composed of which of the following rock types?
A) basalt
B) limestone
C) anorthosite
D) granite
Ans: A
Section: 10-4
Ans: A
Section: 10-4
Ans: A
Section: 10-4
106. The oldest material found on the Moon during manned and unmanned exploration was
A) water ice locked into permafrost on the surface of the Moon.
B) anorthositic rocks from the highlands.
C) smooth, dark glass formed by meteoritic impact.
D) basalt rocks from the mare basins.
Ans: B
Section: 10-4
107. The best method for estimating the age of the surface of a celestial body with a solid surface
such as a terrestrial planet or a moon (other than bringing rock samples back to Earth) is based on
the idea that
A) volcanic activity occurs at a known rate, so the fewer volcanoes observed, the younger the
surface.
B) planets and other bodies are subject to impacts from space at a known rate, so the fewer the
number of craters, the younger the surface.
C) lithospheric plates form at a known rate, so the more plates observed, the older the surface.
D) craters are weathered at a known rate, so the more eroded the craters, the older the surface.
Ans: B
Section: 10-4
108. What is the approximate age of the oldest rocks brought back from the Moon by astronauts
during the Apollo program?
A) 4.3 billion years
B) 10 billion years
C) 3.5 billion years
D) 4.3 million years
Ans: A
Section: 10-4
109. The age of Moon rocks has been determined primarily by what method?
A) careful chemical analysis of the constituents
B) measurements of radioactive decay products
C) careful examination of the site and surroundings, and particularly the measurement of the
crater density, from which the rocks were acquired
D) counting the numbers of micrometeoroid craters on the rock surface
Ans: B
Section: 10-4
Ans: A
Section: 10-4
111. A regolith is
A) a layer of pulverized rock on the surface of a planet or other object.
B) an extremely large, isolated rock on the surface of a planet or other object.
C) a heavily cratered region on a planet or other object.
D) a lithospheric plate, moved slowly by geologic processes.
Ans: A
Section: 10-4
Ans: D
Section: 10-4
Ans: B
Section: 10-4
114. Recent research has suggested that the Moon’s surface might be hazardous to astronauts
because
A) the crater walls are unstable and liable to collapse if disturbed.
B) the regolith is much deeper than previously thought, and an astronaut might easily sink into it.
C) the tiny regolith particles may cause serious lung problems.
D) moonquakes are more severe than previously suspected.
Ans: C
Section: 10-4
115. What will most likely be the fate of the footprints which the astronauts left on the Moon?
A) They will remain unchanged forever.
B) They will be obliterated by micrometeorite impacts.
C) They will be obliterated by the impacts of heavy particles.
D) They will be enfolded in a scarp.
Ans: B
Section: 10-4
Ans: C
Section: 10-4
Ans: D
Section: 10-4
118. In what fundamental way do lunar rocks differ from terrestrial rocks?
A) Lunar rocks are meteoric in origin.
B) All lunar rocks are rich in calcium and aluminum.
C) Lunar rocks contain no water within their crystal structure.
D) Lunar rocks all originate in ancient lava flows.
Ans: C
Section: 10-4
119. What appears to be the “impact history” of cratering on the Moon?
A) more or less constant bombardment from the earliest times to the present
B) heaviest bombardment when the Moon first formed, gradually decreasing (except for
increased activity about four billion years ago) to light bombardment today
C) short periods of heavy bombardment alternating with long periods of light bombardment
throughout the Moon's life
D) an early period of heavy bombardment followed by a decrease in intensity (except for a spike
around four billion years ago) and then very light bombardment to the present
Ans: D
Section: 10-4
120. Many craters on the Moon are characterized by a central peak. What is the significance of
this?
A) This is strong evidence that lunar craters are volcanic in origin.
B) a central peak is characteristic of an impact crater formed by a shock wave.
C) The crater has dug into the lunar surface far enough to uncover an ancient mountain range.
D) The crater was formed by impact, but it has penetrated into the lunar surface far enough to
evoke lava flow which has produced a volcanic cone.
Ans: B
Section: 10-4
121. Suppose that two regions on the Moon have ages, respectively, of 3.7 and 4.3 billion years.
Based on these ages, we expect to find that
A) the older region has fewer craters than the younger region because the cratering rate was
lower at earlier times.
B) both regions have roughly the same amount of cratering because they have approximately the
same age.
C) the older region has 16% more craters than the younger region because its age is 16% greater
than that of the younger region.
D) the older region has far more craters than the younger region because of changes in the
cratering rate over that time.
Ans: D
Section: 10-4
122. After the initial formation of the solar system, rocky debris
A) was essentially absent, having been used up in the formation of the planets.
B) was quickly vaporized by the heat of the young Sun.
C) continued to bombard the planets and satellites for almost another billion years.
D) was quickly swept out of the solar system by the Sun's T-Tauri wind.
Ans: C
Section: 10-4
123. We believe the rate of bombardment of projectiles striking bodies in the inner solar system
decreased steadily except for a sharp increase between 3.8 and 4.0 billion years ago. What is
believed to be the cause of this increase?
A) The Sun flared up and disturbed the entire solar system.
B) The planet which once existed between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter was torn apart leaving
the asteroid belt and much new debris to bombard the inner planets.
C) Jupiter and Saturn were moving to their present orbits, and their gravitational fields disturbed
the asteroid belt and sent many objects into the inner solar system.
D) The star Proxima Centauri (still the closest star to the Sun) passed close to the solar system
and pulled many of the asteroids out of their orbits.
Ans: C
Section: 10-4
124. Which of the following kinds of rocks are not found on the Moon?
A) basalt
B) anorthosite
C) limestone
D) breccias
Ans: C
Section: 10-4
125. By dating rocks on the Moon we can determine its age. How long ago did the Moon form?
A) The maria are about 3.8 billion years old, suggesting that the entire Moon was molten at that
time—so that is its probable age.
B) The oldest rocks in the lunar highlands are about 4.3 billion years old, so that must be the age
of the Moon.
C) We believe the Moon was formed molten and then cooled. Because the oldest rocks are about
4.3 billion years old, the formation of the Moon must have occurred around 4.5 billion years ago.
D) Because it cooled and solidified almost to its core, the Moon must be at least a billion years
older than Earth. Its age, therefore, must be at least 5.5 billion years.
Ans: C
Section: 10-4
126. The ages of Moon rocks have been found through radioactive dating. One major difficulty
with this technique is that
A) the original abundances of the elements are not precisely known.
B) relatively large samples (approximately 10 cm in diameter) are needed for testing.
C) the half-lives of the elements are not precisely known.
D) the age of the Moon is greater than the half-life of any of the radioactive elements.
Ans: A
Section: 10-4 and 8-3
Ans: D
Section: 10-4
Ans: C
Section: 10-5
129. Which of the following statements is a correct description of the Moon's orbit?
A) The Moon is gradually spiraling away from Earth.
B) The Moon's distance from Earth remains constant from year to year, on average.
C) The Moon's distance to Earth increases and then decreases cyclically once every 26,000 years.
D) The Moon is gradually spiraling toward Earth.
Ans: A
Section: 10-5
Ans: C
Section: 10-5
Ans: D
Section: 10-5
132. If the rate at which the Moon is moving away from Earth remains approximately constant at
4 cm per year, how long will it take for the distance between Earth and the Moon to increase by
10%?
A) 1 billion years
B) 10 billion years
C) 10 million years
D) 100 million years
Ans: A
Section: 10-5
133. Which of the following statements is a correct description of the rotation of Earth?
A) The average length of a day varies unpredictably from one year to the next because of the
combined effects of solar and lunar tides.
B) The average length of a day is gradually getting longer because Earth's rate of rotation is
slowing down.
C) The average length of a day is constant from year to year because nothing can change the
speed of rotation of Earth.
D) The average length of a day is gradually getting shorter because Earth's rate of rotation is
speeding up.
Ans: B
Section: 10-5
134. One effect of the tidal drag of the ocean waters on Earth is to
A) speed up Earth in its orbital motion around the Sun.
B) speed up its rate of spin, thereby gaining energy from the Moon's orbital motion.
C) slow down Earth's spin rate.
D) tilt its spin axis farther and farther away from the perpendicular to the ecliptic.
Ans: C
Section: 10-5
135. Which statement best describes the average relationship between passage of the Moon
through a observer's meridian and the occurrence of high tide in the open ocean? (Hint: See Figure
10-20 of Universe, 10th ed., and think about what you would experience on Earth.)
A) High tides occur at random and are not related to the time of the Moon's meridian crossing at
any position on Earth.
B) High tide occurs at about the same time as the moon passes through the meridian.
C) The Moon passes through an observer's meridian about forty minutes before high tide at this
position.
D) The Moon passes through the meridian about forty minutes after high tide has occurred.
Ans: C
Section: 10-5
136. Earth's rotation is slowing down because of the tidal interaction between Earth and the
Moon at a rate of 2 m/sec per century. If this rate remains constant at the present value, how long
will it take for one day on Earth to become 2 seconds longer than it is now?
A) 1 million years
B) 100 million years
C) 1000 years
D) 100,000 years
Ans: D
Section: 10-5
137. Moon rocks contain no water in their crystal structure and contain far less volatile material
than those on Earth. Which theory of the origin of the Moon provides the most likely explanation
for these differences?
A) formation of Earth and the Moon at about the same time from the preplanetary nebula. The
gravity of this proto-moon was insufficient to hold water and lighter volatile materials.
B) collision of a large meteoroid with Earth and the ejection of very hot material, depleted in
volatiles, into orbit around Earth
C) breaking away by tidal stress of material depleted in volatiles from Earth's surface
D) capture theory, in which an object with different chemical composition was captured by
Earth's gravity from outer space
Ans: B
Section: 10-5
Ans: A
Section: 10-5
139. One theory about the origin of the Moon states it was formed from debris thrown out when a
Mars-sized object collided with Earth. One fact that strongly supports this theory is that
A) the Moon has several smooth plains formed by ancient lava flows.
B) the Moon always turns the same side toward Earth.
C) impact breccias (rock fragments cemented together by an impact) are common on the Moon.
D) Moon rocks are very similar to those of Earth but are depleted in elements that melt at
relatively low temperatures.
Ans: D
Section: 10-5
140. What can be said to evaluate the fissure theory of the Moon’s origin—the theory that Earth
was spinning so rapidly in its semi-molten state that a large piece flew out and cooled to become
the Moon?
A) The large open area which forms the Pacific Ocean Basin suggests that, in fact, a large mass
was torn out of Earth at that location.
B) Continental drift suggests that the Pacific Ocean Basin is only a transient feature on Earth’s
surface. Thus this idea does not support the fissure theory.
C) The discovery of iron at the bottom of the South Pole–Aitken Basin is support for a fissure
theory, because it suggests that some of Earth’s iron was carried off in the fissure.
D) The discovery of water ice in shadowed craters on the Moon supports the fissure theory,
because it suggests that water was transferred from the early Earth.
Ans: B
Section: 10-5
141. What factor is now thought to have played a major role in such diverse events as the
formation of the Moon, the tilting of Earth's spin axis, and even the extinction of the dinosaurs?
A) passage of the solar system through gigantic gas clouds in space
B) sudden change in the orbital path of Earth
C) major volcanic eruptions on Earth
D) collisions between asteroid-like bodies and Earth
Ans: D
Section: 10-5
142. The theory that seems to account most satisfactorily for the origin of the Moon at the present
time is that
A) the Moon formed from material spun off from Earth when Earth was molten and spinning
rapidly, early in its history.
B) a large object collided with Earth and ejected the material that formed the Moon.
C) the Moon formed by accretion elsewhere in the solar system and was captured later by Earth.
D) the Moon formed from material already in orbit around Earth.
Ans: B
Section: 10-5
143. Which of the following is the best explanation for the origin of the Moon?
A) The Moon was created in its orbit around Earth by the same process which produced earth,
namely the collision of planetesimals which had formed by condensation and accretion of gas and
dust.
B) The Moon was created by the process described above, but at some other location in the solar
system.
C) While Earth was semi-molten early in its formation, a chunk of material was flung out of it.
It went into orbit and evolved to become the Moon.
D) The same as answer C) except that the ejection was caused by a large impact of some object
into Earth.
Ans: D
Section: 10-5
144. Although we do not yet know precisely how the Moon was formed, an important clue is
provided by the fact that
A) moon rocks resemble material similar to that in the interior of Earth.
B) the Moon is heavily cratered.
C) moon rocks resemble rocks close to the surface of Earth.
D) moon rocks contain significant amounts of water and other volatile substances.
Ans: C
Section: 10-5
145. Which is the most probable heat source that produced extensive and possibly total melting
of the Moon at an early stage in its history?
A) tidal flexing and distortion caused by its motion around Earth
B) decay of radioactive elements within it and the impact energy of meteoritic bombardment
C) intense sunlight from the early and very active Sun
D) nuclear fusion reactions occurring in its core
Ans: B
Section: 10-5
146. Which one of the following four theories about the origin of the Moon is now believed to be
correct?
A) An object about the size of Mars crashed into Earth and debris from the collision formed the
Moon.
B) Earth and the Moon formed together, already orbiting each other.
C) The Moon formed separately in a different part of the solar nebula and was later captured by
Earth.
D) Earth was spinning so rapidly while still molten that a piece “spun off” to form the Moon.
Ans: A
Section: 10-5
Ans: D
Section: 10-5
148. Most of the craters on the Moon are thought to have been caused by
A) the intense bombardment by large and small bodies over an early and specific period in the
Moon's history.
B) volcanic activity, leaving behind volcano craters similar to those on Earth.
C) the continuous bombardment throughout the Moon's life, including the present and recent
past, by large and small asteroids.
D) the collapse of volcanic domes, leaving central peaks in the craters.
Ans: A
Section: 10-5
149. Before the Mars-sized impactor struck Earth to cause ejecta which formed he Moon, Earth
probably had a
A) smaller density and slower rotation rate than it does now.
B) smaller density and faster rotation rate than it does now.
C) greater density and slower rotation rate than it does now.
D) greater density and faster rotation rate than it does now.
Ans: A
Section: 10-5
150. Which of the following is believed to be the correct explanation for the origin of the Moon?
A) The Moon was formed elsewhere in the solar system (which is why its composition differs
from that of Earth) and was later captured by Earth's gravity.
B) Shortly after its formation, Earth was spinning so fast in its molten state that a large piece of
material was thrown off, and this coalesced to form the Moon—leaving the Pacific Ocean Basin in
the place where it was thrown off.
C) Earth and the Moon were formed separately at the same time, while in orbit around their
common center of mass, by the accretion of planetesimals.
D) Earth was struck by a large planetesimal, which caused material to be ejected. This material
coalesced to form the Moon.
Ans: D
Section: 10-5
151. What difference, if any, would have resulted if the protoplanet which struck Earth had done
so before Earth underwent chemical differentiation?
A) There would have been no difference at all.
B) Chemical differentiation would have resulted in the Moon having an overall composition very
similar to Earth’s.
C) Chemical differentiation would have resulted in the Moon’s composition being like the core
of Earth.
D) Chemical differentiation would have resulted in the Moon’s composition being like the
mantle of Earth.
Ans: D
Section: 10-5
152. What physical change has the Moon’s surface undergone in the past billion years?
A) absolutely no change
B) a small amount of volcanic activity
C) the formation of scarps and erosion by micrometeorites
D) significant numbers of major impacts
Ans: C
Section: 10-5
Another random document with
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THE CRIMES OF RICHARD HAWKINS.
By Thomas Aird.
By Professor Wilson.
The coffin was let down to the bottom of the grave, the planks were
removed from the heaped-up brink, the first rattling clods had struck
their knell, the quick shovelling was over, and the long, broad,
skilfully cut pieces of turf were aptly joined together, and trimly laid
by the beating spade, so that the newest mound in the churchyard
was scarcely distinguishable from those that were grown over by the
undisturbed grass and daisies of a luxuriant spring. The burial was
soon over; and the party, with one consenting motion, having
uncovered their heads in decent reverence of the place and occasion,
were beginning to separate, and about to leave the churchyard. Here
some acquaintances, from distant parts of the parish, who had not
had an opportunity of addressing each other in the house that had
belonged to the deceased, nor in the course of the few hundred yards
that the little procession had to move over from his bed to his grave,
were shaking hands, quietly but cheerfully, and inquiring after the
welfare of each other’s families. There, a small knot of neighbours
were speaking, without exaggeration, of the respectable character
which the deceased had borne, and mentioning to one another little
incidents of his life, some of them so remote as to be known only to
the grayheaded persons of the group; while a few yards farther
removed from the spot, were standing together parties who
discussed ordinary concerns, altogether unconnected with the
funeral, such as the state of the markets, the promise of the season,
or change of tenants; but still with a sobriety of manner and voice
that was insensibly produced by the influence of the simple
ceremony now closed, by the quiet graves around, and the shadow of
the spire and gray walls of the house of God.
Two men yet stood together at the head of the grave, with
countenances of sincere but unimpassioned grief. They were
brothers, the only sons of him who had been buried. And there was
something in their situation that naturally kept the eyes of many
directed upon them for a longer time, and more intently, than would
have been the case had there been nothing more observable about
them than the common symptoms of a common sorrow. But these
two brothers, who were now standing at the head of their father’s
grave, had for some years been totally estranged from each other,
and the only words that had passed between them, during all that
time, had been uttered within a few days past, during the necessary
preparations for the old man’s funeral.
No deep and deadly quarrel was between these brothers, and
neither of them could distinctly tell the cause of this unnatural
estrangement. Perhaps dim jealousies of their father’s favour—selfish
thoughts that will sometimes force themselves into poor men’s
hearts respecting temporal expectations—unaccommodating
manners on both sides—taunting words that mean little when
uttered, but which rankle and fester in remembrance—imagined
opposition of interests, that, duly considered, would have been found
one and the same—these, and many other causes, slight when single,
but strong when rising up together in one baneful band, had
gradually but fatally infected their hearts, till at last they who in
youth had been seldom separate, and truly attached, now met at
market, and, miserable to say, at church, with dark and averted faces,
like different clansmen during a feud.
Surely if anything could have softened their hearts towards each
other, it must have been to stand silently, side by side, while the
earth, stones, and clods, were falling down upon their father’s coffin.
And, doubtless, their hearts were so softened. But pride, though it
cannot prevent the holy affections of nature from being felt, may
prevent them from being shown; and these two brothers stood there
together, determined not to let each other know the mutual
tenderness that, in spite of them, was gushing up in their hearts, and
teaching them the unconfessed folly and wickedness of their
causeless quarrel.
A headstone had been prepared, and a person came forward to
plant it. The elder brother directed him how to place it—a plain
stone, with a sand-glass, skull, and cross-bones, chiselled not rudely,
and a few words inscribed. The younger brother regarded the
operation with a troubled eye, and said, loudly enough to be heard by
several of the bystanders, “William, this was not kind in you;—you
should have told me of this. I loved my father as well as you could
love him. You were the elder, and, it may be, the favourite son; but I
had a right in nature to have joined you in ordering this headstone,
had I not?”
During these words, the stone was sinking into the earth, and
many persons who were on their way from the grave returned. For a
while the elder brother said nothing, for he had a consciousness in
his heart that he ought to have consulted his father’s son in designing
this last becoming mark of affection and respect to his memory; so
the stone was planted in silence, and now stood erect, decently and
simply among the other unostentatious memorials of the humble
dead.
The inscription merely gave the name and age of the deceased, and
told that the stone had been erected “by his affectionate sons.” The
sight of these words seemed to soften the displeasure of the angry
man, and he said, somewhat more mildly, “Yes, we were his
affectionate sons, and since my name is on the stone, I am satisfied,
brother. We have not drawn together kindly of late years, and
perhaps never may; but I acknowledge and respect your worth; and
here, before our own friends, and before the friends of our father,
with my foot above his head, I express my willingness to be on better
and other terms with you, and if we cannot command love in our
hearts, let us, at least, brother, bar out all unkindness.”
The minister, who had attended the funeral, and had something
intrusted to him to say publicly before he left the churchyard, now
came forward, and asked the elder brother why he spake not
regarding this matter. He saw that there was something of a cold and
sullen pride rising up in his heart—for not easily may any man hope
to dismiss from the chamber of his heart even the vilest guest, if once
cherished there. With a solemn and almost severe air, he looked
upon the relenting man, and then, changing his countenance into
serenity, said gently,—
Behold how good a thing it is,
And how becoming well,
Together such as brethren are
In unity to dwell.
On the morning of the 30th August 1695, just as the sun began to
tinge the dark and blood-stained battlements of Namur, a
detachment of Mackay’s Scottish regiment made their rounds,
relieving the last night-sentinels, and placing those of the morning.
As soon as the party returned to their quarters, and relaxed from the
formalities of military discipline, their leader, a tall, muscular man,
of about middle age, with a keen eye and manly features, though
swarthy and embrowned with toil, and wearing an expression but
little akin to the gentle or the amiable, moved to an angle of the
bastion, and, leaning on his spontoon, fixed an anxious gaze on the
rising sun. While he remained in this position, he was approached by
another officer, who, slapping him roughly on the shoulder, accosted
him in these words—
“What, Monteith! are you in a musing mood? Pray, let me have the
benefit of your morning meditations.”
“Sir!” said Monteith, turning hastily round. “Oh! ’tis you, Keppel.
What think you of this morning?”
“Why, that it will be a glorious day for some; and for you and me, I
hope, among others. Do you know that the Elector of Bavaria
purposes a general assault to-day?”
“I might guess as much, from the preparations going on. Well,
would it were to-morrow!”
“Sure you are not afraid, Monteith?”
“Afraid! It is not worth while to quarrel at present; but methinks
you, Keppel, might have spared that word. There are not many men
who might utter it and live.”
“Nay, I meant no offence; yet permit me to say, that your words
and manner are strangely at variance with your usual bearing on a
battle-morn.”
“Perhaps so,” replied Monteith; “and, but that your English
prejudices will refuse assent, it might be accounted for. That sun will
rise to-morrow with equal power and splendour, gilding this earth’s
murky vapours, but I shall not behold his glory.”
“Now, do tell me some soothful narrative of a second-sighted seer,”
said Keppel. “I promise to do my best to believe it. At any rate, I will
not laugh outright, I assure you.”
“I fear not that. It is no matter to excite mirth; and, in truth, I feel
at present strangely inclined to be communicative. Besides, I have a
request to make; and I may as well do something to induce you to
grant it.”
“That I readily will, if in my power,” replied Keppel. “So, proceed
with your story, if you please.”
“Listen attentively, then—and be at once my first and my last
confidant.
“Shortly after the battle of Bothwell Bridge, I joined the troop
commanded by Irvine of Bonshaw; and gloriously did we scour the
country, hunting the rebel Covenanters, and acting our pleasure
upon man, woman, and child, person and property. I was then but
young, and, for a time, rather witnessed than acted in the wild and
exciting commission which we so amply discharged. But use is all in
all. Ere half-a-dozen years had sped their round, I was one of the
prettiest men in the troop at everything. It was in the autumn of
1684, as I too well remember, that we were engaged in beating up the
haunts of the Covenanters on the skirts of Galloway and Ayrshire. A
deep mist, which covered the moors thick as a shroud—friendly at
times to the Whigs, but, in the present instance, their foe—concealed
our approach, till we were close upon a numerous conventicle. We
hailed, and bade them stand; but, trusting to their mosses and glens,
they scattered and fled. We pursued in various directions, pressing
hard upon the fugitives. In spite of several morasses which I had to
skirt, and difficult glens to thread, being well mounted, I gained
rapidly on a young mountaineer, who, finding escape by flight
impossible, bent his course to a house at a short distance, as hoping
for shelter there, like a hare to her form. I shouted to him to stand;
he ran on. Again I hailed him; but he heeded not; when, dreading to
lose all trace of him, should he gain the house, I fired. The bullet took
effect. He fell, and his heart’s blood gushed on his father’s threshold.
Just at that instant an aged woman, alarmed by the gallop of my
horse, and the report of the pistol, rushed to the door, and
stumbling, fell upon the body of her dying son. She raised his
drooping head upon her knee, kissed his bloody brow, and screamed
aloud, ‘Oh, God of the widow and the fatherless, have mercy on me!’
One ghastly convulsive shudder shook all her nerves, and the next
moment they were calm as the steel of my sword; then raising her
pale and shrivelled countenance, every feature of which was fixed in
the calm, unearthly earnestness of utter despair, or perfect
resignation, she addressed me, every word falling distinct and
piercing on my ear like dropping musketry.
“‘And hast thou this day made me a widowed, childless mother?
Hast thou shed the precious blood of this young servant of Jehovah?
And canst thou hope that thy lot will be one of unmingled happiness?
Go, red-handed persecutor! Follow thine evil way! But hear one
message of truth from a feeble and unworthy tongue. Remorse, like a
bloodhound, shall dog thy steps; and the serpent of an evil
conscience shall coil around thy heart. From this hour thou shalt
never know peace. Thou shalt seek death, and long to meet it as a
friend; but it shall flee thee. And when thou shalt begin to love life,
and dread death, then shall thine enemy come upon thee; and thou
shalt not escape. Hence to thy bloody comrades, thou second Cain!
Thou accursed and banished from the face of Heaven and of mercy!
—
“‘Foul hag!’ I exclaimed, it would take little to make me send thee
to join thy psalm-singing offspring!’
“‘Well do I know that thou wouldst if thou wert permitted!’ replied
she. ‘But go thy way, and bethink thee how thou wilt answer to thy
Creator for this morning’s work!’
“And, ceasing to regard me, she stooped her head over the dead
body of her son. I could endure no more, but wheeled around, and
galloped off to join my companions.
“From that hour, I felt myself a doomed and miserable man. In
vain did I attempt to banish from my mind the deed I had done, and
the words I had heard. In the midst of mirth and revelry, the dying
groan of the youth, and the words of doom spoken by his mother,
rung for ever in my ears, converting the festal board to a scene of
carnage and horror, till the very wine-cup seemed to foam over with
hot bubbling gore. Once I tried—laugh, if you will—I tried to pray;
but the clotted locks of the dying man, and the earnest gaze of the
soul-stricken mother, came betwixt me and Heaven,—my lip faltered
—my breath stopped—my very soul stood still, for I knew that my
victims were in Paradise, and how could I think of happiness—I,
their murderer—in one common home with them? Despair took
possession of my whole being. I rushed voluntarily to the centre of
every deadly peril, in hopes to find an end to my misery. Yourself can
bear me witness that I have ever been the first to meet, the last to
retire from, danger. Often, when I heard the battle-signal given, and
when I passed the trench, or stormed the breach, in front of my
troop, it was less to gain applause and promotion than to provoke the
encounter of death. ’Twas all in vain. I was doomed not to die, while I
longed for death. And now—”
“Well, by your own account, you run no manner of risk, and at the
same time are proceeding on a rapid career of military success,” said
Keppel; “and, for my life, I cannot see why that should affect you,
supposing it all perfectly true.”
“Because you have not yet heard the whole. But listen a few
minutes longer. During last winter, our division, as you know, was
quartered in Brussels, and was very kindly entertained by the
wealthy and good-natured Flemings. Utterly tired of the heartless
dissipation of life in a camp, I endeavoured to make myself agreeable
to my landlord, that I might obtain a more intimate admission into
his family circle. To this I was the more incited, that I expected some
pleasure in the society of his daughter. In all I succeeded to my wish.
I became quite a favourite with the old man, and procured ready
access to the company of his child. But I was sufficiently piqued to
find, that in spite of all my gallantry, I could not learn whether I had
made any impression upon the heart of the laughing Fanchon. What
peace and playful toying could not accomplish, war and sorrow did.
We were called out of winter quarters, to commence what was
anticipated to be a bloody campaign. I obtained an interview to take
a long and doubtful farewell. In my arms the weeping girl owned her
love, and pledged her hand, should I survive to return once more to
Brussels. Keppel, I am a doomed man; and my doom is about to be
accomplished! Formerly I wished to die; but death fled me. Now I
wish to live; and death will come upon me! I know I shall never more
see Brussels, nor my lovely little Fleming. Wilt thou carry her my last
farewell; and tell her to forget a man who was unworthy of her love—
whose destiny drove him to love, and be beloved, that he might
experience the worst of human wretchedness? You’ll do this for me,
Keppel?”
“If I myself survive, I will. But this is some delusion—some strong
dream. I trust it will not unnerve your arm in the moment of the
storm.”
“No! I may die—must die; but it shall be in front of my troop, or in
the middle of the breach. Yet how I long to escape this doom! I have
won enough of glory; I despise pillage and wealth; but I feel my very
heartstrings shrink from the now terrible idea of final dissolution.
Oh! that the fatal hour were past, or that I had still my former
eagerness to die! Keppel, if I dared, I would to-day own myself a
coward.”
“Come with me,” said Keppel, “to my quarters. The night air has
made you aguish. The cold fit will yield to a cup of as generous Rhine
wine as ever was drunk on the banks of the Sambre.” Monteith
consented, and the two moved off to partake of the stimulating and
substantial comforts of a soldier’s breakfast in the Netherlands.
It was between one and two in the afternoon. An unusual stillness
reigned in the lines of the besiegers. The garrison remained equally
silent, as watching in deep suspense on what point the storm
portended by this terrible calm would burst. A single piece of
artillery was discharged. Instantly a body of grenadiers rushed from
the intrenchments, struggled over masses of ruins, and mounted the
breach. The shock was dreadful. Man strove with man, and blow
succeeded to blow, with fierce and breathless energy. The English
reached the summit, but were almost immediately beaten back,
leaving numbers of their bravest grovelling among the blackened
fragments. Their leader, Lord Cutts, had himself received a
dangerous wound in the head; but disregarding it, he selected two
hundred men from Mackay’s regiment, and putting them under the
command of Lieutenants Cockle and Monteith, sent them to restore
the fortunes of the assault. Their charge was irresistible. Led on by
Monteith, who displayed a wild and frantic desperation, rather than
bravery, they broke through all impediments, drove the French from
the covered way, seized on one of the batteries, and turned the
cannon against the enemy. To enable them to maintain this
advantage, they were reinforced by parties from other divisions.
Keppel, advancing in one of those parties, discovered the mangled
form of his friend Monteith, lying on heaps of the enemy on the very
summit of the captured battery. He attempted to raise the seemingly
lifeless body. Monteith opened his eyes,—“Save me!” he cried; “save
me! I will not die! I dare not—I must not die!”
It were too horrid to specify the ghastly nature of the mortal
wounds which had torn and disfigured his frame. To live was
impossible. Yet Keppel strove to render him some assistance, were it
but to soothe his parting spirit. Again he opened his glazing eyes,—“I
will resist thee to the last!” he cried, in a raving delirium. “I killed
him but in the discharge of my duty. What worse was I than others?
Poor consolation now! The doom—the doom! I cannot—dare not—
must not—will not die!” And while the vain words were gurgling in
his throat, his head sunk back on the body of a slaughtered foe, and
his unwilling spirit forsook his shattered body.—Edinburgh Literary
Journal.
THE LADY OF WARISTOUN.