During the opposition of 1894 a great light was seen on the
illuminated part of the disk, first at the Lick Observatory, then by
Perrotin of Nice, and then by other observers.  English readers heard
of it first in the issue of _Nature_ dated August 2.  I am inclined to
think that this blaze may have been the casting of the huge gun, in
the vast pit sunk into their planet, from which their shots were fired
at us.  Peculiar markings, as yet unexplained, were seen near the site
of that outbreak during the next two oppositions.