MISCELLANEOUS PAPERS. 873 



might advance that "the multitudinous seas" outside his especial 

 preserve must necessarily be uninhabited, because that sea occupies 

 a peculiarly central position with respect to the American continents 

 and the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, and because its temperature, 

 depth and degree of saltness must be different from other parts of 

 the earth's water surface. This theory has been argued pro and con, 

 however, although it must be admitted that astronomers are de- 

 cidedly con. Nikola Tesla has made himself the target of humor 

 by asserting his belief that he had received "Teslagrams," so to 

 speak, from the inhabitants of Venus and Mars. 



To summarize even this brief survey of the advances astronomy 

 has made within recent years is to mention most of what is taught 

 in modern text-books. In other words, astronomy, in common with 

 other sciences, has been revolutionized with the past fifty years. The 

 doors to original research and discovery, heretofore almost closed, 

 have been flung wide open, and invite to most fruitful fields of inves- 

 tigation. Armed with the most perfect instruments ever devised by 

 human ingenuity, and sui)ported by an interminable line of wonder- 

 ful discoveries, nothing seems impossible to the astronomer. 



The poet has voiced not only the expectation of the unscientific, 

 but of the astronomer himself in his address to the telescope : 



"Through thee will holy Science, putting ofiF 

 Earth's dusty sandals from her radiant feet, 

 Survey God's beauteous firmament unrolled 

 Like to a book new-writ in golden words. 

 And turning the azure scroll with reverent hand, 

 Read to man the wonders God hath wrought." 



