THE EARTH 241 



"The longest walk 1 ever took was to the pine 

 woods, where we went to look for the nest of the 

 processionary caterpillars, the day of the thunder- 

 storm. I low many leagues did we go?" 

 "About four, two to go and two to come back/' 

 "Only four leagues! All the same I was played 

 out. At the end I could hardly put one foot before 

 the other. It would take me, then, from seven to 

 <id it years to go round the world, walking every 

 day as far as my strength would let me." 

 "Your calculation is right." 

 "The earth then is a very large ball!" 

 "Yes, my friend, very large. Another example 

 will heli) you to understand it. Let us represent the 

 terrestrial globe by a ball of greater diameter than 

 a man's height by a ball two meters in diameter; 

 then, in correct proportion, represent in relief on 

 its surface some of the principal mountains. The 

 highest mountain in the world is Gaurisankar, a part 

 of the Himalaya chain, in central Asia. Its peaks 

 rise to a height of 8840 meters. Barely are the 

 clouds high enough to crown its crest, and its base 

 covers the extent of an empire. Alas! what does 

 man become, materially, in face of such a prodigious 

 colossus ! Well, let us raise the giant on our large 

 ball representing the earth; do you know what will 

 be needed to represent it! A tiny little grain of 

 sand which would be lost between your fingers, a 

 -1,1 in of sand that would stand out in relief only a 

 millimeter and a third! The gigantic mountain that 

 overwhelmed us with its immensity is nothing when 

 compared with the earth. The highest mountain in 



