74 THE BORDERLAND OF SCIENCE. 



quiescence, and it would even appear that before many 

 ages are past, the polar Saturnian regions may be fit 

 to be the abode of living creatures. On the other 

 hand, the equatorial zone of Saturn seems to be in a 

 state of abnormal activity ; and though this may be in 

 great part due to the intensity of the subterranean 

 forces at work here, and to their partial relief from the 

 action of gravity, yet it seems chiefly to be occasioned 

 by the continual downpour of cometic and meteoric 

 matter over this zone. Even during our short stay 

 the dense atmosphere around and above us was roused 

 more than once into tremendous whirlwinds by the 

 arrival of enormous masses of matter from without. 

 But though local peculiarities of this sort exist, yet, 

 in a general sense, it may be said that the whole bulk 

 of Saturn is instinct with fiery energy, rendering it 

 altogether unsuited to be the above of living creatures, 

 or at least of creatures resembling any existing on the 

 earth. If creatures of another kind exist there, we 

 could recognise no sign of their presence. If there 

 are intelligent beings there, their intelligence is not 

 such as human intelligence can communicate with. 

 We agreed that so far as the evidence before us went 

 and as I have told you our powers of perception were 

 limited Saturn, like the sun, is altogether unin- 

 habited. It is the scene of an intense physical activity, 

 but no form of vital energy exists there, nor are any of 

 the processes at work there due to the action of any 

 form of intelligence. 



We passed from the burning surface of Saturn, 



