MENTAL REWARD 341 



the equator to the polar ice fields. By the rota- 

 tion of Mars on its axis water from the polar seas 

 is whirled into the channels, filling them full to 

 the equator, and by cross engineering, watering the 

 whole planet. The polar ice belts accumulate dur- 

 ing the polar winters, melt during the polar sum- 

 mers, keeping the water supply permanent. 



It is necessary. Mars is far advanced in Evolu- 

 tion. Its internal heat has become much less, its 

 crust correspondingly thicker. The thicker crust 

 has new pores and cavities. These are filled with 

 water drawn in from the surface of the planet by 

 the force of gravity. When this took place, water 

 on its surface was becoming scarce, threatening, on 

 a large scale, drouth and famine. Martian engi- 

 neers came to the rescue, projected the grand sys- 

 tem of irrigation. 



Hence, it is claimed, on Mars dwells a superior 

 order of intelligent beings, having a grandeur of 

 intellect unknown to Earth. Their great engineer- 

 ing proves it. Our engineering, subways, tun- 

 nels under rivers and small mountains, and canals 

 across narrow isthmuses, compared with, the 

 great Martian enterprise, dwindles to the merest 

 kindergarten. 



Not that it is needful for a moment to suppose 

 that the Martian man, at the beginning, was su- 

 perior to the Earth man, but that he has simply 

 climbed to a higher degree of Evolution. Subject 

 to a similar environment, he was subject to a 

 similar " struggle for existence." There was a 



