136 



• KNOWLEDGE * 



[Aug. 15, 1884. 



z\a^ 



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Day Sign for the ilonth. 



ZODIACAL MAPS. 



By Eichakd A. Proctor. 



WE give this week both the day sign and the night sign 

 for the month, one showing the zodiacal sign now 

 high in the heavens at midnigJit, the other showing the 

 region of the zodiac athwart which the sun pursues his 

 course at this part of the year. 



OTHER WORLDS THAN OURS. 



A WEEK'S CONVERSATION ON THE PLURALITY 

 WORLDS. 



By Moss, de Fostenelle. 



OF 



B 



WITH NOTES BY RICHARD A. PROCTOR. 



(Continued from p. 118.) 



UT pray," said she, "how can the earth with all its 

 weight, be borne up by your celestial matter, which 

 must be very light, because it is so fluid ? " 



" It does not argue," said I, " that what is most fluid is 

 most light : for what think you of the great ship I men- 

 tioned just now, which with all its burden is yet lighter 

 than the water it floats on ? " 



" I will have nothing to do with that great ship," said 

 she, with some warmth, " and I begin to apprehend myself 

 in some danger on such a whirligig as you have made of the 

 earth." 



" There is no danger," replied I ; " but, madam, if yoi<- 

 are afraid, we will have the earth supported by four 

 elephants, as the Indians believe it." 



" Hey-day," cry'd she, " here's another system ; however, 

 I love tho.«e people for taking care of themselves ; they 

 have a good foundation to trust to, while you Copemicans 

 are a little too venturous with the celestial matter : and yet 

 I fancy, if the Indians thought the earth in the least danger 

 of sinking, the}'- would double their number of elephants." 



" They would do well," said I, laughing at her fancy, 

 " who would sleep in fear ? and if you have occasion for 

 'em to-night, we will put as many as you please in our 

 system ; we can take 'em away again by degrees, as you 

 grow better confirm 'd." 



" I do not think 'em very necessary," said she ; " I have 

 courage enough to turn." 



"You shall turn with pleasure, madam," said I, " andr 

 shall find delightful ideas in this system : For example, 

 sometimes I fancy myself suspended in the air, without any 

 motion, while the earth turns round me in twenty-four 

 hours ; I see I know not how many difierent faces pass 

 under me, some white, some black, and some tauny ; some- 

 times I see hats, and sometimes turbans ; now heads with> 

 hair, and then shav'd heads ; here I see cities with steeples, 

 others with spires and crescents, others with towers of 

 porcelain, and anon great countreys with nothing but 

 cottages : here I see vast oceans, and there most horrible 

 deserts : In short, I discover the infinite variety which is 

 upon the surface of the earth." 



" I confess," said she, " twenty-four kours would thus be 



