300 



♦ KNOWLEDGE ♦ 



[Oct. 10, 1884. 



The length of each vessel between perpendiculars at the 

 load water-line is 37 2 metres ; the width amidships is 7 '4 

 mfetres ; and the dejith is 1 '3 mfetres. 



The engine, which is of the compound type, is a surface 

 condensing one, without expansion apparatus. It has two 

 horizontal cylinders and direct connecting-rods, and deve- 

 lops, at a minimum, a 250 indicated horsepower, at a 

 velocity of fifty-five revolutions per minute. Four of these 

 gun-boats are designed for the Tonkin, and one for the 

 Gaboon. — La Nativre. 



OTHER WORLDS THAN OURS. 



A WEEK'S CONVEKSATION ON THE PLURALITY OF 

 WOELDS. 



By Mons. de Fontenelle. 



with notes by richard a. peoctoe. 



(Continued from p. 257.) 



THE THIRD EVENING.— PARTICULARS OF THE WORLD 

 IN THE MOON, AND PROOFS OF THE OTHER 

 PLANETS BEING HABITABLE. 



THE Marchioness was so intent upon her notions, that 

 she would fain have engag'd me next day, to go on 

 where I left oft'; but I told her, since the moon and stars 

 were become the subject of our discourse, we should trust 

 our chimajra's with no body else. At night we went again 

 into the park, which was now wholly dedicated to our 

 learned conversation. 



" Well, Madam," said I, " I have great news for you ; 

 that which I told you last night of the moon's being in- 

 habited, may be otherwise now. There is a new fancy got 

 into my head, which puts those people in great danger." 



" I cannot suffer this," said she ; " yesterday you were 

 preparing me to receive a visit from the Lunarians, and 

 now you would insinuate there are no such people in 

 nature. You must not trifle with me thus ; once you 

 would have me believe the moon was inhabited. I .sur- 

 mounted the difficulty I bad, and did believe it." 



" You are a little too nimble," I reply'd ; " did I not 

 advise you never to be entirely convinc'd in things of 

 this nature, but to reserve half of your understanding 

 free and disengag'd, that you might admit of the contrary 

 opinion, if there be any occasiou '( " 



" I care not for your suppositions," said she, " let us 

 come to matter of fact. Are we not to consider the moon 

 as St. Dennis 1 " 



"No," said I, "the moon doth not so much resemble 

 the earth as St. Dennis does Paris : the sun draws from 

 the earth and water, exhalations and vapours, which 

 mounting to a certain height in the air, do there assemble 

 and form the clouds ; these uncertain clouds are driven 

 irregularly round the globe, sometimes shadowing one 

 country, and sometimes another : he then who beholds 

 the earth from afar ofi", will see frequent alterations upon 

 its surface, because a great country, overcast with clouds, 

 will appear dark or light, as the clouds stay, or pass over 

 it ; he will see the spots on the earth often change their 

 place, and appear or disappear as the clouds remove : but 

 we see none of these changes wi'ought upon the moon, 

 which would certainly be the same, were there but clouds 

 about her ; but on the contrary, all her spots are fix'd 

 and certain, and her light parts continue where they were 

 at first, which truly is a great misfortune ; for by this 

 reason, the sun draws no exhalations or vapours above 

 the moon ; so that it appears she is a body infinitely 

 more hard and solid than the earth, whose subtile jiarts 



are easily separated from the rest, and mouut upwards as 

 soon as heat puts them in motion ; but it must be a 

 heap of rock and marble, where there is no evaporation : 

 besides, exhalations are so natural and necessary, where 

 there is water, that there can be no water at all, where 

 there is no exhalation ; and what sort of inhabitants 

 must those be, whose country aflfords no water, is all rock, 

 and produces nothing 1 " 



" Tery fine," said she; "you have forgot how short a 

 time .since you assur'd me, we might from hence distinguish 

 seas in the moon. Pray, what is become of your Caspian 

 Sea, and your Black Lake 1 " 



"All conjecture, madam," replied I: "tho' for your lady- 

 shiji's i-ake, I am very sorry for it ; for those dark places 

 we took to be seas, may perhaps be nothing but large cavi- 

 ties ; 'tis hard to guess right at so great a distance." 



" But will this suffice, then," said she, " to extirpate the 

 people in the moon 1 " 



" Not altogether," I replied ; " we will neither determine 

 for, nor against them." 



" I must own my weakness (if it be one)," said she ; " I 

 cannot be so perfectly uudetermin'd as you would have me 

 to be, but must believe one way, or the other ; therefore 

 pray fix me quickly in my opinion, as to the inhabitants of 

 the moon : preserve or annihilate them, as you shall think 

 fit ; and yet methinks I have a strange inclination for 'em, 

 and would not have 'em destroy'd, if it were possible to save 

 •em." 



" You know, madam," said I, " I can deny you nothing ; 

 the moon shall be no longer a desert, but to do yon service, 

 we will repeople her. Since to all appearance the spots in 

 the moon do not change, I cannot conceive there are any 

 clouds about her, that sometimes obscure one part, 

 and sometimes another ; yet this does not hinder, but 

 that the moon sends forth exhalations, and vapours. 

 The clouds which we see in the aii' are nothing 

 but exhalations and vapours, which at their coming 

 out of the earth, were separated into such minute 

 particles, that they could not be discern'd ; but as they 

 ascend higher, they are condens'd by the cold, and by the 

 re-union of their parts, are render'd visible ; after which 

 they become great clouds, which fluctuate in the air, 

 their improper region, 'till they return back again in 

 rain to us : however, these exhalations and vapours 

 do sometimes keep themselves so dispers'd, that they are 

 imperceptible ; or if they do assemble, it is in forming 

 such subtile dews that they cannot be discerned to fall 

 from any cloud. For as it seems incredible that the moon 

 should be such a mass, that all its parts are of an equal 

 solidity, all at rest with one another, and all incapable of 

 any alteration from the efficacy of the sun ; I am sure we 

 are yet unacquainted with such a body. Marble itself is 

 of another nature ; and even that which is most solid is 

 subject to change and alteration ; either from the secret 

 and invisible motion it has within itself, or from that 

 which it receives from without. It may so happen, then, 

 that the vapours which issue from the moon may not 

 assemble round her in clouds, and may not fall back again 

 in rain, but only in dews. It is sufficient for this that the 

 air with which the moon is environed (for it is certain she 

 is so,* as well as the earth) should be a little diflerent from 

 our air, and the vapours of the moon be a little different 

 from those of the earth, which is very probable. Here- 

 upon the matter being otherwise disposed in the moon than 

 on the earth, the effects must be different ; though it is of 

 no great consequence whether they are or no ; for, from the 



* Some of the confidence of lialf-knowledgo is here shown by 

 our worthy author. — R. P. 



