THE TRIUMPH OF LIFE 



here almost like that above on the phosphorescent 

 waves of the surface that break horizontally 

 against yonder flat sand beach. A wonderful 

 picture unfolds itself to us. This mighty col- 

 umn of water, of Gaurisankar height that 

 presses down upon us with a weight of nine 

 hundred atmospheres is throughout its whole 

 length occupied with animal life. The great 

 picture suggests yet greater thoughts. What 

 possibilities life must possess to conquer the op- 

 position found in this water column of five and 

 a half miles ! Above glows the tropical sun, be- 

 low it is cold to the freezing point. Above on 

 the equator there are three hundred and sixty- 

 five times twelve hours of clear day, below eter- 

 nal night. Above only one atmospheric col- 

 umn, that stretches itself over the blue surface 

 toward the warm sun as a weight on the body, 

 below nine hundred atmospheres. 



We meet here an imposing power of life, the^ 

 capacity of adjustment. 



The air balloon, a result of man's skill, is so 

 constructed that it rests suspended in our atmos- 

 phere or moves with its currents of wind as 

 though it were freed from gravity. But if it 

 presses too high, into a layer of air too thin, 

 where the pressure of the atmosphere no longer 

 corresponds with its adjustment, its bursts vio- 

 lently. 



The deep sea fish which man suddenly 



