41 



100 by 24, i. e. the atmospherical mass by the percen- 

 tage of oxygen hydrogen remaining in it, we arrive at 

 the relative lifting power of the latter, which exceeds 

 the depressing power of the nitrogen and carbon more 

 than four times. By further dividing 100 by 8 we re- 

 ceive in result the lifting power of pure oxygen which 

 we see exceeds the depressing power of nitrogen (azote) 

 twelve and a half times. Inasmuch then as we can de- 

 tect no foreign elements, entering from without into our 

 -atmosphere, it is obvious that solar space is occupied 

 not with the ether which astronomers have imagined, 

 but with planetary oxygen and hydrogen. The question 

 therefore arises as to the significance of this process, 

 whereby cosmic space "is so supplied. Why do these 

 .gases rise? 



I should answer to this that we can see in this phe- 

 nomenon the return which the planetary worlds render 

 to their sun for its grand and splendid gifts of light and 

 heat. In these mutual functions are expressed the fun. 

 -damental doctrines of cosmic life. 



At this point I shall pause to explain, as far as I can 

 consistently with scientific research, the reason of the 

 movements of particular planets. (See Fig. 1). 



As is shown in our illustration the sun revolves in 

 the middle of the planetary orbits, all the planets circ- 

 ling round it. Each pi? net has its own orbit, i. e. its 

 own circle of distance from the sun, and in the limits 

 of this circle it moves. The following are the distances 

 of these orbits from the sun : for Mercury 53 million 

 versts ; Venus, 99 million versts ; Earth 140 million; Mars 

 210; the Asteroids from 300 to 500; Jupiter 720; Saturn 

 1325; Uranus 2660, and, finally, Neptune 4170,000,000 

 versts. Such, in mundane measures, are the enormous 

 distances of the planets, and such the sweep of their 

 revolutions in space ! 



But what is vast for us, is insignificant for Nature 

 herself. From this point of view she seems to be taking 

 ordinary quiet steps ; removing her enormous body from 



