266 SCIENTIFIC ILLUSTRATIONS [Pas 



The Batteries of Passion. 



Regular ill-temper is altogether a different thing from passion. 

 The one corrodes incessantly like an acid or metal ; the other 

 discharges desperate shocks, like the electric shocks of the 

 gymnotus, and spends itself. Do not get in the way of 

 passionate men till their batteries are discharged. The exhaus- 

 tion of these batteries is only a matter of time and opportunity. 

 And you may watch the process calmly, and be instructed by 

 Humboldt's description of the way in which the gymnotes use 

 their batteries, and see if you discover therein any resemblance 

 to and lesson for passionate persons. He tells us that the 

 gymnotes abound in the vicinity of Calaboza in South America, 

 and the Indians, well aware of the danger of encountering them 

 when their powers are in vigour, collect from twenty to thirty 

 horses, drive them into the pools, and when the gymnotes have 

 exhausted their electric batteries on the poor horses, they can 

 be taken without risk. Time and repose are needed before the 

 batteries are ready to act again. The first assault of the 

 gymnotes, says Humboldt, was chiefly to be dreaded. In fact, 

 after a time, the eels resembled discharged batteries. Their mus- 

 cular motion continued active, but they had lost the power of 

 giving energetic shocks. When the combat had endured for a 

 quarter of an hour, the horses seemed to be less in fear. They 

 were no longer seen to fall backwards, and the gymnotes, swim- 

 ming with their bodies half out of the water, were now flying from 

 the horses and making for the shore. The Indians then began to 

 use their harpoons, and by means of long cords attached to them 

 drew the fish out of the water. When the batteries of his 

 passion have been discharged, many a passionate man has also 

 afforded a similarly easy conquest to those who have just 

 watched and waited. MU. 



The Passionate Character. 



, The panther rarely attacks man without being provoked ; but 

 it is irritated at the merest trifle, and its anger is manifested by 

 the lightning rapidity of its onset, which invariably results in 

 the speedy death of the imprudent being who has aroused its 

 fury. Avoid passionate people, for they are like the panther. 





