22 JOURNAL AND PROCEEDINGS. 



al newspaper paragrapher has drawn his trail across the path 

 that leads to truth, and we have been gravely told that the Mar- 

 tian beings are flashing signals to their terrestrial cousins to 

 arouse their attention and attract corresponding heliographs or 

 electrographs. We have heard of a class of citizens in Toronto 

 called " Acqueducters " ; it is a small and privileged class, but 

 in Mars every one is an " Acqueducter," and thus it seems they 

 flash their bright signals to their less favored brethren on this 

 earth and so glorify their work and jeer at the small success at- 

 tending that of terrestrial toilers. Other brightly flashing points 

 have no doubt been seen beyond the general line of the termin- 

 ator, but they are occasioned by the sun's setting or dawning 

 rays gilding a vast extent of cloud, floating at a great height in 

 the Martian atmosphere, if such there be, or irradiating a moun- 

 tain peak rising with steep slope froixi the surrounding plains. 

 Recognizing these canals as the work of Martian engineers 

 gives one so to speak, the " creeps." We feel in the presence 

 of some weird-like midnight mystery. Jamie Soutar, of Drum- 

 tochty, would say, "its no canny." Crusoe, of our early days, 

 started when he saw the foot prints of human beings pressed 

 on the sands of his desert island ; so we look with wonder at 

 these canals and are filled with awe at the thought that may- 

 hap here we see the product of human intelligence. 



" O'er all there comes a shadow and a fear, 

 A sense of mystery the spirit daunted, 

 That says as plain as whisper in the ear 

 The place is haunted." 



" That Mars seems to be inhabited," says IN'Ir. Lowell, " is 

 not the last but the first word on the subject." We must look 

 at things now from a new standpoint and take a broad sweep, 

 not take merelv a local view. By a local view I mean a terres- 

 trial view. The human race with all its proved attributes may 

 after all be but a link in the chain. Man is merely earth's 

 highest production up to date. But let us halt ! Let me re- 

 member the warning that " the assertion v\diich outstrips 

 evidence is not only a blunder but a crime." Bosm truly said 

 in his essay on " Truth," "the mixture of a lie doth ever add 



