Jjbi/ yt? 
^ ^4y ^?? W19~. 
[ C ommuni c ate d. ] 
[At the request of Captain Symmes, xve pub¬ 
lish the following articles, selected from his 
file of manuscripts in the Reading Room, as 
“the most notable samples, not heretofore 
published, of the addresses he has received. 55 ] 
JBrotvnsville, Jackson Co. Illinois, b 
May 2, 1819. 5 
Sir —When any man presents a new 
theory to the world, it appears to be one f 
of the principles ingrafted into human na¬ 
ture, to treat it with a degree of ridicule, 
proportioned to its originality, i confess, 
that on the first developement of your the¬ 
ory, of “hollow spheres/ 5 I joined the gen¬ 
eral cry of “mad-maii” because I had not 
then thought of the subject sufficiently to 
draw accurate conclusions; and I presume 
this is the case with many of your opp^ 
nents at present, who treat with contempi 
what they cannot comprehend, or will not 
take the trouble to investigate. 
Notwithstanding you are an entire 
stranger to me, (except from fame,) I cari- 
not resist the desire I have of making, 
known to you, some additional evidences, 
which I have not observed in any of your 
numbers which have come to hand, and I 
hope this may answer as an excuse for my 
intrusion. 
Should the earth be hollow, of which I 
have now as little doubt as I can have on 
any plausible theory, not perfectly de¬ 
monstrated, it must, in addition to an at¬ 
mosphere like our own, possess, centre¬ 
way s^et ween the shell and inner globe, 
that peculiar electrical or phosphorescent 
ether, which forms the outer strata of the 
atmosphere of the sun, which is continual¬ 
ly dispensing light, and bringing into ac¬ 
tion the latent heat, of the planets compo¬ 
sing the solar system; ec which light, elec¬ 
trical fluid, or whatever it may be, is as 
constantly selected and returned to the 
centre of light (the sun) by its postilions, 
the Comets. That a substance similar to 
this issues from the poles of the earth, the 
frequent appearance of the aurora boreal¬ 
is, in very nigh latitudes, would seem tu 
