Concerning Physical Hesperography—Of the great Cloud-Screen, and its
effect on Terrestrial Astronomy—Of the Chronic Equatorial Tornado,
and of its extraordinary importance in the history of Hesperos—Of
the Giant Mountains; and of the Flora and Fauna.
To understand aright the nature of my intercourse with the Hesperians, I
must needs give a short description of the structure and principal
natural features of the surface of their planet; and likewise some
account of the origin of the rational inhabitants thereof, and of the
main points wherein their conditions of life differ from our own. All
this knowledge was obtained by me, after the establishment, as I have
explained, of a means of communication, in the course of many dialogues,
not only with the three whom I had instructed in the Hollandish tongue,
but also with many others, who had, with nearly equal quickness and
ease, picked it up. But I think the reader will find it more convenient
if I present him, in a connected discourse, this strange history which
came to my knowledge only by degrees and in a rather roundabout way.
Our own astronomers have, long ago, computed the distance of Hesperos
from the sun, her magnitude, density, time of rotation on her axis, and
a few other particulars. Some of these computations are approximately
right, but they have considerably over-estimated her distance from the
sun, which is really not much over sixty-six millions of miles. And with
respect to the physical geography, or more properly, Hesperography of
the planet, they are, all of them, in absolute ignorance, and that for
the best of possible reasons—no human being but myself has ever seen her
surface. Improvements in the telescope will never enable the terrestrial
astronomers to penetrate the permanent stratum of cloud which, at an
average elevation of twenty miles, surrounds the entire planet like a
screen. The visible disk of Hesperos is simply the outer surface of this
cloud-screen, which reflects the solar rays very copiously. The
Hesperian atmosphere is of immense density, for the average height at
which mercury stands in a tube constructed after the method of Signor
Torricelli is somewhat over fifty-nine inches. It is fortunate that,
except in the equatorial region, storms are unknown, for the impact of a
hurricane of air of such density would be fatal to most forms of life.
This ponderous atmosphere supports the stratum of cloud just mentioned,
which is sufficiently dense to act as a screen against the solar rays,
and it thus renders the climate of the greater part of the planet by no
means unpleasant. Though the supply of solar heat is nearly double of
that received by the earth, I never, during my two years’ residence in
Hesperos, experienced as much inconvenience from that source as I have
frequently met with in our own tropical countries.
The planet is divided into two regions, which in ancient times were
supposed to be, and, in one respect, really were, mutually inaccessible.
The division is made by an immense equatorial ocean which surrounds the
entire globe. The extent of this ocean, measured from north to south, is
nowhere less than four thousand miles. Each of the poles is the centre
of a vast continent which extends on all sides till it meets the great
central ocean. The margins of these continents are exceedingly irregular
in shape, being broken by arms of the sea, which often run up the
country for many hundreds of miles. Many islands, some of which are of
considerable size, are scattered through the ocean, but none of these
lie at a very great distance from the mainland. The entire surface is
nearly equally divided between land and water, this distribution forming
a marked contrast with the present state of the earth.
By far the most striking of the physical phenomena on the planet is the
frightful chronic hurricane which rages round the equator. To this I
must ask the reader’s special attention, inasmuch as some of the most
astounding events in the Hesperian history are only to be understood
with reference to this extraordinary and hitherto unexplained tornado. I
have already mentioned the exceeding density of the air, and also the
fortunate exemption of the greater part of the planet from storms. But
it seems that this latent energy of the atmosphere finds its vent in a
zone about five hundred miles in breadth, of which the equator forms the
central line. According to all accounts a permanent tornado, of such
violence that one who is accustomed only to the storms which occur in
the rarer atmosphere of the earth, is incapable of even imagining it,
tears and rages round this zone for ever. Still less could anyone
conceive the aspect of the ocean subjected to this unceasing and
tremendous hurricane. Anyone who could realize in imagination the
cataract of Niagara, broken loose from its American moorings, and
wandering on the sea, might perhaps have some notion of one of the
equatorial waves.
This is the reason why I described the northern and southern Hesperian
hemispheres as mutually inaccessible. No ship constructed by mortal
hands could approach this pandemonium and live. We shall see, farther
on, that, after the lapse of many ages, counting from the first
appearance of rational life, the transit was effected in a wholly
unexpected manner. This transit led to a most awful discovery, and with
this discovery we shall see that the Modern History of Hesperos begins.
Moreover, the differences as to heat and cold in the various climatal
regions of Hesperos are not nearly so great as those which are
experienced on the earth. This fact is partly to be explained by the
considerable increase in the density of the permanent cloud stratum,
which takes place as we approach the equatorial zone. This provides a
more effective barrier against the solar rays in the districts where
such a screen is most needed. For the purpose of residence the two polar
regions are unquestionably far the most agreeable. Each of them abounds
in beautiful lakes and magnificent mountain scenery. The Hesperian
mountains are on a much larger scale than any which occur on the earth.
In particular, starting from a point near the northern pole, there runs
in a south-easterly direction a mighty chain which has several peaks not
less than twenty English miles in height.
Some of these peaks even pierce through the cloud-screen, and these have
been made available for the construction of extensive astronomical
observatories. There are similar, though not quite as lofty ranges in
the southern hemisphere, and their summits have been utilised in the
same way. It should be observed that, were it not for these mountains,
the Hesperians would have been wholly cut off from all knowledge of the
remainder of the universe, for none of the heavenly bodies are visible
through the permanent screen. I need not say that very great precautions
are taken at all the observatories to protect the astronomers and the
instruments from the great heat of the sun.
I have already mentioned that, with the terrible exception noticed
above, storms are unknown in Hesperos. The country is everywhere well
watered. There are no sandy deserts. Extensive evaporation takes place
over the central ocean; rain clouds at a much lower altitude than the
screen are constantly formed, and, being wafted by very gentle breezes
over the land, discharge their contents in fertilizing rain. There are
no thunderstorms or electrical phenomena of any kind; no hesperoquakes,
no volcanoes, nor indeed any of those vast natural instruments of death
with which our earth is so copiously supplied.
The planet abounds, as might have been expected, in multiplied forms of
vegetable life. There are many trees which closely resemble those of the
earth; many also of very different types from any known here. The great
preponderance in number of the fruit-bearing trees over the barren
species is exceedingly noteworthy. As for the flowers, I have seen none
on earth, tropical or non-tropical, which in any way approach the
gorgeous splendour of the Hesperian colouring.
Animal life, on the other hand, is scanty, and confined to a small
number of seemingly insignificant species. The bird tribe forms the only
exception. Of these the forms are numerous and lovely, and, as they are
never molested by the inhabitants, they are singularly tame. There are
no large or carnivorous mammals; and it is worth notice that in the
small-sized and graminivorous types of this class—the only quadrupeds in
Hesperos—the reproductive power is, in comparison with the earth tribes,
exceedingly small. Insects and reptiles are wholly unknown; the numerous
birds live entirely on the abundant fruits. I greatly appreciated the
comfort of being able to sit and rest on the grass without being
immediately covered with a disgusting swarm of stinging ants, and, when
in the house, I soon learned to submit with resignation to the absence
of the loathsome cockroach and the both loathsome and dangerous
centipede and scorpion.