Of the further wanderings of Dr. Van Varken—Of his visits to Australis
and the great Observatory—Of a strange physical Theory concerning
the Tornado—Supposed cause of the Doctor’s return to the Earth.
After the delivery of his remarkable lectures, the doctor’s notes become
even scantier than before, and are of quite a fragmentary character. We
can gather from them that his time thenceforth was mainly occupied in
travelling in various directions through the country; and this is, very
likely, the cause of the deficiencies in his memoranda.
He seems to have been greatly struck with the vast engineering works
which met him everywhere; and especially with the magnificent roads on
which carriages, like those at Lucetta, ran on rails; these carriages
were free to all; everyone in his turn took his share in managing the
service, like any other calling. His first visit was to the great
imperial metropolis, Australis, to which he of course proceeded by the
submarine route.
When he arrived there it was the winter season for the southern
hemisphere. During the discussion on the selection of the universal
metropolis, at the time of the union of the hemispheres, an objection
had been raised to Australis, namely, that there was darkness for about
one-third of the year. But, in consequence of the other advantages of
the site, the objection was overruled, and that the more readily, as an
artificial chemical light of extraordinary brilliancy had just been
discovered. So great was its power that, for moderate distances, it
nearly equalled the light of day. These were the lights which Van
Varken, on his first arrival, saw shining in Lucetta, and on the ships
in the bay. And thus, when he reached Australis, he found not only the
city, but the whole surrounding valley blazing with this wonderful
illumination. Some persons, indeed, could never reconcile themselves to
this artificial light, so another city was, in course of time, built at
the North Pole; and, by migrating at the proper seasons, from one to the
other, perpetual daylight might be enjoyed.
The curt and jejune memoranda which remain tell us but little of the
metropolitan city. The points which seem to have specially impressed him
were—The great magazines or depôts of all sorts of articles which, in
our cities, are usually sold in the shops, and which, under the
Hesperian system, are abundantly supplied by the communistic labour;
from these stores everyone supplied himself as he wanted. The splendid
museums of science and art, and the picturesque style of the houses, all
of which were, as in Lucetta, detached from each other, and but of one
story in height, filled the doctor’s soul with admiration. Above them
all was conspicuous the great temple or cathedral of the Unknown God.
The gorgeous services performed there made a wonderful impression on the
traveller; he was specially affected by one solemn and mournful chant,
sung in unison by the whole of the immense congregation, and accompanied
in strangely rich and complicated harmony on the largest organ he had
ever seen.
But, beyond these few details, nought is recorded. After his return to
the north, he paid a visit to the great Observatory whose foundation he
has so fully described. The original structure had been removed, and the
buildings which now occupy the site are of vast dimensions, and are
furnished with every astronomical instrument which the great skill of
the Hesperians is competent to execute. Specially noteworthy are the
mechanical contrivances for moving and adjusting the ponderous
telescopes. Though these weigh many tons, the mere pressure of the
finger on a couple of metal knobs suffices to direct any of them to
whatever point of the sky is to be examined; and, with the telescope,
the platform for the observer simultaneously takes the requisite
position.
He found some of the astronomers engaged in abstruse mathematical
calculations, in connexion with a theory which had just been suggested
as an explanation of the chronic equatorial tornado. It was this, that
Hesperos has a satellite of small dimensions, not, indeed, exceeding a
mile in diameter, but of very great density; and that this satellite
revolves in the plane of the equator with tremendous velocity, so close
to the surface that it comes into actual contact with the water several
times in each revolution. Hence the terrible waves and storms. Whether
this ingenious theory was verified or not we have no record.
Unfortunately, at the time of the doctor’s visit, the earth, being in
conjunction, was not favourably placed for observation. He seems to have
suffered a great deal on this excursion from the extreme rarity of the
air.
And, at this point, the notes may be said to end. Nothing more than a
few incoherent jottings on the last remaining page are legible. From
these I gather that he went back to Lasondre, and there, having probably
informed the inhabitants of his surgical profession, he delivered a
lecture on the anatomy of the human body. When we remember the
invincible obstacle to any scientific study of the anatomy of the
Hesperians which was presented by their conditions of life, we can
easily understand that such a lecture, from an expert, must have excited
unusual interest, and, combining this fact with the abundance of strong
and profane expressions which disfigure the concluding memoranda, I
think it not at all unlikely that some signs of a desire to avail
themselves of the doctor’s own person for the purpose of dissection may
have been exhibited by his audience, and may have suggested to his mind
the expediency of a hasty return to the earth. But I wish it to be
distinctly understood that this is only a conjecture, and not, as the
remainder of his history, based on the explicit statements of the
note-book.
At all events the discovery of the manuscript in the University library
is abundantly sufficient proof that the Thibetian influence was powerful
enough to overcome the Hesperian attraction, and that he succeeded in
getting back to the earth. So much, I say, is certain, _et hypotheses
non fingo_.
And here ends our knowledge of the Godless Immortals. It is not likely
that their hundred and sixty years’ additional existence have lightened
the World-Weariness and Sorrow which was plainly settling down upon them
like a heavy pall.]
_Printed by_ PONSONBY AND WELDRICK, _Dublin_.
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TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES
1. Silently corrected obvious typographical errors and variations in
spelling.
2. Retained archaic, non-standard, and uncertain spellings as printed.
3. Enclosed italics font in _underscores_.
4. Denoted superscripts by a caret before a single superscript
character or a series of superscripted characters enclosed in
curly braces, e.g. M^r. or M^{ister}.