A Trip to Venus | Page 2

believe that something of the kind has been seen?"
"Oh, certainly. The Nice Observatory, of which Monsieur Perrotin is director, has one of
the finest telescopes in existence, and Monsieur Javelle is well-known for his careful
work."
"How do you account for it?"
"The light is not outside the disc," responded Gazen, "else I should ascribe it to a small
comet. It may be due to an aurora in Mars as a writer in Nature has suggested, or to a
range of snowy Alps, or even to a bright cloud, reflecting the sunrise. Possibly the
Martians have seen the forest fires in America, and started a rival illumination."
"What strikes you as the likeliest of these notions?"
"Mountain peaks catching the sunshine."
"Might it not be the glare of a city, or a powerful search-light--in short, a signal?"
"Oh dear, no," exclaimed the astronomer, smiling incredulously. "The idea of signalling
has got into people's heads through the outcry raised about it some time ago, when Mars
was in 'opposition' and near the earth. I suppose you are thinking of the plan for raising
and lowering the lights of London to attract the notice of the Martians?"
"No; I believe I told you of the singular experience I had some five or six years ago with
an old astronomer, who thought he had established an optical telegraph to Mars?"
"Oh, yes, I remember now. Ah, that poor old chap was insane. Like the astronomer in
_Rasselas_, he had brooded so long in solitude over his visionary idea that he had come
to imagine it a reality."
"Might there not be some truth in his notion? Perhaps he was only a little before his
time."
Gazen shook his head.
"You see," he replied, "Mars is a much older planet than ours. In winter the Arctic snows
extend to within forty degrees of the equator, and the climate must be very cold. If human
beings ever existed on it they must have died out long ago, or sunk to the condition of the
Eskimo."
"May not the climate be softened by conditions of land and sea unknown to us? May not
the science and civilisation of the Martians enable them to cope with the low
temperature?"

"The atmosphere of Mars is as rare as ours at a height of six miles, and a warm-blooded
creature like man would expire in it."
"Like man, yes," I answered; "but man was made for this world. We are too apt to
measure things by our own experience. Why should we limit the potentiality of life by
what we know of this planet?"
"In the next place," went on Gazen, ignoring my remark, "the old astronomer's plan of
signalling by strong lights was quite impracticable. No artificial light is capable of
reaching to Mars. Think of the immense distance and the two atmospheres to penetrate!
The man was mad, as mad as a March hare! though why a March hare is mad I'm sure I
don't know."
"I read the other day of an electric light in America which can be seen 150 miles through
the lower atmosphere. Such a light, if properly directed, might be visible on Mars; and,
for aught we know, the Martians may have discovered a still stronger beam."
"And if they have, the odds against their signalling just when we are alive to the
possibility of it are simply tremendous."
"I see nothing incredible in the coincidence. Two heads often conceive the same idea
about the same time, and why not two planets, if the hour be ripe? Surely there is one and
the same inspiring Soul in all the universe. Besides, they may have been signalling for
centuries, off and on, without our knowing it."
"Then, again," said Gazen, with a pawky twinkle in his eye, "our electric light may have
woke them up."
"Perhaps they are signalling now," said I, "while we are wasting precious time. I wish
you would look."
"Yes, if you like; but I don't think you'll see any 'luminous projections,' human or
otherwise."
"I shall see the face of Mars, anyhow, and that will be a rare experience. It seems to me
that a view of the heavenly bodies through a fine telescope, as well as a tour round the
world, should form a part of a liberal education. How many run to and fro upon the earth,
hunting for sights at great trouble and expense, but how few even think of that sublimer
scenery of the sky which can be seen without stirring far from home! A peep at some
distant orb has power to raise and purify our thoughts like a strain of sacred music, or a
noble picture, or a passage from the grander poets. It always does one good."
Professor Gazen silently turned