Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1870-07-01
Seienti6r.
Translated for tho New Eclectic Magazine
An Astronomical Fantasy.


the star Capella. He revisits his former
friend KoNIs. still living upon Earth,
and oonverses with him upon the
mysteries of the Stellar Universe. He
first explains to him the nature Of lu-
minous vibration and tho velocity OF
light that ho may better understand
his subsequent revelations. This part
or the discourse Is omitted.
PHos.-Not long ago, though l do
not know how to express the time In
could comprehend, was standing in
the midst of melancholy landscape
in the star Capella, under a transpar-
ent clear night, engaged in contem-
plating the starry heavens, and espe-
cially directing my gaze to the star,
which is your sun, and the little planet
near 1t, which is your Earth. While
meditating on the events of the life
that had passed upon that world. |
felt my attention drawn away by an
irresistible influence and fixed upon
another point in the heavens which l
felt To be In some mysterious way con-
nected with the Earth and my terres-
trial career | could not turn away
my gaze from this point an occult
magnetism kept it fastened there.
This planet, upon which my atten-
ton was concentrated, forms part of
the constellation Lyra, a group of stars
which, however, presents very diff
fcrent form when viewed from my sta
ton on Capella. 1t was n planet re-
volving with several others around q
sun of pale yellow color, almost
white, and less brilliant than your
own.
Upon this planet there are vegeta-
BILE and animal productions az upon
your earth, and their forms more near
ly resemble terrestrial species than
those of any planet which 1 have seen.
Fish live in its seas, and quadrupeds
in its atmosphere. Its intelligent in
habitants, whom may call men, have
a form not very greatly differing in
general design from your own. True,
their heads are destitute of hair, and
they have, instead OF five fingers, three
long, slender, opposable thumbs, three
toes growing from the heel, and the
extremities of their arms and legs are
supple as caouchouc; but they still
two eyes, nose and a mouth, which
give their features an approximate
resemblance to those of the iLhabit-
ants OF Earth. Instead of two ears on
each side of the head, they have a soli-
tary ear of conical form, planted on
top of the head like u small hat. They
live in society and wear clothing.
KoNIS.-From what you say would
infer that there exist upon other plan
cts beings far more unlike human
creatures than these you have just
mentioned.
PHos.-In general the. inhabitants
of different globes are separated by dis
tinctions which you can not even inn
agine. Their forms are the result of
the elements peculiar to each globe and
density weight, heat, light, electricity
atmospher, ETC., differ essentially in
different worlds. Even in the same
system the forms differ. The men OF
Saturn and of Mercury have no-resem-
blance to those of the Earth on seeing
them for the first time you would
recognize in them neither head, men,
bers, nor senses. Those of that planet
in Lyra which L was observing, ON the
other hand, approximate in form to
| the inhabitants of Earth; nor do they
dilier greatly from them In their moral
and intellectual condition and may bl
| compared with that Of the Laplander-
HONIs.-What is this planet called
| PHOs.-It has no name on Earth, ~
it is invisible to. human eyes. You
can only see its sun, which Is the stal
| called Gamma LIRE.
But, as 1 was saying, | earthly scru-
| tinised the surface of this distant plan
ct. l found my looks attracted to 1
| white city which resembled heap o
snow. From the outskit of the city
an avenue led to neighboring fores
| of yellow trees. j observed in thi,
| avenue three persons who wero move
| ing slowly toward the wood They
wero, a man apparently young, ayounl
woman at his side, and q be
ing different from them IN dress auC
carrying a burden, which / supposed
TO DO their slave or domestic animal
| While watched with curiosity thu
two principal figures, the man sudden
ly raised his eyes 10 heaven as if III
had been called by some voice allow
him, and fixed them upon Capella
though of course az this took plac'
during his planets day, the star oil
which | stood was invisible to him
Never, my friend, shall / forget tn
impression produced upon me by tina
look. The man upon the planet VIII
looked ut me without seeing me was
myself.
/ recognized myself ut once, will
the face and form had once worn
and the gentle companion who move'
by my side. j followed ps with IN.
girze Ia the wood. Suddenly rushc
back to me the memoryOr Those Lowell
valleys shaded by domes of vegetabl
gold, of the vast boughs of orange
tinted foliage, and the waving spray
with Ioaves of pmbcr. | recalled Ga
sweet hours we bad passed in IN
shades of this forest, and the happ
years | had spent upon this distal
world.
KoNIs.--I do not entirely comprC
bend what phase Of your existence 20
were beholding.
oS,-Exainining the astronom
cal co-Ordinates of the sun GdNtAt
LIRE, and determining its parallaX d
seen from Capella, | found that I'll
light of that sun required at least IL
+ wears TO reach the latter star. Thus 1
The time | speak of-the year 1869 go
call il on earth-t was receiving Oh
impact of the luminous waves whlc
Had left the planet OF the Lyra IL
, years before. Consequently IN lO9
! terrestrial style, | was living upon I'll
, planet / speak Of In verifying an
. comparing various planetary styles,
discovered, that | was born upon u
, planet in Lyra in the year 450O4, VINE
) corresponds 10 the year 1867 OF yOI
reckoning, and died of an accident
q the year 45000, corresponding 10 Yol
/ year l7l7, as each year Of this plan
= equals ten of yours. Az the time wht
r Deheld myself, rs | have just to-
A you, | seemed about thirty years
g age, terrestrially speaking; that Is,
had lived one-third of the allotted Ill
O ration of life. But in the style OF tll
= planet, | was but three years oldi Il
L iull measure OF lifo there being mn
G years, equalling ninety years ON cart
Il The luminous waves OF IN ON
n words, the aspect, the photograph
L this planet in Lyra, requiring ~ u
"a restrlal years 10 traverse the dlslth
IT which separates IL from Capella, IL
n suits that being upon tho latter star
In received the images which ielt u
Is other l72 years before. Aud thous
10 many changes had afterwards .occu
a red, though had died rs had also \