Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1880-04-09

must render the world of Venus any
thing but calm and tranquil, for it
passes by turns through the extremes
vi neat ana cola.
Through what vicissitudes then must
countries pass which are by turns arc
tic and tropical? At certain time
of the year the sun does not rise for
several days at time, and the cold
must be severe, on the other hand in
the opposite season the sun pours its
rays more than twice as hot as they
are on earth as the sun there appears
double the size it does to us and give
out not only double but probably
three times the heat it gives us, it is
reasonable to conclude that the heat
when the sun does not set for days is
fearful. Truly we do not know
which part of Venus it would be best
to live in. But there may be circum-
stances that &meliorate their climate.
They have oceans and continents
similar to earth, though it is thought
that the equatorial regions are mostly
water, but the hot sun keeps the at
mosphere full of clouds 50 it is difficult
to get any glimpses of its surface. AS
this planet is between us and the sun
| it goes through the same phases that
the moon does, and hence we get the
shadows of its mountains, when we
can catch it free from clouds. Some
of the mountains rear their SUBMITS
above the clouds, and we have every
reason to believe from the measurement
of their shadows that they are at
least 90 miles high certainly over
twenty miles. With mountains thus
high, and so much vapor, it may be
that upon those mountain sides, that
the climate is delightful. But when
we consider this, it must be admitted
that Venus has q climate more varied
than ours. The agitation of the winds,
storms, and rains must surpass every
thing of the kind that we see or ex-
perience here.
The seasons of this planet do not
resemble those of the Earth, or Mars.
Its atmosphere must be filled with
continual evaporation from its seas,
and rains in consequence be almost
constant over large portions of its sur
face.
Judging from our impressions, we
should have much less pleasure there
than in our own and it is even very
probable that with our physical Or
ganizatiop, 8s elastic and yielding as
it is, we could not be acclimated to
like variations of temperature. But
we ought not to conclude from this
that Venus is uninhabitabIe, and un-
inhabited.
1t is no exaggeration of Gods power,
to believe that he could create intelll-
ligent beings to endure that climate
as we'll as ours. If there was no COM
munication between the different re-
gions Of our globe, the natives of all
countries of the earth, would be at no
loss for arguments TO make them sup
pose that their own native land was
the best in the world, and that
it would be almost impossible to live
in other countries. For example:
If we did not know the torrid zone
was inhabited, and We're we unable to
visit it, and yet knew by calculation
the fearful heat there, and how great
were the variations of temperature,
and to what an extent this zone was
often devastated by cyclones, hurri-
canes, and tenp9sts, we would have
very great trouble in believing that
any life, either animal or vegetable
could exist, and develope there. The
same reasoning would apply by CON
trary process, to the polar regions,
which are during several weeks, and
even months entirely deprived of the
suns rays, and undergo in the course
of the summer a degree of cold quite
similar to our present winter. With
such ideas in our minds, We should
certainly be much surprised to learn
that the inhabitants of Peru, or Col
umbia, on the one hand, or the Lapps
on the other, do very we'll at home,
and even refuse to leave their own
country to dwell in ours, as to their
minds, their country has moro advan-
tages. So let us contemplate Venus, as
one of Gods creations, and as He de-
clares that none are made in vain, can
we not believe that the continents and
islands, the clouds and rains of Venus
are no more in vain than those of
Earth.
May the silver rays of this beautiful
star shine long on our evenings, open
ing to our minds n series Of reveries,
which for the time transports us to the
celestial world, and renders our ideas
of God more comprehensive, and ex-
allied. May it still announce the COM
ing stars, and be also the forerunner
of peaceful and silent hours, which