The morning times., 1896-04-12

The land rises in long, mdulatlng sweeps
to the mountains on the border and in parts
the ground appears to be very fert lie
under the peculiar treatment which is given
it to supply warmth sufficient to grow and
ripen the products of he soil, which hesi-
tate 10 call by the ordinary names.
THE USE OF ELECTRICITY.
'As suggested already, the Nordesians
depend very much upon electricity for
maintaining a comfortable existence. They
really live with much OF the ease and many
of the refinements and luxuries that charac-
terize the highest types of European civil
iZation. Their methods, customs. Ian
guage and grade of intelligence are en-
tirely different from those of the Eskimo.
at is impossible TO say no W how long they
have possessed such a knowledge and eX
pert use of the magic fluid or force with
which the civilization OF the temperate
zone Is now beginning to be little ac-
quainted.
"Certainly ii must run as far back as
the founding of the city where they now
live. For without it they could not main
tain for day the ha hitations in which they
and the cleaning, iridescent walls of
their homes would perish like frostwork
on a window pane with the first near ap-
proach OF the sun were they not main
tanned by the electric force.
This seems Incredible, but facts ad-
nit of no disproof. The histories of the
people say the city is 733 years old. This
assertion is based upon records in a large
part. Their books are all written, how
ever. They know not the art of printing,
and their teaching is largely 10y memoriz-
ing oral lessons from teacher to pupil. after
the manner of the Buddhist priesthood.
But they have writings that are certainly
1000 years old.
ut is not easy to understand their calcu-
lation OF time to reduce it to ours. OF
course, they have only one day in six
months, and the other six months is
night, making a single day and night of
an entire year. on this basis their 733
years would be something more than
267,545 years.
But they have Il complicated system of
determining the length of the day, depend
ing upon the movements of the moon and
the relations of the earth's position to the
other planets Of the solar system.
SURPRISING DEVICES.
Owing In part to the unusual atmos-
pheric conditions in which they are pla ced
and their peculiar position on the globe,
astronomy has reached q very high ievel-
opment among them. Some of their math-
ematical computations and their mechan.
ical devices for furthering such calcua-
mometer of an old pattern which was said
TO have been used by Thasen. the father OF
the science among them He lived fifty
years in their time after the founding of
the city.
''There must inevitably have been a con-
siderable knowledge OF astronomy before
his time. Their employment of logarithms
by the use OF the machine gives exceeding
rapidity to their computations.
But to return to the question how long
they have employed electricity as they
now do it will be seen is Il hard thing
to tell. never could get any OF their scien-
lists sufficiently interested TO attempt an
answer. They simply smiled and asked what
difference does it make. 1t must have been
at least several thousand years.
"They not only use such currents as are
commonly employed with us in ways mo-,
dreamed of by our experts, but they have
for centuries been familiar with the high
potential currents with which Tesla has
been experimenting. Their lives, almost,
and certainly their comfort in winter, de
pend upon these currents.
They then wear an outer garment of
fine metallic stuff which is kept charged
with electricity so as to keen them perfectly
warm. They have no more provisions for
fire in our ordinary sense than the in
habitants of the tropics have. The sup