We Learn Something About The Powers Of The Martians

: To Mars Via The Moon

The next morning Merna arrived early, and breakfasted with us; and, as

soon as the meal was over, we started out. The air was bracing and

exhilarating, and we felt so extremely light and buoyant that we almost

seemed to want to run, skip, and jump, as we did in our early

childhood's days.



We went first to have a look at the Areonal, but, on arriving at the

open space where we had left it, were unab
e to see it! The dais had

been cleared away, also the pavilions; whilst in the centre of the open

space there was a large building.



We felt rather puzzled at this change, for we were sure no such building

stood there yesterday. Merna, however, led us across to it, and touched

a switch, which swung open a pair of large doors so that we could see

into the interior of the building.



There we saw our own good ship, the Areonal, safely housed in a

substantial-looking building, which had apparently sprung up in a single

night.



We all looked at Merna inquiringly, and he smiled, saying, "Ah, you are

not used to the Martian way of doing things! This seems to you very

quick work, no doubt; but the erection of the building was not such a

heavy and laborious task as it would have been upon the earth. Owing to

the lesser gravitation here, and to the larger physical development of

our people on Mars, one man can accomplish in the same time what it

would require many men to achieve upon the earth. Besides, we have

labour-saving machinery and apparatus which your scientific men have not

yet even dreamt of.



"Thus, what seems to you an extraordinary piece of work to be finished

in so short a time, is really nothing out of the common here, especially

as the structure is only of a temporary character."



"Mon," said M'Allister, turning to John, "if our earth had been like

Mars we wouldn't have taken so many months to build our vessel and its

shed!"



John answered him, and turning to Merna, said, "There is something I am

very anxious to ask you about, as it concerns myself and my relations

with the inhabitants of this planet. I do not wish to infringe any of

their regulations here, or to give any cause of offence, but--"



Then Merna held up his hand, and smiling, said, "You need not say any

more, John; I know exactly what you wish to ask me; and, without it

being said, can reply to you. You may smoke as much as you like when

out-doors, without fear of offending any one here; but in public or

private assemblies, notice what others do, and act accordingly. It is

true only a small proportion of our population indulge in smoking,

except in the colder regions; but please understand that amongst us

Martians there are few restrictions as to conduct or custom, and,

provided that nothing really dangerous or annoying to the community is

done, every one can please himself.



"We leave all such things to the good sense of the individual, and a

Martian can be trusted to regulate his habits and conduct without

needing penalties to compel the observance of regulations or

restrictions."



We looked at each other significantly, but without saying anything; for

we all realised the truth of Merna's statement of the previous evening

to the effect that the Martians were able to divine what might be in the

mind of another without his having to speak. Not one of us had mentioned

smoking before Merna, yet he knew exactly what John had upon his mind

and was about to ask him.



I thought it was my turn now to obtain some information, so said to

Merna, "There is also something which I am very anxious to ask you

about."



"Oh yes, sir," replied he, again smiling; "you are anxious to know

whether we really possess an elaborate system of canalisation upon Mars,

and I can soon set your mind at rest upon that point. Indeed, it was in

order to make arrangements for conducting you to inspect some of the

canals that I left you yesterday after parting with the Chief.



"Our seas and other large bodies of water have long ceased to exist, and

we are therefore dependent upon the water arising from the dissolving

snow of our polar snow-caps for a supply of that prime necessary of

life. Our canal system is, therefore, the most supremely important work

which we have to maintain and develop, so that every part of the planet

may be supplied with water, and also kept in touch with the rest of the

planet. You must clearly understand that upon the adequacy and perfect

working of the canals all life here is dependent; so every other matter

is regarded as of lesser importance."



I may here say that we afterwards learnt that the positions of the

higher officials connected with the administration of the canal system

are regarded as amongst the highest and most honourable offices that a

Martian can aspire to; and, moreover, that Merna himself held a very

responsible position in the engineering department connected with the

canals.



Merna then went on to say: "You will see for yourselves, presently, what

our canals are like; for I am about to take you across to a point where

you will have a good view over the country.



"As our canals are such conspicuous features upon our planet, especially

where they cross the deserts, our experts have long been endeavouring,

by various means, to transmit influences to the earth, in order to

direct your people's attention to the regular lines they form, and thus

convince them that Mars is inhabited by intelligent beings. Probably it

is the case that very few of your scientific men are endowed with

intelligences both sufficiently advanced, and sufficiently adaptable and

receptive of new ideas, to enable them to assimilate and make use of the

influences thus transmitted; but still we know that some must have

grasped the situation."



"Merna," I answered, "that is quite true; but, of course, I cannot say

whether it has been the result of Martian influences. Thirty years ago

one of our great observers saw and mapped many of the canal lines; and

years before that, others had seen them imperfectly, and drawn portions

of them on their maps. Our first and greatest exponent of the idea that

they were really canals was, however, Professor Lowell, an American

astronomer, whose fame has spread all over our world. He has not only

been a constant observer of Mars for many years, but has mapped out

your canal systems from observations made by himself and his colleagues.

He has also formulated a reasonable and, as it now appears, true

explanation of their object and purpose; as well as demonstrating their

existence to be a prime necessity for the well-being of your people.



"It is true he has met with much opposition; not only from those who

have but limited knowledge, and refuse to believe anything they cannot

see themselves, but from the older school of astronomers, who are not

very receptive of new ideas; and who are, perhaps, naturally reluctant

to admit the inadequacy or inaccuracy of their early theories. This is a

very common failing with experts of all kinds, and we have had many

instances of it in connection with astronomy all through our history;

but we have amongst us many intelligent persons who are open to

conviction, being unfettered in regard to particular theories. They are,

therefore, not only willing, but eager to examine the evidence which has

been collected, and to form their own opinions on the subject."



"I am very glad to hear you say so, sir," replied Merna; "and now I

would like to ask you whether, during the last thirty-five years or so,

there has not been an extraordinary advance in knowledge amongst your

people in connection with such sciences as electricity, telegraphy,

light and engineering, as well as in astronomy?



"I ask because our experts have been most earnestly endeavouring during

that time to transmit some of their knowledge on these subjects to your

scientific people on the earth, and we have some reason to believe that

their efforts have been, at least, partially successful."



I assured him that our advance in regard to these subjects had really

been phenomenal during the period he mentioned. Probably during no

previous period in the history of our world had so many useful,

important, and even amazing discoveries been made during such a short

space of time.



I gave particulars of the great discoveries and rapid developments in

connection with electricity, wireless telegraphy, the telephone,

Hertzian waves, X and N rays, spectroscopy, colour-photography, and

telectrography. I also mentioned the discovery of radium, helium, and

argon; the medical use of light and bacteriology; together with the

invention of the turbine engine, motor cars, flying machines; also

phonographs and other kinds of talking machines.



Merna expressed himself as very gratified at this information; and

remarked that our progress would be still more rapid in the future, as

it was quite evident that there were terrestrial intelligences which

were readily receptive, and capable of high development. He promised

that what I had told him should be made known in the proper quarters;

and added that the Martians would be encouraged to persevere in their

efforts to impart such knowledge as would aid in the general advancement

of science in our world.



He then asked me, "Whether, in connection with new discoveries, it had

been found that more than one person had developed the new ideas about

the same time?"



"Yes, Merna," I replied; "it has often been observed that similar

inventions have been made by several people at the same time: although

they have worked quite independently, and were totally unaware of what

was being done by each other."



"That," said Merna, "is a natural consequence of these influences; for

they are in the air, so to speak, and have only to be brought into

connection with the appropriate intellects to be assimilated and carried

into effect."



I then asked him if he could explain how the influences acted; and he

replied that in most cases they formed a sort of mental picture, which

would be mentally seen and understood by a person sufficiently endowed

with the necessary knowledge; but if he were not so endowed, or not

receptive of new ideas, then he would learn nothing from the influences.



Thus a mental picture of some new and unknown piece of machinery would

mean nothing to an unmechanical mind, or even to a mechanical mind which

was not endowed also with the inventive faculty. In other cases only

thoughts in the abstract could be sent, and these were more likely to

remain unassimilated than the mental pictures, as a very high order of

intellect was required to receive such thoughts.



I then informed him that our greatest and most daring electrician,

Nicola Tesla, was firmly convinced that he had discovered planetary

disturbances of an electrical nature which had reached our world. This

occurred as far back as the year 1899; and, in the course of later

scientific investigations, he found that the disturbances could not have

come from the sun, the moon, or Venus. Further study has, he says, quite

satisfied him that they must have emanated from Mars.



I added that Tesla was at work perfecting an apparatus which he was

convinced would be the means of putting him into communication with

other planets, by means of a wireless transmitter. This, he states, will

produce vibrations of enormous power, and he has devised a means of

producing oscillations of the most tremendous intensity. He states that

he has actually passed a current round the earth which attained many

millions of horse-power, and feels assured that he has already succeeded

in producing electrical disturbances on Mars by the aid of this current.

"Those disturbances," he adds, "are much more powerful than anything

which could be obtained by means of light reflectors, no matter how

large such reflectors might be, or how wide an area they might be made

to cover."



At the same time I pointed out that these are Tesla's own statements,

and not mere second-hand reports or newspaper inventions!



Merna said that this information was really very gratifying, and gave

him the greatest satisfaction; for it showed that the Martians'

endeavours to communicate with us would ultimately be successful,

because there was at least one man upon the earth capable of devising

the necessary apparatus for receiving and transmitting such

communications. He further remarked that it was quite true that

electrical disturbances had reached Mars from another planet, but added

that no effective communication was possible by means of light rays, as

the two planets were never so situated in regard to each other as to

render such a mode of signalling practicable.



I was just about to speak when Merna held up his hand to enjoin silence,

and stood as though he were listening attentively to some

communication.



After a minute or so he told us he had just received a mental

communication from Soranho, stating that he had despatched a messenger

to us with an urgent letter. Then he added, "We had better wait here

until the messenger arrives."



"So," I said, "your wireless telegraphy is evidently much in advance of

ours, for you seem to dispense with apparatus altogether!"



"Yes, sir," he replied; "you see this is one of the senses I told you we

Martians possessed; but some of our people who are somewhat deficient in

this sense still use the small pocket receivers and transmitters which

have long become obsolete amongst the generality of our population.



"I have already given you two illustrations of the truth of my

statement, that we are able to divine what is in each other's mind

without it being necessary to speak. Still, I wish you to understand

that we never allow this power to spoil conversation. You might,

perhaps, think that because we know what each was about to say, the

words would remain unsaid, and we would, therefore, be a rather taciturn

people. That is not so. The faculty is a very useful one to us on many

occasions; but, as I remarked, we never allow it to spoil conversation."



"That seems to me a very sensible and practical arrangement," remarked

John.



"Well," replied Merna, "I hope, and I think, you will find us a very

sensible and practical nation."



At this moment an official came up to us, and after saluting, handed

Merna a packet. Having opened and read the communication it contained,

he turned to us and gave each a document which had been enclosed; at

the same time saying that it was a formal invitation for our attendance

at a banquet in the evening, for the purpose of meeting the Chief of the

Council and other high personages, and for social intercourse.



We all expressed our thanks, and, of course, accepted the invitation.

The official, having received the requisite reply from Merna, again

saluted, and then retired.



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