COMMUNICATION WITH MARS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CV, Issue 12425, 14 February 1901, Page 2

COMMUNICATION WITH MARS.

The above subject has attracted a good deal of < attention from time to time, and anything that tends to show the possibility of such communicaion has considerable interest for us. Two aerolites, which were discovered some two years ago, bore supposed evidence of artificial, though unintelligible markings; these were attributed at the time to a laudable zeal on the part of the Martians for attaining a closer acquaintance with their inferior neighbours, the inhabitants of this planet, who are not gifted with their own godly attributes. Now, as we took no notice of their little billet doux in the shape of Martian bricks, which, by the way, are a trifle heavy as compared with our own, they have rebuked our -seeming indifference by mildly shaking our shoulders so to speak, which shaking is described by M. Tesla, as three “mild earth vibrations,” accounted for as being a slight galvanic shock sent by the irritated inhabitants of Mare. Now, it appears to us that if these same Martians, each one of which, according to scientist's a little god unto himself, and struts abtlfSl his back yard with an ordinary stature of some 20ft, and at their annual Caledonian sports, throws the hammer, weighing a couple of tons a distance of some two miles or so, we think it would be very undesirable to cultivate their acquaintance to any extent, such accomplishments as compared with our own little efforts would be bound sooner or later to cause heartburnings and jealousies, and no doubt from their superior height, they would look down upon us, and treat us as being very much beneath them, and \yho knows they may be gifted with a very captious spiri t, but, as a worthy doctor put it the other day, if they' would shown their good feeling and bonne camaraderie towards us by sending us an aerolite, carriage paid order to land in Cathedral Square for a pouni of “Arab” or “Shah” tea, the flavour of which is enough to delight the palate of even a wooden god, there is no doubt it would be a very strong argument in favour of a closer acquaintnceship and conducive to a better mutual understanding of each other. 1988