CHAPTER IV.
“ALTHOUGH IT IS HARD for me to believe,” said Honnolumeek to me, after the conclusion of a tedious lesson, “that you are an inhabitant of the beautiful planet that supplies the place of the sun at night,”pointing towards our earth, which was shining with soft brightness, for it was night, and my instructor had remained up longer than usual, “and that you are surprised at the shortness of our days and nights; still I am constrained to believe you, for I have known you to go for the space of six successive days and nights without sleeping, and then retire and sleep as many more. This you would be unable to do unless you are accustomed to it. At your wish, I have prepared a table by which you may see how we divide our time; and by the aid of the coarse instrument for measuring time you carry with you, may be enabled to reduced it to the standard adopted by the world in which you formerly resided.”
He then extended towards me a small piece of parchment, and it being exceedingly late for him to be awake, I insisted upon his retiring, and leave me to discuss the table by myself. The table was arranged much in the same manner as our table of time is arranged. I will here say that when the Kailooites wish to express but one idea in the word, they invariably use two syllables. I have thus translated the table:
Kailooite table. Reduced to English time.
4 Congrets make 1 tarler. 1 Congret equals 1 minute.
5 Tarlets “ 1 lunet. 1 Tarler “ 1 minute.
3 Lunets “ 1 solet. 1 Lunet “ 5 minutes.
4 Solets “ 1 peletin. 1 Solet “ 1/2 hour.
365 Peletins “ 1 killgame. 1 Peletin or day equals 1 hour.
1 Killgame or year equals 11 days, 1 hour.
Besides the above, they have also a more minute division of time, which I will not describe. I will say, however, that a man’s lifetime in this planet is about seventy killgames—two years and forty days, computing as we do. Their killgame consists of but one season, and that appeared to me to be summer; but the, inhabitants seemed to suffer much with cold. They call the day frelo, signifying light; and the night derko, signifying darkness. Henceforth, however, when speaking of day or night, I shall consider it in the same manner that we do, namely, twelve hours for the day, and twelve hours for the night, as, by the assistance of my watch, I was able so to divide my time. One day, Honnolumeek said that he wished me to accompany him to the great city, where the king resided; and, that to allow me sufficient time, he had given me forty-two days (hours) to prepare for the journey. I was heartily glad to hear this; for although I had been in the country ninety days, I had scarcely been outside my instructor’s house during that time. It did not take me long to get ready; and I impatiently waited my instructor’s return. In the meantime, I busily engaged myself in reading attentively the great pictorial history. At precisely sunrise on the day hehad appointed, Honnolumeek entered my apartment, fully equipped for the journey. In his hand he carried a small bundle, which contained all the clothes that he took with him. As for myself, I had stuffed a large chest with clothes, and other articles I thought I needed. Honnolumeek, with a smile, ordered the servant to take my trunk down, and having securely placed it in the coach, we sprang in; the coachman whipped his animals, and away we rattled in fine style. At my request, Honnolumeek -ordered the coachman to drive slow, that I might be able to see the city through which we were driving. The streets were broad, and paved with square plates of iron, which were neatly fitted into each other, thus securing a perfectly smooth road. The houses, or the greater portion of them, were built or the same metal, save that it was burnished until it shone in the sun with exceeding brightness. The very handsome houses, however, were built of wood, resembling, in color, oak. The wood was not painted but polished, until it looked as neat as a piece of household furniture. I noticed that fountains, the waters of which had the color of wine, were playing at the corner of each principal street.
The driver, becoming impatient at the extreme slowness of the pace, and as the horses were evidently fatigued, whipped them up; and I could distinguish nothing farther, as everything swam past me with such velocity that I was completely stunned, although I noticed that Honnolumeek nodded to his acquaintances as they passed, as though we were going at a very moderate pace. In a few moments we drew up before a magnificent building, composed entirely of iron, with immense iron columns in front, and a very high cupola surmounting its roof—the whole mass so dazzling in its extreme brightness, that it made my eyes ache to look upon it. Telling the driver to bring my trunk after us, Honnolumeek seized me by the arm, and dragged me through an immense crowd of people that were struggling and pushing their way towards a small, round opening in the wall, where, after great trouble, we arrived; and having pushed some money through the aperture, he received therefor several small toys, but which, he informed me, were tickets for seats in the tirsh.
We hastened towards a large arched doorway, through which we went into what appeared to be an under-ground tunnel. Arriving at the far extremity of this tunnel, we entered a small door, and found ourselves in a cylindrical-shaped room, filled with seats, and the seats full of ladies and gentlemen. The room was lighted; by thick glass windows. As the seats were all taken, we proceeded to the farther extremity of this room, and entered another. This was also full of ladies and gentlemen, all talking and laughing at a great rate. Thus we proceeded, until we had arrived at one in which we found seats. While waiting for the starting of the tirsh, my companion gave me an explanation of its mode of operation.
“The tirsh,” said he, “is a comparatively late invention, having been in operation but a short time; still it works well, and the company that own it have been quite successful. I will strive to give you an idea of the manner by which it is propelled. The tirsh, in which we are now seated, as well as the others through which we passed, is fitted air-tight in a thick tube or tunnel, the side lubricated with a liquid that completely destroys the friction. At the farther extremity of this tube, which is about five hundred miles distant, is a powerful machine used for the purpose of exhausting the air in the tubes, and, as a matter of course, the pressure of the atmosphere behind drives us forward with very great rapidity. The manner in which we are supplied with fresh air for breathing is very simple. Those small tubes you see on the ceiling, are pierced with a great number of small holes, and extend out of the last tirsh behind us; and the pressure of the atmosphere is so great, that a full supply of air is forced in, thus creating a refreshing and cooling current of air all the time. It is now a little close, but as soon as we start the air will commence circulating, and we will be comfortably cool.”
“How is it,” I inquired, “that the windows are so fitted that they give light?”
“O! that is very simply done,” said he; “the tunnel is composed entirely of tuebal—a mineral which is perfectly transparent. It is found in great abundance in the northern part of the country. The tirsh itself is made of subal—a substance very rare and costly.”
I examined the material of which it was formed, and thought it much resembled oak wood, highly polished. But before I had time to ask more questions, a deep, thundering roar reverberated through the tirsh.
“The signal for starting,” said Honnolumeek.
At that moment we commenced moving and then—how can I describe the exceeding swiftness? I looked through the window. It appeared to my inexperienced eye as though the ground was whirling with lightning speed past me. Trees, houses, and every visible object were mixed up in chaotic confusion; and I could distinguish nothing but a disturbed mass of matter rushing rapidly by. I closed my eyes, for the scene made me giddy; but becoming accustomed to the motion, I could look around the interior of the tirsh without experiencing inconvenience. My fellow passengers were looking through the windows discussing the various objects which we passed with as much ease as though we were going at a very moderate speed.
We had rode but half an hour by my watch, when we were so suddenly stopped that I was jerked off my seat. Honnolumeek immediately caught my arm, and dragged me after him through the crowd of passengers, who, not minding or caring against what or whom they pushed, were struggling towards the door. After a great deal of trouble, we arrived at the door, and passing through an entrance made in the tunnel, entered a large building. The apartment in which we now were was crowded with apparently half-starved travellers. At one side of the room was placed a long table covered with smoking dishes, and every man, woman, and child, held in their fingers a great mass of food, gulping it down as though they expected it was the last they would ever eat. Honnolumeek seized a huge, smoking, meat pie, and dividing it into two pieces, gave me one of them, then voraciously commenced devouring his own portion. It was so hot that it burned my mouth every time I tasted it, and I thought to let it cool, when the thundering signal for starting echoed through the apartment, and Honnolumeek, having not quite finished his pie, doffed his hat, and thrust it in, covering it all with his huge pocket-handkerchief; then seizing me by the hand, dragged me into the car again, and’ before we had seated, off we went, with, if possible, increased rapidity, as Honnolumeek informed me that we were an eighteenth part of a congret behind the time. Punctual people these Kailooites are, for the time amounts to about the fourth part of a second. But they must be at a certain point of the tunnel, to allow the tirsh coming from the opposite direction to pass them. There were a great many new passengers that came on at the last stopping place, among them several very pretty young ladies. But one of them did a very bad action, in my opinion-one which I hope no young ladies of my own country will do. They all had obtained seats but one, and with the politeness for which our nation is distinguished, I was about rising and giving her my seat, when, to my surprise, she approached a gentleman a little above the middle age, who was evidently unwell, or exceedingly fatigued, and requested him to rise that she might sit in his place. The old gentleman, with true gallantry arose, and gave his seat to her. I thought much less of the young lady than I did before; and perceiving that the gentleman was really ill, I rose from my seat, and, in spite of all that Honnolumeek said to the contrary, insisted upon his taking it, which, after many entreaties, he did.
Standing by his side, we entered into a brisk conversation, and I discovered that he was a very intelligent man. He did not look at Honnolumeek, but turned his head from him. Perceiving that I was a stranger he inquired from what part of the country I came. I then gave him a brief account of how I happened to visit the country, when he took my hand in his, and made me promise to call upon him when I should arrive at the great city, at the same time placing in my hand two small cards. By this time we had arrived at our journey’s end, and, guided by Honnolumeek, I hastened from the tirsh. Our baggage was brought to us by a porter, and placed in a wagon. We mounted into a carriage, were conveyed to a large mansion, which Honnolumeek said was a house for the accommodation of travellers. By this time it was nearly dark; and being somewhat hungry—for I had eaten nothing with the exception of what I had eaten at the stopping-place—I was right glad when Honnolumeek proposed our going to the supper-room, which was a large apartment, brightly illuminated with a great number of the flamebugs, which were scattered in great nunbers throughout the apartment. There was a long, narrow table placed in the centre of the room, extending its entire length. Having found seats, without farther ceremony we fell to eating. After supper, being excessively fatigued with my ride, I immediately retired, and was soon fast asleep, dreaming that I was pounding the lap-stone in my father’s little shop.