and wine to the soul.

I sat beside his majesty at the feast, while Koshnili sat at my right
hand. Admiral Jolar sat beside the queen, and on her majesty's right
sat Captain Wallace. The professors and other officers, as well as a
number of noblemen and state officers, also sat at the royal table.
At another table sat the sailors, accompanied by the officers of the
king's household.

We had again an opportunity of tasting the squang of Atvatabar, which
was of a finer brand than that served at the table of Governor
Ladalmir. It added a new joy to life to taste such royal wine.

His majesty, seated on his throne at the feast, raised a glass of
squang and said: "I drink in welcome to our illustrious guest, His
Excellency, Lexington White, commander of the _Polar King_ and
discoverer of Atvatabar."

The company rising, shouted, "Welcome to His Excellency, Lexington
White, commander of the _Polar King_," and drank of their glasses in
my honor.

In acknowledgment of this great compliment I rose and proposed the
healths of the king and queen. I said: "I drink to the healths of
their royal majesties, King Aldemegry Bhoolmakar and Queen Toplissy of
Atvatabar, to whom be lifelong peace and prosperity."

The company honored this sentiment by acclamation and drinking goblets
of wine. This constituted the preliminaries of our interview.

"Now," said his majesty, "we are extremely anxious to learn all about
the manners and customs of the people of the outer world. Tell us of
these people, their laws, religions, and modes of government."

In obedience to the king's request I spoke of America and its nations
founded on the idea of self-sovereignty, and of Europe with its
sovereigns and subjects. I spoke of Egypt and India as types of a
colossal past, of the United States and Great Britain as types of a
colossal present, and of Africa the continent of the colossal future.
I informed the king that the genius of Asia, of the Eastern world, ran
to poetry and art without science, while that of the Western world
developed science and invention without poetry and art.

"Ah!" cried the king, who was intensely interested. "Atvatabar has
both science and art, invention and poetry. Our wise rulers have been
ever mindful of the equal charms of science and sentiment in educating
our people."

I assured his majesty that we were no less anxious to learn all about
the institutions of Atvatabar than he was regarding the external
sphere.