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- - - - - . . . . - - - . . . . - - - -

CHAPTER II.

As I now know there is a Martian language, if this communication came
from that planet, which was my own and my father's deepest conviction,
it would be impossible to interpret the foregoing record with any
certainty, or indeed, in any way. Absolute ignorance of that language,
except the brief mention in my father's communications, received by
myself from that body--whose publication before I die is the sole
purpose of this manuscript--make it quite certain that it is in the main
a vowel language, consisting of short vocalic syllables. In such a case
it is probable that some abbreviation has been used, and the problem of
its resolution simply is placed out of the question. I may here
partially forestall the facts communicated to me by my father from Mars.
In those unparalleled messages he has told me of the desire of the
Martians to communicate with the earth, and as the Martians themselves
are largely made up of transplanted human spirits, the possibility of
doing so would have been completely expected. But the singular
evanescence of memory amongst these humans which absolutely displaces
details of strictly mnemonic acquirements, except in certain directions
of art and invention, has apparently precluded this.

We remained at the register almost the entire night taking turns in our
tireless vigil. But no more disturbances occurred. My father was deeply
moved and I scarcely less so. Accustomed as we had become to the thought
that wireless telegraphy would place us more readily in touch with the
sidereal universe than with distant points upon our earth, presuming
indeed, that, except for the intervening envelopes of atmosphere
attached to our or any neighboring planet, the path of transmission of
messages through space would be inconceivably swift, we saw nothing
really impossible in the impression that we had that night received
communications from extra-terrestrial sources.

The thought was none the less stupendous, and it seemed almost
impossible for us to allude to the subject without a peculiar sense of
reverential self-suppression, at least for a week or so. Examination and
inquiry showed us no contiguous source of the message