you know that our immortal Wiggins is not so
original in his views of the Social Condition and so forth, as his
contemporaries are inclined to suppose? Pundit assures me that the same
ideas were put nearly in the same way, about a thousand years ago, by
an Irish philosopher called Furrier, on account of his keeping a retail
shop for cat peltries and other furs. Pundit knows, you know; there can
be no mistake about it. How very wonderfully do we see verified every
day, the profound observation of the Hindoo Aries Tottle (as quoted by
Pundit)--"Thus must we say that, not once or twice, or a few times,
but with almost infinite repetitions, the same opinions come round in a
circle among men."

April 2.--Spoke to-day the magnetic cutter in charge of the middle
section of floating telegraph wires. I learn that when this species of
telegraph was first put into operation by Horse, it was considered quite
impossible to convey the wires over sea, but now we are at a loss
to comprehend where the difficulty lay! So wags the world. Tempora
mutantur--excuse me for quoting the Etruscan. What would we do
without the Atalantic telegraph? (Pundit says Atlantic was the ancient
adjective.) We lay to a few minutes to ask the cutter some questions,
and learned, among other glorious news, that civil war is raging in
Africa, while the plague is doing its good work beautifully both
in Yurope and Ayesher. Is it not truly remarkable that, before the
magnificent light shed upon philosophy by Humanity, the world was
accustomed to regard War and Pestilence as calamities? Do you know that
prayers were actually offered up in the ancient temples to the end that
these evils (!) might not be visited upon mankind? Is it not really
difficult to comprehend upon what principle of interest our forefathers
acted? Were they so blind as not to perceive that the destruction of a
myriad of individuals is only so much positive advantage to the mass!

April 3.--It is really a very fine amusement to ascend the rope-ladder
leading to the summit of the balloon-bag, and thence survey the
surrounding world. From the car below you know the prospect is not so
comprehensive--you can see little vertically. But seated here (where I
write this) in the luxuriously-cushioned open piazza of the summit, one
can see everything that is going on in all directions. Just now there
is quite a crowd of balloons in sight, and they present a very animated
appearance, while the air is res