During our political conversation we had entirely lost sight of the Orumiah observatory, nor was I slow in observing that all the surrounding objects were gradually decreasing in size; the barometer too, which depended from the ceiling of the saloon, had considerably gone down, whence I concluded that we were ascending rapidly, no doubt for the purpose of seeking a more propitious current in the higher atmospheric regions. Our ascent was unfortunately, but naturally, attended with disappointing circumstances; for all the places over which we travelled became more and more indistinct to our vision. It was not, however, until after some considerable time had elapsed that the surface of our planet became altogether of a greenish-blue colour. No doubt we were passing over the Indian sea. Of course the scene in the saloon was anything but lively under the circumstances. Most of the passengers ventured upon their slumbers, and I observed that with them, as with myself, respiration began to quicken, owing to the higher air in which we breathed. The snoring of the "trunculant figure" was utterly objectionable, not to say more. Even Miss Phantasia, lively and excitable as she was, had by this time fallen asleep, thereby depriving me of her animated dialogue with a pretty French lady with whom she had been discussing her pet subjects--poetry and the fine arts. Bacon alone seemed absorbed in the reading of a learned dissertation "concerning the possibility of intercommunication between the various spheres of the universe by means of optic-telegraphic signals." As for me, I recapitulated in undisturbed silence all the wonderful things which I had seen and heard of during the last two days, and I could not help saying to myself: if two single centuries can bring about such radical revolutions, what will the work of ages be? The New Zealand of the Future. At last I ventured to interrupt Bacon in the perusal of his learned work. "Where do you think," I asked, "we are going to?" To which he answered perfectly dryly: "I suppose we cannot be very far from New Zealand. We have made a considerable détour through the upper air in order to take advantage of the atmospheric current which arises between the tropics, and then extends to the north and south and east successively, but now we are descending again. See how the barometer is going up." Thinking on Bacon's words, I looked once more through one of the telescopes, and at some considerable distance I viewed two large islands barely separated by a very narrow strait. "Now we are among our antipodes," continued Bacon. "New Zealand is the Great Britain of the Southern Pacific." "But still she has not anything like a population so wealthy, powerful, and civilised."