A man may exchange that which he produces for something which he
desires that another has produced; but he cannot dispose of the thing
he thus acquires. In other words, a commodity ceases to have pecuniary
value the instant that it passes out of the hands of its producer. All
excess reverts to government; and, as this represents the production of
the people as a government, government may dispose of it to other
peoples in exchange for that which they produce. Thus we are
establishing a trade between kingdoms, the profits from which go to the
betterment of the people—to building factories for the manufacture of
agricultural implements, and machinery for the various trades we are
gradually teaching the people.
Already Anoroc and Luana are vying with one another in the excellence
of the ships they build. Each has several large ship-yards. Anoroc
makes gunpowder and mines iron ore, and by means of their ships they
carry on a very lucrative trade with Thuria, Sari, and Amoz. The
Thurians breed lidi, which, having the strength and intelligence of an
elephant, make excellent draft animals.
Around Sari and Amoz the men are domesticating the great striped
antelope, the meat of which is most delicious. I am sure that it will
not be long before they will have them broken to harness and saddle.
The horses of Pellucidar are far too diminutive for such uses, some
species of them being little larger than fox-terriers.
Dian and I live in a great palace overlooking the gulf. There is no
glass in our windows, for we have no windows, the walls rising but a
few feet above the floor-line, the rest of the space being open to the
ceilings; but we have a roof to shade us from the perpetual noon-day
sun. Perry and I decided to set a style in architecture that would not
curse future generations with the white plague, so we have plenty of
ventilation. Those of the people who prefer, still inhabit their caves,
but many are building houses similar to ours.
At Greenwich we have located a town and an observatory—though there is
nothing to observe but the stationary sun directly overhead. Upon the
edge of the Land of Awful Shadow is another observatory, from which the
time is flashed by wireless to every corner of the empire twenty-four
times a day. In addition to the wireless, we have a small telephone
system in Sari. Everything is yet in the early stages of development;
but with the science of the outer-world twentieth century to draw upon
we are making rapid progress, and with all the faults and errors of the
outer world to guide us clear of dangers, I think that it will not be
long before Pellucidar will become as nearly a Utopia as one may expect
to find this side of heaven.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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