This set all doubts at rest, but if anything it caused more excitement than ever, and Derwent became the gathering-ground for all ships that could make the journey. So great faith had the people in the _Regina_ and her owners, that thousands of ‘wave’ messages were forwarded from scientists and others all over the world asking for the privilege of making one of the party. In vain did Dennis and his friends ‘wave’ a refusal, saying they four only were going—applications still came in, and the government suggested that in the interests of science it would be well to take the presidents or other officials of the chief societies, so that each in his own special line could investigate the branch he represented, and by this means gain more real knowledge on every subject than would be possible with four only. This wise suggestion was gladly adopted and invitations given to twenty representatives of all branches of science, who were to be under rigid restrictions not to trespass. The decision was received with great delight by the fortunate few, who made their arrangements and hurried to Derwent with all speed. This influx of visitors made it necessary to have a few attendants. While the four were alone, they rather enjoyed being so, taking it in turns to attend to meals, there being very little cooking necessary under the present system of tablet and pilule form of food; and reliable mechanical servants, dusters, etc., worked by motive power, rendered human help of any kind superfluous. Up to the present no repairs had been needed in the machinery or the vessel beyond easy adjustment _en route_, and automatic cleaners kept the engines and all parts of the ship in a condition bordering on newness. But easy as it was for the three owners and Godfrey to regulate their work and actions to fall in with these accurately timed automatic servants, as they are called, which, when once started, perform their allotted duties with a regularity no human being could emulate, they could not expect twenty visitors to be entirely without some human attendants, for the work undertaken by each would be exacting, both as regards time and energy, so two good men were obtained and the original men’s quarters not already disposed of were altered for them, and re-arrangements made in the ship so that all requirements could be supplied automatically and instantly, far better and more quickly than would have been possible by human agency, and a movement of the zero switch closed everything, and returned everything. Moreover, as in the original design of the ship, so now was every cabin electrically connected with those of the owners, and contained a secret sehen-microphone, telephone, and ‘wave’ apparatus, and, if necessary, each cabin could be electrically closed should any occupant have to be kept prisoner from any cause, in which case, though in solitary confinement, he would still be able to enjoy the delights of