These cities have done much to civilize the darker races of Plasden.  The manufacturing floats, coming into contact with the shores of all lands, naturally have an uplifting influence on its peoples, some of whom go on board to learn trades.

The latest novelty of Plasden is a music city owned by one man and built most beautifully.  Its size is comparatively small and it is equipped with motors of double power enabling it to proceed with considerable speed as compared with the cumbersome, heavier floats.  This city is built for business as well as for pleasure.

These Plasdenites enjoy an invention in the form of a machine that renders music when acted upon by air, and, at certain times, also by water.  It is inspiring to listen to these Siren strains as the music city passes another floating abode.

Excursion parties go on this music city and remain at one or another of its famous hotels as long as they wish.

[Illustration:  A Floating Palace and a Floating City.]

The most refined feature of this water life is seen in the floating mansions, of which there are many thousands.  These are built in such a manner that the wildest storms of the ocean can do no more than set the mansion a rocking, for the structures that venture far away from shore are very large, and surrounded by many acres of attachments.

It is delightful to live in one of these water mansions, go to any chosen harbor, remain as long as desired and, taking your choice of countries, dwell among the icebergs or in the tropical regions.  People of delicate health can shift to any climate and change location as often as desired.  This style of retired life is now the most popular of all in this peculiar world of Plasden.

The educated people are a very bright class; they have made great progress in manufacturing.  This implies a long list of notable inventions in every branch of industry.  It is strange that these brilliant inventors never paid attention to air travel.  However, they have perfected submarine navigation to a nicety that would be teasing to the infant efforts that we have thus far made.

The people of this far away orb have greatly surpassed us in controlling and utilizing the three distinct forces which are quite similar to electricity, and these are the wizard forces that furnish the power used to drive the motors and engines, not only of the floating cities, but also of the fixed abodes.

By a comparative study I ascertained that we have over six thousand inventions for which they have no parallel, and Plasden has nearly twenty thousand to which we have nothing similar.  What an inspiring study all these facts furnished!  But my space forbids enlargement.  I believe, however, that if our world remains a few thousand years more, we will have learned more secrets than the experts of Plasden know to-day, although they have had a start of many thousand years over us.