Consumption—­Why generally beyond cure—­Erroneous views—­The patient—­Examination by the doctors—­Their mistake—­Narrator’s belief—­Potion administered—­Death—­Cause discovered—­Mode of detecting and curing the disease in its germ—­Assemblage of the multitude—­Episode of the mother and the child—­The sequel

XL.—­THE HARP.

The principal musical instrument—­Description—­Four sets of chords—­Strings of electricity—­Marvellous variation and depression of the notes—­Echoes and responses—­Diapason changed to an extraordinary extent—­Different characters of sound produced—­Examples—­Harp language; how taught—­Accompaniments—­Harp beautiful as a work of sculptural art—­Movement of birds, flowers, and foliage, and exhalation of perfume in accord with the music—­How idea was suggested

XLI.—­SOCIAL INTERCOURSE.

Amusements enjoined—­Learned men prone to seclusion—­Wisdom of requiring studious men to cultivate social relations questioned—­Twenty men selected for the experiment—­Result—­The works of the “Seclusionists” and of the “Society-Sympathisers”—­The monomaniac—­His eccentricities and cure—­Convert to the Narrator’s views

XLII.—­THEATRES—­ENTERTAINMENTS.

Arenas—­Electricity—­Why arenas open to the sky—­Games exhibited—­ Beautiful effects produced—­man and horse—­The flying children—­will—­deaf and dumb child—­The monkeys—­Tragic Drama—­Races and public games—­Parties for children—­Labouring people—­The aged—­Districts—­The middle-aged—­introduction of strangers—­Ceremony observed—­attracting-machine

XLIII—­SHIPS.

Peculiar form and construction—­Former shape—­Effective model sought—­“Swan Ships”—­Dangers of navigation—­Ship sometimes submerged—­Sufferings of the passengers for want of air—­Remedy—­The swan’s head—­Captain’s quarters—­Vessels propelled by electric power—­Machinery—­Steering and stoppage of the vessel—­timber for ships—­How seasoned—­How protected against insects in every part—­The compass—­The anchor—­Peculiarity of its formation:  how let out and hauled in—­The Bison ropes

XLIV.—­PICTURES FROM WATER.

Interesting discoveries—­Microscopic pictures transmitted from a distance—­Picture made of a landscape and persons afar off—­Picture of swan-vessels and passengers—­How effected—­Bottom of the sea rendered visible

XLV.—­THE HIPPOPOTAMUS.