| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from A Footnote to History by Robert Louis Stevenson: the ADLER; there was no glory to be gained in beating her; and yet
I have heard naval officers maintain she might have proved a
dangerous antagonist in narrow waters and at short range.
Doubtless Leary thought so. He was continually daring Fritze to
come on; and already, in a despatch of the 9th, I find Becker
complaining of his language in the hearing of German officials, and
how he had declared that, on the ADLER again interfering, he would
interfere himself, "if he went to the bottom for it - UND WENN SEIN
SCHIFF DABEI ZU GRUNDE GINGE." Here is the style of opposition
which has the merit of being frank, not that of being agreeable.
Becker was annoying, Leary infuriating; there is no doubt that the
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from From the Earth to the Moon by Jules Verne: "What matter?" cried J. T. Maston.
"Finally, it imparts to projectiles a velocity four times
superior to that of gunpowder. I will even add, that if we mix
it with one-eighth of its own weight of nitrate of potassium,
its expansive force is again considerably augmented."
"Will that be necessary?" asked the major.
"I think not," replied Barbicane. "So, then, in place of
1,600,000 pounds of powder, we shall have but 400,000 pounds of
fulminating cotton; and since we can, without danger, compress
500 pounds of cotton into twenty-seven cubic feet, the whole
quantity will not occupy a height of more than 180 feet within
From the Earth to the Moon |
