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      Wonderful Balloon Ascents, by F. Marion
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The Project Gutenberg EBook of Wonderful Balloon Ascents, by Fulgence Marion

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org


Title: Wonderful Balloon Ascents
       or, the Conquest of the Skies

Author: Fulgence Marion

Release Date: August 10, 2008 [EBook #899]
Last Updated: November 11, 2016

Language: English

Character set encoding: UTF-8

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WONDERFUL BALLOON ASCENTS ***




Produced by Dianne Bean, and David Widger





</pre>
    <p>
      <br /><br />
    </p>
    <h1>
      WONDERFUL BALLOON ASCENTS
    </h1>
    <h1>
      or, the Conquest of the Skies
    </h1>
    <h2>
      A History of Balloons and Balloon Voyages
    </h2>
    <p>
      <br />
    </p>
    <h2>
      By F. Marion
    </h2>
    <h3>
      1870
    </h3>
    <div class="fig" style="width:80%;">
      <img src="images/12darlandes.jpg" alt="12darlandes (107K)" width="100%" /><br />
    </div>
    <p>
      <br />
    </p>
    <div class="fig" style="width:80%;">
      <img alt="14firstaervoy (123K)" src="images/14firstaervoy.jpg" width="100%" /><br />
    </div>
    <p>
      <br /> <br />
    </p>
    <hr />
    <p>
      le <br /> <br />
    </p>
    <blockquote>
      <p class="toc">
        <big><b>CONTENTS</b></big>
      </p>
      <p>
        <br />
      </p>
      <p class="toc">
        <a href="#link2H_PREF"> PREFACE </a>
      </p>
      <p class="toc">
        <a href="#link2H_LIST"> <big><b>List of Illustrations</b></big> </a>
      </p>
      <p>
        <br />
      </p>
      <p class="toc">
        <a href="#link2H_4_0003"> <big><b>BALLOONS AND AIR JOURNEYS.</b></big>
        </a>
      </p>
      <p>
        <br />
      </p>
      <p class="toc">
        <a href="#link2H_PART1"> <b>PART I. THE CONQUEST OF THE SKIES.&mdash;1783.</b>
        </a>
      </p>
      <p class="toc">
        <a href="#link2HCH0001"> Chapter I. Introduction. </a>
      </p>
      <p class="toc">
        <a href="#link2HCH0002"> Chapter II. Attempts in Ancient Times to Fly in
        the Air. </a>
      </p>
      <p class="toc">
        <a href="#link2HCH0003"> Chapter III. The Theory of Balloons. </a>
      </p>
      <p class="toc">
        <a href="#link2HCH0004"> Chapter IV. First Public Trial of the Balloon.
        </a>
      </p>
      <p class="toc">
        <a href="#link2HCH0005"> Chapter V. Second Experiment. </a>
      </p>
      <p class="toc">
        <a href="#link2HCH0006"> Chapter VI. Third Experiment. </a>
      </p>
      <p class="toc">
        <a href="#link2HCH0007"> Chapter VII. Fourth Experiment. </a>
      </p>
      <p class="toc">
        <a href="#link2HCH0008"> Chapter VIII. Men and Balloons. </a>
      </p>
      <p class="toc">
        <a href="#link2HCH0009"> Chapter IX. The First Aerial Voyage&mdash;Roziers
        and Arlandes. </a>
      </p>
      <p class="toc">
        <a href="#link2HCH0010"> Chapter X. The Second Arial Voyage. </a>
      </p>
      <p>
        <br />
      </p>
      <p class="toc">
        <a href="#link2H_PART2"> <b>PART II.The History of Aerostation from the
        Year 1783.</b> </a>
      </p>
      <p class="toc">
        <a href="#link2HCH0011"> Chapter I. </a>
      </p>
      <p class="toc">
        <a href="#link2HCH0012"> Chapter II. Experiments and Studies&mdash;Blanchard
        at Paris&mdash;Guyton de Morveau at Dijon. </a>
      </p>
      <p class="toc">
        <a href="#link2HCH0013"> Chapter III. </a>
      </p>
      <p class="toc">
        <a href="#link2HCH0014"> Chapter IV. </a>
      </p>
      <p class="toc">
        <a href="#link2HCH0015"> Chapter V. First Aerial Voyage in England&mdash;Blanchard
        Crosses the Sea in a Balloon. </a>
      </p>
      <p class="toc">
        <a href="#link2HCH0016"> Chapter VI. Zambeccari&rsquo;s Perilous Trip Across
        the Adriatic Sea. </a>
      </p>
      <p class="toc">
        <a href="#link2HCH0017"> Chapter VII. Garnerin&mdash;Parachutes&mdash;Aerostation
        at Public Fetes. </a>
      </p>
      <p class="toc">
        <a href="#link2HCH0018"> Chapter VIII. Green&rsquo;s Great Journey Across
        Europe. </a>
      </p>
      <p class="toc">
        <a href="#link2HCH0019"> Chapter IX. The &ldquo;Geant&rdquo; Balloon. </a>
      </p>
      <p class="toc">
        <a href="#link2HCH0020"> Chapter X. The Necrology of Aeronautic </a>
      </p>
      <p>
        <br />
      </p>
      <p class="toc">
        <a href="#link2H_PART3"> <b>PART III. Scientific Experiments&mdash;Applications
        of Ballooning.</b> </a>
      </p>
      <p class="toc">
        <a href="#link2HCH0021"> Chapter I. Experiments of Robertson, Lhoest,
        Saccarof, &amp;c. </a>
      </p>
      <p class="toc">
        <a href="#link2HCH0022"> Chapter II. Ascent of M. Gay-Lussac Alone&mdash;Excursions
        of MM. Barral and Bixio. </a>
      </p>
      <p class="toc">
        <a href="#link2HCH0023"> Chapter III. Ascents of the Mssrs. Welsh,
        Glaisher and Coxwell. </a>
      </p>
      <p class="toc">
        <a href="#link2HCH0024"> Chapter IV. Balloons Made Useful in Warfare.
        </a>
      </p>
      <p>
        <br />
      </p>
      <p class="toc">
        <a href="#link2H_4_0031"> <b>Advertisements in the back of the book</b>
        </a>
      </p>
    </blockquote>
    <div class="fig" style="width:80%;">
      <img alt="11versailles (107K)" src="images/11versailles.jpg" width="100%" /><br />
    </div>
    <p>
      <br /> <br />
    </p>
    <div class="fig" style="width:80%;">
      <img alt="21dijon (114K)" src="images/21dijon.jpg" width="100%" /><br />
    </div>
    <h5>
      Many other illustrations may be viewed in the List of Illustrations below
    </h5>
    <p>
      <br /> <br />
    </p>
    <hr />
    <p>
      <br /> <br /> <a name="link2H_PREF" id="link2H_PREF">
      <!--  H2 anchor --> </a>
    </p>
    <div style="height: 4em;">
      <br /><br /><br /><br />
    </div>
    <h2>
      PREFACE
    </h2>
    <p>
      &ldquo;Let posterity know, and knowing be astonished, that on the fifteenth day
      of September, 1784, Vincent Lunardi of Lucca, in Tuscany, the first aerial
      traveller in Britain, mounting from the Artillery Ground in London, and
      traversing the regions of the air for two hours and fifteen minutes, on
      this spot revisited the earth. In this rude monument for ages be recorded
      this wondrous enterprise successfully achieved by the powers of chemistry
      and the fortitude of man, this improvement in science which the great
      Author of all Knowledge, patronising by his Providence the inventions of
      mankind, hath graciously permitted, to their benefit and his own eternal
      glory.&rdquo;
     </p>
    <p>
      The stone upon which the above inscription was carved, stands, or stood
      recently, near Collier&rsquo;s End, in the parish of Standon, Hertfordshire; and
      it will possibly afford the English reader a more accurate idea of the
      feelings with which the world hailed the discovery of the balloon than any
      incident or illustration drawn from the annals of a foreign country.
    </p>
    <p>
      The work which we now introduce to our readers does not exaggerate the
      case when it declares that no discovery of modern times has aroused so
      large an amount of enthusiasm, has excited so many hopes, has appeared to
      the human race to open up so many vistas of enterprise and research, as
      that for which we are mainly indebted to the Brothers Montgolfier. The
      discovery or the invention of the balloon, however, was one of those
      efforts of genius and enterprise which have no infancy. It had reached its
      full growth when it burst upon the world, and the ninety years which have
      since elapsed have witnessed no development of the original idea. The
      balloon of to-day&mdash;the balloon in which Coxwell and Glaisher have
      made their perilous trips into the remote regions of the air&mdash;is in
      almost every respect the same as the balloon with which &ldquo;the physician
      Charles,&rdquo; following in the footsteps of the Montgolfiers, astonished Paris
      in 1783. There are few more tantalising stories in the annals of invention
      than this. So much had been accomplished when Roziers made his first
      aerial voyage above the astonished capital of France that all the rest
      seemed easy. The new highway appeared to have been thrown open to the
      world, and the dullest imagination saw the air thronged with colossal
      chariots, bearing travellers in perfect safety, and with more than the
      speed of the eagle, from city to city, from country to country, reckless
      of all the obstacles&mdash;the seas, and rivers, and mountains&mdash;which
      Nature might have placed in the path of the wayfarer. But from that moment
      to the present the prospect which was thus opened up has remained a vision
      and nothing more. There are&mdash;as those who visited the Crystal Palace
      two years ago have reason to know&mdash;not a few men who still believe in
      the practicability of journeying by air. But, with hardly an exception,
      those few have abandoned all idea of utilising the balloon for this
      purpose. The graceful &ldquo;machine&rdquo; which astonished the world at its birth
      remains to this day as beautiful, and as useless for the purposes of
      travel, as in the first hour of its history. The day may come when some
      one more fortunate than the Montgolfiers may earn the Duke of Sutherland&rsquo;s
      offered reward by a successful flight from the Mall to the top of Stafford
      House; but when this comes to pass the balloon will have no share in the
      honour of the achievement. Not the less, however, is the story of this
      wonderful invention worthy of being recorded. It deserves a place in the
      history of human enterprise&mdash;if for nothing else&mdash;because of the
      daring courage which it has in so many cases brought to light. From the
      days of Roziers down to those of Coxwell, our aeronauts have fearlessly
      tempted dangers not less terrible than those which face the soldier as he
      enters the imminent deadly breach; and, as one of the chapters in this
      volume mournfully proves, not a few of their number have paid the penalty
      of their rash courage with their lives. All the more is it to be regretted
      that so little practical good has resulted from their labours and their
      sacrifices; and that so many of those who have perished in balloon voyages
      have done so whilst serving to better end than the amusement of a holiday
      crowd. There is, however, another aspect which makes at least the earlier
      history of the balloon well worth preserving. This is the influence which
      the invention had upon the generation which witnessed it. As these pages
      show, the people of Europe seem to have been absolutely intoxicated by the
      success of the Montgolfiers&rsquo; discovery. There is something bitterly
      suggestive in our knowledge of this fact. Whilst pensions and honours and
      popular applause were being showered upon the inventors of the balloon,
      Watt was labouring unnoticed at his improvements of the steam-engine&mdash;a
      very prosaic affair compared with the gilded globe which Montgolfier had
      caused to rise from earth amidst the acclamations of a hundred thousand
      spectators, but one which had before it a somewhat different history to
      that of the more startling invention. England, when it remembers the story
      of the steam-engine, has little need to grudge France the honour of
      discovering the balloon. After all, however, Great Britain had its share
      in that discovery. The early observations of Francis Bacon and Bishop
      Wilkins paved the way for the later achievement, whilst it was our own
      Cavendish who discovered that hydrogen gas was lighter than air; and Dr.
      Black of Edinburgh, who first employed that gas to raise a globe in which
      it was contained from the earth. The Scotch professor, we are told,
      thought that the discovery which he made when he sent his little
      tissue-paper balloon from his lecture-table to the ceiling of his
      classroom, was of no use except as affording the means of making an
      interesting experiment. Possibly our readers, after they have perused this
      volume, may think that Dr Black was not after all so far wrong as people
      once imagined. Be this as it may, however, in these pages is the history
      of the balloon, and of the most memorable balloon voyages, and we
      comprehend the story to our readers not the less cordially that it comes
      from the land where the balloon had its birth.
    </p>
    <p>
      London, January, 1870.
    </p>
    <p>
      <a name="link2H_LIST" id="link2H_LIST">
      <!--  H2 anchor --> </a>
    </p>
    <div style="height: 4em;">
      <br /><br /><br /><br />
    </div>
    <h2>
      List of Illustrations
    </h2>
    <h4>
      Click on any of the Illustrations
    </h4>
<pre xml:space="preserve"><b>
     01. <a href="images/01lana.jpg">Lana&rsquo;s Flying Machine</a>
     02. <a href="images/02Guzman.jpg">Laurent de Guzman&rsquo;s Balloon</a>
     03. <a href="images/03flyingman.jpg">The Flying Man</a>
     04. <a href="images/04inflating.jpg">Inflating Balloon with Hydrogen</a>
     05. <a href="images/05parachute.jpg">The Parachute</a>
     06. <a href="images/06garnerin.jpg">Garnerin&rsquo;s Descent in a Parachute</a>
     07. <a href="images/07montgolfbros.jpg">The Brothers Montgolfier</a>
     08. <a href="images/08charles.jpg">Charles&rsquo;s Balloon on its way to the Champ de Mars</a>
     09. <a href="images/09charles.jpg">The Ascent of Charles&rsquo;s Balloon from the Champ de Mars</a>
     10. <a href="images/10charles.jpg">The Destruction of Charles&rsquo;s Balloon</a>
     11. <a href="images/11versailles.jpg">Ascent of the 19th September, 1783, at Versailles</a>
     12. <a href="images/12darlandes.jpg">Balloon of the Marquis D&rsquo;Arlandes</a>
     13. <a href="images/13darlandes.jpg">The Balloon of D&rsquo;Arlandes crossing Paris</a>
     14. <a href="images/14firstaervoy.jpg">The First Aerial Voyage</a>
     15. <a href="images/15charles.jpg">Monsieur Charles and the Duke of Chartres</a>
     16. <a href="images/16bagnolet.jpg">Bagnolet&rsquo;s Balloon</a>
     17. <a href="images/17flesselles.jpg">Le Flesselles</a>
     18. <a href="images/18blanchard.jpg">Blanchard&rsquo;s Balloon</a>
     19. <a href="images/19blanchard.jpg">Blanchard&rsquo;s Ascent, (Caricature)</a>
     20. <a href="images/20blanchard.jpg">Blanchard&rsquo;s Descent</a>
     21. <a href="images/21dijon.jpg">Ascent from Dijon, 1784</a>
     22. <a href="images/22chartres.jpg">Ascent of the Duke of Chartres</a>
     23. <a href="images/23minerva.jpg">The &ldquo;Minerva"</a>
     24. <a href="images/24england.jpg">The First Attempt to Ascend in England</a>
     25. <a href="images/25blanchard.jpg">Blanchard</a>
     26. <a href="images/26jeffries.jpg">Dr. Jeffries</a>
     27. <a href="images/27fete.jpg">Coronation fete at Paris</a>
     28. <a href="images/28geant.jpg">The Wreck of the &ldquo;Geant"</a>
     29. <a href="images/29roziers.jpg">Pilatre des Roziers</a>
     30. <a href="images/30fleurus.jpg">Employment of a Balloon at the Battle of Fleurus</a></b>
</pre>
    <p>
      <a name="link2H_4_0003" id="link2H_4_0003">
      <!--  H2 anchor --> </a>
    </p>
    <div style="height: 4em;">
      <br /><br /><br /><br />
    </div>
    <h2>
      BALLOONS AND AIR JOURNEYS.
    </h2>
    <p>
      <a name="link2H_PART1" id="link2H_PART1">
      <!--  H2 anchor --> </a> <br />
    </p>
    <div class="fig" style="width:80%;">
      <img alt="28geant (126K)" src="images/28geant.jpg" width="100%" /><br />
    </div>
    <p>
      <br />
    </p>
    <div style="height: 4em;">
      <br /><br /><br /><br />
    </div>
    <h2>
      PART I. THE CONQUEST OF THE SKIES.&mdash;1783.
    </h2>
    <p>
      <a name="link2HCH0001" id="link2HCH0001">
      <!--  H2 anchor --> </a>
    </p>
    <div style="height: 4em;">
      <br /><br /><br /><br />
    </div>
    <h2>
      Chapter I. Introduction.
    </h2>
    <p>
      The title of our introduction to aeronautics may appear ambitious to
      astronomers, and to those who know that the infinite space we call the
      heavens is for ever inaccessible to travellers from the earth; but it was
      not so considered by those who witnessed the ardent enthusiasm evoked at
      the ascension of the first balloon. No discovery, in the whole range of
      history, has elicited an equal degree of applause and admiration&mdash;never
      has the genius of man won a triumph which at first blush seemed more
      glorious. The mathematical and physical sciences had in aeronautics
      achieved apparently their greatest honours, and inaugurated a new era in
      the progress of knowledge. After having subjected the earth to their
      power; after having made the waves of the sea stoop in submission under
      the keels of their ships; after having caught the lightning of heaven and
      made it subservient to the ordinary purposes of life, the genius of man
      undertook to conquer the regions of the air. Imagination, intoxicated with
      past successes, could descry no limit to human power; the gates of the
      infinite seemed to be swinging back before man&rsquo;s advancing step, and the
      last was believed to be the greatest of his achievements.
    </p>
    <p>
      In order to comprehend the frenzy of the enthusiasm which the first
      aeronautic triumphs called forth, it is necessary to recall the appearance
      of Montgolfier at Versailles, on the 19th of September, 1783, before Louis
      XVI, or of the earliest aeronauts at the Tuileries. Paris hailed the first
      of these men with the greatest acclaim, &ldquo;and then, as now,&rdquo; says a French
      writer, &ldquo;the voice of Paris gave the cue to France, and France to the
      world!&rdquo; Nobles and artisans, scientific men and badauds, great and small,
      were moved with one universal impulse. In the streets the praises of the
      balloon were sung; in the libraries models of it abounded; and in the
      salons the one universal topic was the great &ldquo;machine.&rdquo; In anticipation,
      the poet delighted himself with bird&rsquo;s-eye views of the scenery of strange
      countries; the prisoner mused on what might be a new way of escape; the
      physicist visited the laboratory in which the lightning and the meteors
      were manufactured; the geometrician beheld the plans of cities and the
      outlines of kingdoms; the general discovered the position of the enemy or
      rained shells on the besieged town; the police beheld a new mode in which
      to carry on the secret service; Hope heralded a new conquest from the
      domain of nature, and the historian registered a new chapter in the annals
      of human knowledge.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;Scientific discoveries in general,&rdquo; says Arago, &ldquo;even those from which
      men expect the most advantage, like those of the compass and the
      steam-engine, were greeted at first with contempt, or at the best with
      indifference. Political events, and the fortunes of armies monopolised
      almost entirely the attention of the people. But to this rule there are
      two exceptions&mdash;the discoveries of America and of aerostatics, the
      advents of Columbus and of Montgolfier.&rdquo; It is not here our duty to
      inquire how it happened that the discoveries made by these two personages
      are classed together. Air-travelling may be as unproductive of actual good
      to society as filling the belly with the &ldquo;east wind&rdquo; is to the body, while
      every one knows something of the extent to which the discovery of Columbus
      has influenced the character, the civilisation, the destinies, in short,
      of the human race. We are speaking at present of the known and
      well-attested fact, that the discovery of America and the discovery of the
      method of traversing space by means of balloons&mdash;however they may
      differ in respect of results to man&mdash;rank equally in this, that of
      all other discoveries these two have attracted the greatest amount of
      attention, and given, in their respective eras, the greatest impulse to
      popular feeling. Let the reader recall the marks of enthusiasm which the
      discovery of the islands on the east coast of America excited in
      Andalusia, in Catalonia, in Aragon and Castile&mdash;let him read the
      narrative of the honours paid by town and village, not only to the hero of
      the enterprise, but even to his commonest sailors, and then let him search
      the records of the epoch for the degree of sensation produced by the
      discovery of aeronautics in France, which stands in the same relationship
      to this event as that in which Spain stands to the other. The processions
      of Seville and Barcelona are the exact prototypes of the fetes of Lyons
      and Paris. In France, in 1783, as in Spain two centuries previously, the
      popular imagination was so greatly excited by the deeds performed, that it
      began to believe in possibilities of the most unlikely description. In
      Spain, the conquestadores and their followers believed that in a few days
      after they had landed on American soil, they would have gathered as much
      gold and precious stones, as were then possessed by the richest European
      Sovereigns. In France, each one following his own notions, made out for
      himself special benefits to flow from the discovery of balloons. Every
      discovery then appeared to be only the precursor of other and greater
      discoveries, and nothing after that time seemed to be impossible to him
      who attempted the conquest of the atmosphere. This idea clothed itself in
      every form. The young embraced it with enthusiasm, the old made it the
      subject of endless regrets. When one of the first aeronautic ascents was
      made, the old Marechal Villeroi, an octogenarian and an invalid, was
      conducted to one of the windows of the Tuileries, almost by force, for he
      did not believe in balloons. The balloon, meanwhile, detached itself from
      its moorings; the physician Charles, seated in the car, gaily saluted the
      public, and was then majestically launched into space in his air-boat; and
      at once the old Marechal, beholding this, passed suddenly from unbelief to
      perfect faith in aerostatics and in the capacity of the human mind, fell
      on his knees, and, with his eyes bathed in tears, moaned out pitifully the
      words, &ldquo;Yes, it is fixed! It is certain! They will find out the secret of
      avoiding death; but it will be after I am gone!&rdquo;
     </p>
    <p>
      If we recall the impressions which the first air-journeys made, we shall
      find that, among people of enthusiastic temperament, it was believed that
      it was not merely the blue sky above us, not merely the terrestrial
      atmosphere, but the vast spaces through which the worlds move, that were
      to become the domain of man&mdash;the sea of the balloon. The moon, the
      mysterious dwelling-place of men unknown, would no longer be an
      inaccessible place. Space no longer contained regions which man could not
      cross! Indeed, certain expeditions attempted the crossing of the heavens,
      and brought back news of the moon. The planets that revolve round the sun,
      the far-flying comets, the most distant stars&mdash;these formed the field
      which from that time was to lie open to the investigations of man.
    </p>
    <p>
      This enthusiasm one can well enough understand. There is in the simple
      fact of an aerial ascent something so bold and so astonishing, that the
      human spirit cannot fail to be profoundly stirred by it. And if this is
      the feeling of men at the present day, when, after having been witnesses
      of ascents for the last eighty years, they see men confiding themselves in
      a swinging car into the immensities of space, what must have been the
      astonishment of those who, for the first time since the commencement of
      the world, beheld one of their fellow-creatures rolling in space, without
      any other assurance of safety than what his still dim perception of the
      laws of nature gave him?
    </p>
    <p>
      Why should we be obliged here to state that the great discovery that
      stirred the spirits of men from the one end of Europe to the other, and
      gave rise to hopes of such vast discoveries, should have failed in
      realising the expectations which seemed so clearly justified by the first
      experiments? It is now eighty-six years since the first aerial journey
      astonished the world, and yet, in 1870, we are but little more advanced in
      the science than we were in 1783. Our age is the most renowned for its
      discoveries of any that the world has seen. Man is borne over the surface
      of the earth by steam; he is as familiar as the fish with the liquid
      element; he transmits his words instantaneously from London to New York;
      he draws pictures without pencil or brush, and has made the sun his slave.
      The air alone remains to him unsubdued. The proper management of balloons
      has not yet been discovered. More than that, it appears that balloons are
      unmanageable, and it is to air-vessels, constructed more nearly upon the
      model of birds, that we must go to find out the secret of aerial
      navigation. At present, as in former times, we are at the mercy of
      balloons&mdash;globes lighter than the air, and therefore the sport and
      the prey of tempests and currents. And aeronauts, instead of showing
      themselves now as the benefactors of mankind, exhibit themselves mainly to
      gratify a frivolous curiosity, or to crown with eclat a public fete.
    </p>
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      <a name="link2HCH0002" id="link2HCH0002">
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    <div style="height: 4em;">
      <br /><br /><br /><br />
    </div>
    <h2>
      Chapter II. Attempts in Ancient Times to Fly in the Air.
    </h2>
    <p>
      Before contemplating the sudden conquest of the aerial kingdom, as
      accomplished and proclaimed at the end of the last century, it is at once
      curious and instructive to cast a glance backward, and to examine, by the
      glimmering of ancient traditions, the attempts which have been made or
      imagined by man to enfranchise himself from the attraction of the earth.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;The greater number of the arts and sciences can be traced along a
      chronological ladder of great length: some, indeed, lose themselves in the
      night of time.&rdquo; The accomplishment of raising oneself in the air, however,
      had no actual professors in antiquity, and the discovery of Montgolfier
      seems to have come into the world, so to speak, spontaneously. By this it
      is to be understood that, unlike Copernicus and Columbus, Montgolfier
      could not read in history of any similar discovery, containing the germ of
      his own feat. At least, we have no proof that the ancient nations
      practiced the art of aerial navigation to any extent whatever. The
      attempts which we are about to cite do not strictly belong to the history
      of aerostatics.
    </p>
    <p>
      Classic mythology tells us of Daedalus, who, escaping with his son Icarus
      from the anger of Minos, in the Isle of Crete, saved himself from the
      immediate evil by the aid of wings, which he made for himself and his son,
      and by means of which they were enabled to fly in the air. The wings, it
      appears, were soldered with wax, and Icarus, flying too high, was struck
      by a ray of the sun, which melted the wax. The youth fell into the sea,
      which from him derived its name of Icarian. It is possible that this fable
      only symbolisms the introduction of sails in navigation.
    </p>
    <p>
      Coming down through ancient history, we note a certain Archytas, of
      Tarentum, who, in the fourth century B. C., is said to have launched into
      the air the first &ldquo;flying stag,&rdquo; and who, according to the Greek writers,
      &ldquo;made a pigeon of wood, which flew, but which could not raise itself again
      after having fallen.&rdquo; Its flight, it is said, &ldquo;was accomplished by means
      of a mechanical contrivance, by the vibrations of which it was sustained
      in the air.&rdquo;
     </p>
    <p>
      In the year 66 A.D., in the time of Nero, Simon, the magician&mdash;who
      called himself &ldquo;the mechanician&rdquo;&mdash;made certain experiments at Rome of
      flying at a certain height. In the eyes of the early Christians this power
      was attributed to the devil, and St. Peter, the namesake of this flying
      man, is said to have prayed fervently while Simon was amusing himself in
      space. It was possibly in answer to his prayers that the magician failed
      in his flight, fell upon the Forum, and broke his neck on the spot.
    </p>
    <p>
      From the summit of the tower of the hippodrome at Constantinople, a
      certain Saracen met the same fate as Simon, in the reign of the Emperor
      Comnenus. His experiments were conducted on the principle of the inclined
      plane. He descended in an oblique course, using the resistance of the air
      as a support. His robe, very long and very large, and of which the flaps
      were extended on an osier frame, preserved him from suddenly falling.
    </p>
    <p>
      The inclined plane probably suggested to Milton the flight of the angel
      Uriel, in &ldquo;Paradise Lost,&rdquo; who descended in the morning from heaven to
      earth upon a ray of the sun, and ascended in the evening from earth to
      heaven by the same means. But we cannot quote here the fancies of pure
      imagination, and we will not speak of Medeus the magician, of the
      enchantress Armida, of the witches of the Brocken, of the hippogriff of
      Zephyrus with the rosy wings, or of the diabolical inventions of the
      middle ages, for many of which the stake was the only reward.
    </p>
    <p>
      Roger Bacon, in the thirteenth century, inaugurated a more scientific era.
      In his &ldquo;Treaty of the Admirable Power of Art and Nature,&rdquo; he puts forth
      the idea that it is possible &ldquo;to make flying-machines in which the man,
      being seated or suspended in the middle, might turn some winch or crank,
      which would put in motion a suit of wings made to strike the air like
      those of a bird.&rdquo; In the same treatise he sketches a flying-machine, to
      which that of Blanchard, who lived in the eighteenth century, bears a
      certain resemblance. The monk, Roger Bacon, was worthy of entering the
      temple of fame before his great namesake the Lord Chancellor, who in the
      seventeenth century inaugurated the era of experimental science.
    </p>
    <p>
      Jean Baptiste Dante, a mathematician of Perugia, who lived in the latter
      part of the fifteenth century, constructed artificial wings, by means of
      which, when applied to thin bodies, men might raise themselves off the
      ground into the air. It is recorded that on many occasions he experimented
      with his wings on the Lake Thrasymenus. These experiments, however, had a
      sad end. At a fete, given for the celebration of the marriage of
      Bartholomew d&rsquo;Alvani, Dante, who must not be confounded with the poet,
      whose flights were of quite another kind&mdash;offered to exhibit the
      wonder of his wings to the people of Perugia. He managed to raise himself
      to a great height, and flew above the square; but the iron with which he
      moved one of his wings having been bent, he fell upon the church of the
      Virgin, and broke his thigh.
    </p>
    <p>
      A similar accident befell a learned English Benedictine Oliver of
      Malmesbury. This ecclesiastic was considered gifted with the power of
      foretelling events; but, like other similarly circumstanced, he does not
      seem to have beer able to divine the fate which awaited himself. He
      constructed wings after the model of those which according to Ovid,
      Daedalus made use of. These he attached to his arms and his feet, and,
      thus furnished, he threw himself from the height of a tower. But the wings
      bore him up for little more than a distance of 120 paces. He fell at the
      foot of the tower, broke his legs, and from that moment led a languishing
      life. He consoled himself, however, in his misfortune by saying that his
      attempt must certainly have succeeded had he only provided himself with a
      tail.
    </p>
    <p>
      Before going further, let us take notice that the seventeenth century is,
      par excellence, the century distinguished for narratives of imaginary
      travels. It was then that astronomy opened up its world of marvels. The
      knowledge of observers was vastly increased, and from that time it became
      possible to distinguish the surface of the moon and of other celestial
      bodies. Thus a new world, as it were, was revealed for human thought and
      speculation. We learned that our globe was not, as we had supposed, the
      centre of the universe. It was assigned its place far from that centre,
      and was known to be no more than a mere atom, lost amid an incalculable
      number of other globes. The revelations of the telescope proved that those
      who formerly were considered wise actually knew nothing. Quickly following
      these discoveries, extraordinary narratives of excursions through space
      began to be given to the world.
    </p>
    <p>
      Those scientific romances were simply wild exaggerations, based upon the
      thinnest foundation of scientific facts. In order, however, to describe a
      journey among the stars, it was necessary to invent some mode of
      locomotion in these distant regions. In former times Lucian had been
      content with a ship which ascended to the rising moon upon a waterspout;
      but it was now necessary to improve upon this very primitive mode, as
      people began to know something more of the forces of nature. One of the
      first of these travellers in imagination to the moon in modern times was
      Godwin (1638), and his plan was more ingenious than that of Lucian. He
      trained a great number of the wild swans of St. Helena to fly constantly
      upward toward a white object, and, having succeeded in thus training them,
      one fine night he threw himself off the Peak of Teneriffe, poised upon a
      piece of board, which was borne upward to the white moon by a great team
      of the gigantic swans. At the end of twelve days he arrived, according to
      his story, at his destination. A little later another writer of this
      peculiar kind of fiction, Wilkins, an Englishman, professed to have made
      the same ascent, borne up by an eagle. Alexandre Dumas, who recently wrote
      a short romance upon the same subject, only made a translation of an
      English work by that author. Wilkins&rsquo; work is entitled, &ldquo;The Discovery of
      a New World.&rdquo; One chapter of the book bears the title, &ldquo;That &lsquo;tis possible
      for some of our posterity to find out a conveyance to this other world;
      and, if there be inhabitants there, to have commerce with them.&rdquo; It is
      thus that the right reverend philosopher reasons:&mdash;
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;If it be here inquired what means there may be conjectured for our
      ascending beyond the sphere of the earth&rsquo;s mathematical vigour, I answer.&mdash;1.
      &lsquo;Tis not possible that a man may be able to fly by the application of
      wings to his own body, as angels are pictured, as Mercury and Daedalus are
      feigned, and as hath been attempted by divers, particularly by a Turk in
      Constantinople, a Busbequius relates. 2. If there be such a great duck in
      Madagascar as Marcus Polus, the Venetian, mentions, the feathers of whose
      wings are twelve feet long, which can scoop up a horse and his rider, or
      an elephant, as our kites do a mouse; why, then, &lsquo;Tis but teaching one of
      these to carry a man, and he may ride up thither, as Ganymede does upon an
      eagle. 3. Or if neither of these ways will serve yet I do seriously, and
      upon good grounds, affirm it is possible to make a flying chariot, in
      which a man may sit and give such a motion to it as shall convey him
      through the air. And this, perhaps, might be made large enough to carry
      divers men at the same time, together with food for their viaticum, and
      commodities for traffic. It is not the bigness of anything in this kind
      that can hinder its motion if the motive faculty be answerable &ldquo;hereunto.
      We see that; great ship swims as well as a small cork, and an eagle flies
      in the air as well as a little gnat. This engine may be contrived from the
      same principles by which Archytas made a wooden dove, and Regiomontanus a
      wooden eagle. I conceive it were no difficult matter (if a man had
      leisure) to show more particularly the means of composing it. The
      perfecting of such an invention would be of such excellent use that it
      were enough, not only to make a man famous but the age wherein he lives.
      For, besides the strange discoveries that it might occasion in this other
      world, it would be also of inconceivable advantage for travelling, above
      any other conveyance that is now in use. So that, notwithstanding all
      these seeming impossibilities, it is likely enough that there may be a
      means invented of journeying to the moon; and how happy shall they be that
      are first successful in this attempt!&rdquo;
     </p>
    <p>
      Afterwards comes Cyrano of Bergerac, who promulgates five different means
      of flying in the air. First, by means of phials filled with dew, which
      would attract and cause to mount up. Secondly, by a great bird made of
      wood, the wings of which should be kept in motion. Thirdly, by rockets,
      which, going off successively, would drive up the balloon by the force of
      projection. Fourthly, by an octahedron of glass, heated by the sun, and of
      which the lower part should be allowed to penetrate the dense cold air,
      which, pressing up against the rarefied hot air, would raise the balloon.
      Fifthly, by a car of iron and a ball of magnetised iron, which the
      aeronaut would keep throwing up in the air, and which would attract and
      draw up the balloon. The wiseacre who invented these modes of flying in
      the air seems, some would say, to have been more in want of very strict
      confinement on the earth than of the freedom of the skies.
    </p>
    <p>
      In 1670 Francis Lana constructed the flying-machine shown on the next
      page. The specific lightness of heated air and of hydrogen gas not having
      yet been discovered, his only idea for making his globes rise was to take
      all the air out of them. But even supposing that the globes were thus
      rendered light enough to rise, they must inevitably have collapsed under
      the atmospheric pressure.
    </p>
    <p>
      As for the idea of making use of a sail to direct the balloon, as one
      directs a vessel, that also was a delusion; for the whole machine, globes
      and sails, being freely thrown into the air, would infallibly follow the
      direction of the wind, whatever that might be. When a ship lies in the
      sea, and its sails are inflated with the wind, we must remember that there
      are two forces in operation&mdash;the active force of the wind and the
      passive force of the resistance of the water; and in working these forces
      the one against the other, the sailor can turn within a point of any
      direction he pleases. But when we are subjected wholly to a single force,
      and have no point of support by the use of which to turn that force to our
      own purposes, as is the case with the aeronaut, we are entirely at the
      mercy of that force, and must obey it.
    </p>
    <p>
      After the flying-machine of Lana there was constructed by Galien (who,
      like the former, was an ecclesiastic) an air-boat, less chimerical in its
      form, looked at in view of the conditions of aerial navigation, but much
      more singular. Galien describes his air-boat, in 1755, in his little work
      entitled, &ldquo;The Art of Sailing in the Air.&rdquo; His project was a most
      extraordinary one, and its boldness is only equalled by the seriousness of
      the narrative. According to him, the atmosphere is divided into two
      horizontal layers, the upper of which is much lighter than the lower.
      &ldquo;But,&rdquo; says Galien, &ldquo;a ship keeps its place in the water because it is
      full of air, and air is much lighter than water. Suppose, then, that there
      was the same difference of weight between the upper and the lower layer of
      air as there is between the lower stratum and water; and suppose, also, a
      boat which rested upon the lower layer of air, with its bulk in the
      lighter upper layer&mdash;like a ship which has its keel in the water but
      its bulk in the air&mdash;the same thing would happen with the air-ship as
      with the water-ship&mdash;it would float in the denser layer of air.&rdquo;
     </p>
    <p>
      Galien adds that in the region of hail there was in the air a separation
      into two layers, the weights of which respectively are as 1 to 2. &ldquo;Then,&rdquo;
       says he, &ldquo;in placing an air-boat in the region of hail, with its sides
      rising eighty-three fathoms into the upper region, which is much more
      light, one could sail perfectly.&rdquo;
     </p>
    <p>
      But how to get this enormous air-boat up to the region of hail? This is a
      minor detail, respecting which Galien is not clear.
    </p>
    <p>
      From the labours of Lana and Galien, with their impossible flying
      machines, the inventor of the balloon could derive no benefit whatever;
      nor is his fame to be in the least diminished because many had laboured in
      the same field before him. Nor can the story of the ovoador, or flying
      man, a legend very confused, and of which there are many versions, have
      given to Montgolfier any valuable hints. It appears that a certain Laurent
      de Guzman, a monk of Rio Janeiro, performed at Lisbon before the king,
      John V., raising himself in a balloon to a considerable height. Other
      versions of the story give a different date, and assign the pretended
      ascent to 1709. The above engraving, extracted from the &ldquo;Bibliotheque de
      la Rue de Richelieu,&rdquo; is an exact copy of Guzman&rsquo;s supposed balloon.
    </p>
    <p>
      In 1678 a mechanician of Salle, in Maine, named Besnier invented a
      flying-machine. The machine consisted of four great wings, or paddles,
      mounted at the extremities of levers, which rested on the shoulders of the
      man who guided it, and who could move them alternately by means of his
      hands and feet. The following description of the machine is given in the
      Journal de Paris by an eye-witness:
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;The &lsquo;wings&rsquo; are oblong frames, covered with taffeta, and attached to the
      ends of two rods, adjusted on the shoulders The wings work up and down.
      Those in front are worked by the hands; those behind by the feet, which
      are connected with the ends of the rods by strings. The movements were
      such that when the right hand made the right wing descend in front, the
      left foot made the left wing descend behind; and in like manner the left
      hand in front and the right foot behind acted together simultaneously.
      This diagonal action appeared very well contrived; it was the action of
      most quadrupeds as well as of man when walking; but the contrivance, like
      others of the same kind, failed in not being fitted with gearing to enable
      the air traveller to proceed in any other direction than that in which the
      wind blew him. The inventor first flew down from a stool, then from a
      table, afterwards from a window, and finally from a garret, from which he
      passed above the houses in the neighbourhood, and then, moderating the
      working of his machine, he descended slowly to the earth.&rdquo;
     </p>
    <p>
      Tradition records that under Louis XIV. a certain rope-dancer, named
      Alard, announced that on a certain day he would perform the feat of flying
      in the air. We have no description of his wings. It is recorded, however,
      that he set out on his adventurous flight; but he had not calculated all
      the necessities of the case, and, falling to the ground, he was
      dangerously hurt.
    </p>
    <p>
      Leonardo da Vinci might have known the art of flying in the air, and might
      even have practiced it. A statement to this effect, at least, is found in
      several historians. We have, however, no direct proof of the fact.
    </p>
    <p>
      The Abbe Deforges, of Etampes, announced in the journals in 1772 that he
      would perform the great feat. On the appointed day multitudes of the
      curious flocked to Etampes. The abbe&rsquo;s machine was a sort of gondola,
      seven feet long and about two feet deep. Gondola conductor, and baggage
      weighed in all 213 pounds. The pious man believed that he had provided
      against everything. Neither tempest nor rain should mar his flight, and
      there was no chance of his being upset; whilst the machine, he had
      decided, was to go at the rate of thirty leagues an hour.
    </p>
    <p>
      The great day came, and the abbe, entering his air-boat amidst the
      applause of the spectators, began to work the wings with which it was
      provided with great rapidity. &ldquo;But,&rdquo; says one who witnessed the feat, &ldquo;the
      more he worked, the more his machine cleaved to the earth, as if it were
      part and parcel of it.&rdquo;
     </p>
    <p>
      Retif de la Bretonne, in his work upon this subject, gives the
      accompanying picture of a flying man, furnished with very artistically
      designed wings, fitting exactly to the shoulders, and carrying a basket of
      provisions, suspended from his waist; and the frontispiece of the
      &ldquo;Philosophic sans Pretention&rdquo; is a view of a flying-machine. In the midst
      of a frame of light wood sits the operator, steadying himself with one
      hand, and with the other fuming a cremaillere, which appears to give a
      very quick rotatory movement to two glass globes revolving upon a vertical
      axis. The friction of the globes is supposed to develop electricity to
      which his power of ascending is ascribed.
    </p>
    <p>
      To wings, however, aerial adventurers mostly adhered. The Marquis de
      Racqueville flew from a window of his hotel, on the banks of the Seine,
      and fell into a boat full of washerwomen on the river. All these
      unfortunate attempts were lampooned, burlesqued on the stage, and pursued
      with the mockery of the public.
    </p>
    <p>
      Up to this time, therefore, the efforts of man to conquer the air had
      miscarried. They were conducted on a wrong principle, the machinery
      employed being heavier than the air itself But, even before the time of
      Montgolfier, the principles of aerostation began to be recognised, though
      nothing was actually done in the way of acting upon them. Thus, in 1767,
      Professor Black, of Edinburgh, announced in his class that a vessel,
      filled with hydrogen, would rise naturally in the air; but he never made
      the experiment, regarding the fact as capable of being employed only for
      amusement. Finally, Cavallo, in 1782, communicated to the Royal Society of
      London the experiments he had made, and which consisted in filling
      soap-bubbles with hydrogen. The bubbles rose in the atmosphere, the gas
      which filled them being lighter than air.
    </p>
    <p>
      <a name="link2HCH0003" id="link2HCH0003">
      <!--  H2 anchor --> </a>
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    <div style="height: 4em;">
      <br /><br /><br /><br />
    </div>
    <h2>
      Chapter III. The Theory of Balloons.
    </h2>
    <p>
      A certain proposition in physics, known as the &ldquo;Principle of Archimedes,&rdquo;
       runs to the following effect:&mdash;&ldquo;Every body plunged into a liquid
      loses a portion of its weight equal to the weight of the fluid which it
      displaces.&rdquo; Everybody has verified this principle, and knows that objects
      are much lighter in water than out of it; a body plunged into water being
      acted upon by two forces&mdash;its own weight, which tends to sink it, and
      resistance from below, which tends to bear it up. But this principle
      applies to gas as well as to liquids&mdash;to air as well as to water.
      When we weigh a body in the air, we do not find its absolute weight, but
      that weight minus the weight of the air which the body displaces. In order
      to know the exact weight of an object, it would be necessary to weigh it
      in a vacuum.
    </p>
    <p>
      If an object thrown into the air is heavier than the air which it
      displaces, it descends, and falls upon the earth; if it is of equal
      weight, it floats without rising or falling; if it is lighter, it rises
      until it comes to a stratum of air of less weight or density than itself.
      We all know, of course, that the higher you rise from the earth the
      density of the air diminishes. The stratum of air that lies upon the
      surface of the earth is the heaviest, because it supports the pressure of
      all the other strata that lie above. Thus the lightest strata are the
      highest.
    </p>
    <p>
      The principle of the construction of balloons is, therefore, in perfect
      harmony with physical laws. Balloons are simply globes, made of a light,
      air-tight material, filled with hot air or hydrogen gas which rise in the
      air because (they are lighter than the air they displace).
    </p>
    <p>
      The application of this principle appeared so simple, that at the time
      when the news of the invention of the balloon was spread abroad the
      astronomer Lalande wrote&mdash;&ldquo;At this news we all cry, &lsquo;This must be!
      Why did we not think of it before?&rsquo;&rdquo; It had been thought of before, as we
      have seen in the last chapter, but it is often long after an idea is
      conceived that it is practically realised.
    </p>
    <p>
      The first balloon, Montgolfier&rsquo;s, was simply filled with hot air; and it
      was because Montgolfier exclusively made use of hot air that balloons so
      filled were named Montgolfiers. Of course we see at a glance that hot air
      is lighter than cold air, because it has become expanded and occupies more
      space&mdash;that is to say, a volume of hot air contains actually less air
      than a volume of the same size of air that has not been heated. The
      difference between the weight of the hot air and the cold which it
      displaced was greater than the weight of tire covering of the balloon.
      Therefore the balloon mounted.
    </p>
    <p>
      And, seeing that air diminishes in density the higher we ascend, the
      balloon can rise only to that stratum of air of the same density as the
      air it contains. As the warm air cools it gently descends. Again, as the
      atmosphere is always moving in currents more or less strong, the balloon
      follows the direction of the current of the stratum of air in which it
      finds itself.
    </p>
    <p>
      Thus we see how simply the ascent of Montgolfiers, and their motions, are
      explained. It is the same with gas-balloons. A balloon, filled with
      hydrogen gas, displaces an equal volume of atmospheric air; but as the gas
      is much lighter than the air, it is pushed up by a force equal to the
      difference of the density of air and hydrogen gas. The balloon then rises
      in the atmosphere to where it reaches layers of air of a density exactly
      equal to its own, and when it gets there it remains poised in its place.
      In order that it may descend, it is necessary to let out a portion of the
      hydrogen gas, and admit an equal quantity of atmospheric air; and the
      balloon does not come to the ground till all, or nearly all, the gas has
      been expelled and common air taken in. Balloons inflated with hydrogen gas
      are almost the only ones in use at the present day. Scarcely ever is a
      Montgolfier sent up. There are aeronauts, however, who prefer a journey in
      a Montgolfier to one in a gas-balloon. The air voyager in this description
      of balloon had formerly many difficulties to contend with. The quantity of
      combustible material which he was bound to carry with him; the very little
      difference that there is between the density of heated and of cold air;
      the necessity of feeding the fire, and watching it without a moment&rsquo;s
      cessation, as it hangs in the rechaud over the middle of the car, rendered
      this sort of air travelling subject to many dangers and difficulties.
      Recently, M. Eugene Godard has obviated a portion of this difficulty by
      fitting a chimney, like that which is found of such incalculable service
      in the case of the Davy lamp. It is principally on account of this
      improvement that the Montgolfiere has risen so highly in popular esteem.
    </p>
    <p>
      Generally it is not pure hydrogen that is made use of in the inflation of
      balloons. Aeronauts content themselves with the gas which we burn in our
      streets and houses, and thus it suffices, in inflating the balloon, to
      obtain from the nearest gas-works the quantity of gas necessary, and to
      lead it, by means of a pipe or tube, from the gasometer to the mouth or
      neck of the machine.
    </p>
    <p>
      The balloon is made of long strips of silk, sewn together, and rendered
      air-tight by means of a coating of caoutchouc. A valve is fitted to the
      top, and by means of it the aeronaut can descend to the earth at will, by
      allowing some quantity of the gas to escape. The car in which he sits is
      suspended to the balloon by a network, which covers the whole structure.
      Sacks of sand are carried in this car as ballast, so that, when
      descending, if the aeronaut sees that he is likely to be precipitated into
      the sea or into a lake, he throws over the sand, and his air-carriage,
      being thus lightened, mounts again and travels away to a more desirable
      resting-place. The idea of the valve, as well as that of the sand ballast,
      is due to the physician Charles. They enable the aeronaut to ascend or
      descend with facility. When he wishes to mount, he throws over his
      ballast; when he wants to come down, he lets the gas escape by the valve
      at the roof of the balloon. This valve is worked by means of a spring,
      having a long rope attached to it, which hangs down through the neck to
      the car, where the aeronaut sits.
    </p>
    <p>
      The operation of inflating a balloon with pure hydrogen is represented in
      the engraving on the next page.
    </p>
    <p>
      Shavings of iron and zinc, water, and sulphuric acid, occupy a number of
      casks, which communicate, by means of tubes, with a central cask, which is
      open at the bottom, and is plunged in a copper full of water. The gas is
      produced by the action of the water and the sulphuric acid upon the zinc
      and the iron this is hydrogen mixed with sulphuric acid. In passing
      through the central copper, or vat, full of water, the gas throws off all
      impurities, and comes, unalloyed with any other matter, into the balloon
      by a long tube, leading from the central vats. In order to facilitate the
      entrance of the gas into the balloon two long poles are erected. These are
      furnished with pulleys, through which a rope, attached also to a ring at
      the top of the balloon, passes. By means of this contrivance the balloon
      can be at once lightly raised from the ground, and the gas tubes easily
      joined to it. When it is half full it is no longer necessary to suspend
      the balloon; on the contrary, it has to be secured, lest it should fly
      off. A number of men hold it back by ropes; but as the force of ascension
      is every moment increasing, the work of restraining the balloon is most
      difficult and exciting. At length, all preparations being complete, the
      car is suspended, the aeronaut takes his seat, the words &ldquo;Let go all!&rdquo; are
      shouted, and away goes the silken globe into space.
    </p>
    <p>
      The balloon is never entirely filled, for the atmospheric pressure
      diminishing as it ascends, allows the hydrogen gas to dilate, in virtue of
      its expansive force, and, unless there is space for this expansion, the
      balloon is sure to explode in the air.
    </p>
    <p>
      An ordinary balloon, with a lifting power sufficient to carry up three
      persons, with necessary ballast and materiel, is about fifty feet high,
      thirty-five feet in diameter&rsquo; and 2,250 cubic feet in capacity. Of such a
      balloon, the accessories&mdash;the skin, the network, the car&mdash;would
      weigh about 335 lbs.
    </p>
    <p>
      To find out the height at which he has arrived, the aeronaut consults his
      barometer. We know that it is the pressure of the air upon the cup of the
      barometer that raises the mercury in the tube. The heavier the air is, the
      higher is the barometer. At the level of the sea the column of mercury
      stands at 32 inches; at 3,250 feet&mdash;the air being at this elevation
      lighter&mdash;the mercury stands at 28 inches; at 6,500 feet above sea
      level it stands at 25 inches; at 10,000 feet it falls to 22 inches; at
      20,000 feet to 15 inches. These, however, are merely the theoretic
      results, and are subject to some slight variation, according to locality,
      &amp;c.
    </p>
    <p>
      Sometimes the aeronaut makes his descent by means of the parachute, a
      separate and distinct contrivance. If, from any cause, it appears
      impracticable to effect a descent from the balloon itself, the parachute
      may be of the greatest service to the voyager at the present day it is
      chiefly used to astonish the public, by showing them the spectacle of a
      man who, from a great elevation in the air, precipitates himself into
      space, not to escape dangers which threaten him in his balloon, but simply
      to exhibit his courage and skill. Nevertheless, parachutes are often of
      great actual use, and aeronauts frequently attach them to their balloons
      as a precautionary measure before setting out on an aerial excursion.
    </p>
    <p>
      The shape of a parachute, shown on the previous page, very much resembles
      that of the well-known all serviceable umbrella. The strips of silk of
      which it is formed are sewn together, and are bound at the top around a
      circular piece of wood. A number of cords, stretching away from this piece
      of wood, support the car in which the aeronaut is carried. At the summit
      is contrived an opening, which permits the air compressed by the rapidity
      of the descent to escape without causing damage to the parachute from the
      stress to which it is subjected.
    </p>
    <p>
      The rapidity of the descent is arrested by the large surface which the
      parachute presents to the air. When the aeronaut wishes to descend by the
      parachute, all that is required is, after he has slipped down from the car
      of the balloon to that of the parachute, to loosen the rope which binds
      the latter to the former, which is done by means of a pulley. In an
      instant the aeronaut is launched into space with a rapidity in comparison
      with which the wild flights of the balloon are but gentle oscillations.
      But in a few moments, the air rushing into the folds of the parachute,
      forces them open like an umbrella, and immediately, owing to the wide
      surface which this contrivance presents to the atmosphere, the violence of
      the descent is arrested, and the aeronaut falls gently to the ground,
      without receiving too rude a shock.
    </p>
    <p>
      The virtues of the parachute were first tried upon animals. Thus,
      Blanchard allowed his dog to fall in one from a height of 6,500 feet. A
      gust of wind caught the falling parachute, and swept it away up above the
      clouds. Afterwards, the aeronaut in his balloon fell in with the dog in
      the parachute, both of them high up in the cloudy reaches of the sky, and
      the poor animal manifested by his barking his joy at seeing his master. A
      new current separated the aerial voyagers, but the parachute, with its
      canine passenger, reached the ground safely a short time after Blanchard
      had landed from his balloon.
    </p>
    <p>
      Experience has proved that, in the case of a descending parachute, if the
      rapidity of the descent is doubled the resistance of the air is
      quadrupled; if the rapidity is triple the resistance is increased
      ninefold; or, to speak in language of science, the resistance of the air
      is increased by the square of the swiftness of the body in motion. This
      resistance increases in proportion as the parachute spreads, and thus the
      uniformity of its fall is established a minute after it has been
      disengaged from the balloon. We can, therefore, check the descent of a
      body by giving it a surface capable of distension by the action of the
      air.
    </p>
    <p>
      Garnerin, in the year 1802, conceived the bold design of letting himself
      fall from a height of 1,200 feet, and he accomplished the exploit before
      the Parisians. When he had reached the height he had fixed beforehand, he
      cut the rope which connected the parachute with the balloon. At first the
      fall was terribly rapid; but as soon as the parachute spread out the
      rapidity was considerably diminished. The machine made, however, enormous
      oscillations. The air, gathering end compressed under it, would sometimes
      escape by one side sometimes by the other, thus shaking and whirling the
      parachute about with a violence which, however great, had happily no
      unfortunate effect.
    </p>
    <p>
      The origin of the parachute is more remote than is generally supposed, as
      there was a figure of one which appeared among a collection of machines at
      Venice, in 1617.
    </p>
    <p>
      Another species of parachute, less perfect, to be sure; than that of
      Garnerin, but still a practical machine, was described 189 years before
      the great aeronaut&rsquo;s feat at Paris. We read in the narrative of the
      ambassador of Louis XIV at Siam, at the end of the seventeenth century,
      the following passage&mdash;&ldquo;A mountebank at the court of the King of Siam
      climbed to the top of a high bamboo-tree, and threw himself into the air
      without any other support than two parasols. Thus equipped, he abandoned
      himself to the winds, which carried him, as by chance, sometimes to the
      earth, sometimes on trees or houses, and sometimes into the river, without
      any harm happening to him.&rdquo;
     </p>
    <p>
      Is not this the idea of our parachutes?
    </p>
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    <h2>
      Chapter IV. First Public Trial of the Balloon.
    </h2>
    <h3>
      (Montgolfier&rsquo;s Balloon Annonay, 5th of June of 1783.)
    </h3>
    <p>
      We are accustomed to rank the brothers Joseph and Etienne Montgolfier as
      equally distinguished in the field of science. The reason for thus
      associating these two names seems to have been the fraternal friendship
      which subsisted in an extraordinary degree in the Montgolfier family,
      rather than any equality of claim which they had to the notice of
      posterity. After special investigation, we find that Joseph Montgolfier
      was very superior to his brother, and that it is to him principally, if
      not exclusively, that we owe the invention of aerostation. Nevertheless,
      we shall not insist upon this fact; and seeing that a sacred amity always
      cemented a perfect union in the Montgolfier family, we will regard that
      union as unbroken in any sense, and will not insinuate that the brother of
      Montgolfier was undeserving of the honoured rank which in his lifetime he
      held.
    </p>
    <p>
      In 1783, the sons of Pierre Montgolfier, a rich papermaker at Annonay
      department of Ardeche, were already in the prime of life, and it is
      related of them that their principal occupation was experimenting in the
      physical sciences. Joseph Montgolfier, after being convinced by a number
      of minor experiments made in 1782 and 1783, that a heat of 180 degrees
      rarefied the air and made it occupy a space of TWICE the extent it
      occupied before being heated&mdash;or, in other words, that this degree of
      heat diminished the weight of air by one half&mdash;began to speculate on
      what might be the shape and the material of a structure which being filled
      with air thus heated, would be able to raise itself from the earth in
      spite of the weight of its own covering.
    </p>
    <p>
      His first balloon was a small parallelopiped in very thin taffeta,
      containing less than seventy-eight cubic inches of air. He made it rise to
      the roof of his apartment in November, 1782&mdash;at Avignon, where he
      then happened to be. Having returned some little time after to Annonay,
      Joseph and his brother performed the same experiment, together in the open
      air with perfect success. Certain, then, of the new principle, they made a
      balloon of considerable size, containing upwards of sixty-five feet of
      heated air.
    </p>
    <p>
      This machine likewise rose, tore away the cords by which it was at first
      held down, and mounting in the air to the height of from two to three
      hundred feet, fell upon the neighbouring hills after a considerable
      flight. The brothers Montgolfier then made a very large and strong
      balloon, with which they wished to bring their discovery before the
      public.
    </p>
    <p>
      The appointed day was the 5th of June, 1783 and the nobility of the
      vicinity were invited to be present at the experiment. Faujas de Saint
      Fond, author of &ldquo;La Description des Experiences de la Machine
      Aerostatique,&rdquo; published the same year, gives the following account of it:&mdash;
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;What,&rdquo; says Saint Fond, &ldquo;was the general astonishment when the inventors
      of the machine announced that immediately it should be full of gas, which
      they had the means of producing at will by the most simple process, it
      would raise itself to the clouds. It must be granted that, in spite of the
      confidence in the ingenuity and experience of the Montgolfiers, this feat
      seemed so incredible to those who came to witness it, that the persons who
      knew most about it&mdash;who were, at the same time, the most favourably
      predisposed in its favour&mdash;doubted of its success.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;At last the brothers Montgolfier commenced their work. They first of all
      began to make the smoke necessary for their experiment. The machine&mdash;which
      at first seemed only a covering of cloth, lined with paper, a sort of sack
      thirty-five feet high&mdash;became inflated, and grew large even under the
      eyes of the spectator, took consistence, assumed a beautiful form,
      stretched itself on all sides, and struggled to escape. Meanwhile, strong
      arms were holding it down until the signal was given, when it loosened
      itself, and with a rush rose to the height of 1,000 fathoms in less than
      ten minutes.&rdquo; It then described a horizontal line of 7,200 feet, and as it
      had lost a considerable amount of gas, it began to descend quietly. It
      reached the ground in safety; and this first attempt, crowned with such
      decisive success, secured for ever to the brothers Montgolfier the glory
      of one of the most astonishing discoveries.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;When we reflect for a moment upon the numberless difficulties which such
      a bold attempt entailed, upon the bitter criticism to which it would have
      exposed its projectors had it failed through any accident, and upon the
      sums that must have been spent in carrying it out, we cannot withhold the
      highest admiration for the men who conceived the idea and carried it out
      to such a successful issue.&rdquo;
     </p>
    <p>
      Etienne Montgolfier has left us a description of this first balloon. &ldquo;The
      aerostatic machine,&rdquo; he says, &ldquo;was constructed of cloth lined with paper,
      fastened together on a network of strings fixed to the cloth. It was
      spherical; its circumference was 110 feet, and a wooden frame sixteen feet
      square held it fixed at the bottom. Its contents were about 22,000 cubic
      feet, and it accordingly displaced a volume of air weighing 1,980 1bs. The
      weight of the gas was nearly half the weight of the air, for it weighed
      990 lbs., and the machine itself, with the frame, weighed 500: it was,
      therefore, impelled upwards with the force of 490 lbs. Two men sufficed to
      raise it and to fill it with gas, but it took eight to hold it down till
      the signal was given. The different pieces of the covering were fastened
      together with buttons and button-holes. It remained ten minutes in the
      air, but the loss of gas by the button-holes, and by other imperfections,
      did not permit it to continue longer. The wind at the moment of the ascent
      was from the north. The machine came down so lightly that no part of it
      was broken.&rdquo;
     </p>
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    <h2>
      Chapter V. Second Experiment.
    </h2>
    <h3>
      (Charles&rsquo;s Balloon, Paris, Champ de Mars, 27th of August, 1783.)
    </h3>
    <p>
      The indescribable enthusiasm caused by the ascent of the first balloon at
      Annonay, spread in all directions, and excited the wondering curiosity of
      the savants of the capital. An official report had been prepared, and sent
      to the Academy of Sciences in Paris, and the result was that the Academy
      named a commission of inquiry. But fame, more rapid than scientific
      commissions, and more enthusiastic than academies, had, at a single
      flight, passed from Annonay to Paris, and kindled the anxious ardour of
      the lovers of science in that city. The great desire was to rival
      Montgolfier, although neither the report nor the letters from Annonay had
      made mention of the kind of gas used by that experimenter to inflate his
      balloon. By one of the frequent coincidences in the history of the
      sciences, hydrogen gas had been discovered six years previously by the
      great English physician Cavendish, and it had hardly even been tested in
      the laboratories of the chemists when it all at once became famous. A
      young man well versed in physics, Professor Charles, assisted by two
      practical men, the brothers Robert, threw himself ardently into the
      investigation of the modes of inflating balloons with this gas, which was
      then called INFLAMMABLE AIR. Guessing that it was much lighter than that
      which Montgolfier had been obliged to make use of in his third-rate
      provincial town, Charles leagued himself with his two assistants to
      constrict a balloon of taffeta, twelve feet in diameter, covered with
      india-rubber, and to inflate it with hydrogen.
    </p>
    <p>
      The thing thus arranged, a subscription was opened. The projected
      experiment having been talked of all over Paris, every one was struck with
      the idea, and subscriptions poured in. Even the most illustrious names are
      to be found in the list, which may be called the first national
      subscription in France. Nothing had been written of the forthcoming event
      in any public paper, yet all Paris seemed to flock to contribute to the
      curious experiment.
    </p>
    <p>
      The inflation with hydrogen was effected in a very curious manner. As much
      as 1,125 lbs. of iron and 560 lbs. of sulphuric acid were found necessary
      to inflate a balloon which had scarcely a lifting power of 22 lbs., and
      the process of filling took no less than four hours. At length, however,
      at the end of the fourth hour, the balloon, composed of strips of silk,
      coated with varnish, floated, two-thirds full, from the workshop of the
      brothers Robert.
    </p>
    <p>
      On the morning of the 26th of August, the day before the ascent was to be
      made, the balloon was visited at daybreak, and found to be in a promising
      state. At two o&rsquo;clock on the following morning its constructors began to
      make preparations to transport it to the Champ de Mars, from which place
      it was to be let loose. Skilled workmen were employed in its removal, and
      every precaution was taken that the gas with which it was charged should
      not be allowed to escape. In the meantime the excitement of the people
      about this wonderful structure was rising to the highest pitch. The wagon
      on which it was placed for removal was surrounded on all sides by eager
      multitudes, and the night-patrols, both of horse and foot, which were set
      to guard the avenues leading to where it lay, were quite unable to stem
      the tide of human beings that poured along to get a glimpse of it.
    </p>
    <p>
      The conveyance of the balloon to the Champ de Mars was a most singular
      spectacle. A vanguard, with lighted torches, preceded it; it was
      surrounded by special attendants, and was followed by detachments of
      night-patrols on foot and mounted. The size and shape of this structure,
      which was escorted with such pomp and precaution&mdash;the silence that
      prevailed&mdash;the unearthly hour, all helped to give an air of mystery
      to the proceedings. At last, having passed through the principal
      thoroughfares, it arrived at the Champ de Mars, where it was placed in an
      enclosure prepared for its reception.
    </p>
    <p>
      When the dawn came, and the balloon had been fixed in its place by cords,
      attached around its middle and fixed to iron rings planted in the earth,
      the final process of inflation began.
    </p>
    <p>
      The Champ de Mars was guarded by troops, and the avenues were also guarded
      on all sides. As the day wore on an immense crowd covered the open space,
      and every advantageous spot in the neighborhood was crowded with people.
      At five o&rsquo;clock the report of a cannon announced to the multitudes, and to
      scientific men who were posted on elevations to make observations of the
      great event, that the grand moment had come. The cords were withdrawn,
      and, to the vast delight and wonder of the crowd assembled, the balloon
      shot up with such rapidity that in two minutes it had ascended 488
      fathoms. At this height it was lost in a cloud for an instant, and,
      reappearing, rose to a great height, and was again lost in higher clouds.
      The ascent was a splendid success. The rain that fell damped neither the
      balloon nor the ardor of the spectators.
    </p>
    <p>
      This balloon was 12 feet in diameter, 38 feet in circumference, and had a
      capacity of 943 cubic feet. The weight of the materials of which it was
      constructed was 25 lbs., and the force of ascension was that of 35 lbs.
    </p>
    <p>
      The fall of the balloon was caused by the expansion and consequent
      explosion of the hydrogen gas. This event took place some distance out in
      the country, close to a number of peasants, whose terror at the sight and
      the sound of this strange monster from the skies was beyond description.
      The people assembled, and two monks having told them that the burst
      balloon was the hide of a monstrous animal, they immediately began to
      assail it vigorously with stones, flails, and pitchforks. The cure of the
      parish was obliged to walk up to the balloon to reassure his terrified
      flock. They finally attached the burst envelope to a horse&rsquo;s tail, and
      dragged it far across the fields.
    </p>
    <p>
      Many drawings and engravings of the period represent the peasants armed
      with pitchforks, flails, and scythes, assailing it, a dog snapping at it,
      a garde-champetre firing at it, a fat priest preaching at it, and a troop
      of young people throwing stones at the unfortunate machine.
    </p>
    <p>
      The news of this fiasco came to Paris, but too late. When search was made
      for the covering, scarcely a fragment could be found.
    </p>
    <p>
      A somewhat humorous result of all this was the issue of a communication
      from government to the people, entitled, &ldquo;Warning to the People on
      kidnapping Air-balloons.&rdquo; This document, duly signed and approved of,
      describes the ascents at Annonay and at Paris, explains the nature and the
      causes of the phenomena, and warns the people not to be alarmed when they
      see something like a &ldquo;black moon&rdquo; in the sky, nor to give way to fear, as
      the seeming monster is nothing more than a bag of silk filled with gas.
    </p>
    <p>
      This first ascent in Paris was an important event. Every one, from the
      smallest to the greatest, was deeply interested in it, while to the man of
      science it was one of the most exciting of incidents. For the purpose of
      observing the altitude to which the balloon rose, and the course it took,
      Le Gentil was on the observatory, Prevost was on one of the towers of
      Notre Dame, Jeaurat was on La Place Louis XV., and d&rsquo;Agelet was on the
      Champ de Mars. It was only Lalande that frowned as he witnessed the
      success of the experiment. He had predicted the year before that
      air-navigation was impossible.
    </p>
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    <h2>
      Chapter VI. Third Experiment.
    </h2>
    <h3>
      (Montgolfier&rsquo;s Balloon, Paris, Faubourg St. Antoine.)
    </h3>
    <p>
      As we have seen, the triumph of aerostation was sudden and complete. The
      young Montgolfier had arrived in Paris prior to the experiment of the 27th
      of August, and was present as a simple spectator on that occasion.
      immediately afterwards he set to work upon a balloon, which was to be made
      use of when the Academy should investigate the phenomenon at Versailles in
      presence of the king, Louis XVI.
    </p>
    <p>
      It was at this time (September, 1783) that those small balloons, made of
      gold-beaters&rsquo; skin, which are used as children&rsquo;s toys to the present day,
      were first made. The whole of Paris amused itself with them, repeating in
      little the phenomenon of the great ascent. The sky of the capital found
      itself all at once traversed by a multitude of small rosy clouds, formed
      by the hand of man.
    </p>
    <p>
      Faujas de Saint Fond says that at first an attempt was made to construct
      balloons of fine, light paper; but this material being permeable, and the
      gas being inflammable, balloons thus made did not succeed. It was
      necessary to seek a material less porous, and, if possible, still lighter.
    </p>
    <p>
      The Journal de Paris, of the 11th of September, 1783, informed the public
      that the Baron de Beaumanoir, &ldquo;who cultivated the sciences and the fine
      arts with as much success as zeal,&rdquo; would send up a balloon eighteen
      inches in diameter. At noon of the same day he made this experiment in
      presence of a numerous assembly in the garden in front of the Hotel de
      Surgeres.. The little balloon mounted freely, but was held in, like a
      kite, by means of a silk thread. In the course of the same afternoon, the
      baron took down the balloon and filled it anew with hydrogen, and then let
      it off. The spectators had the pleasure of seeing it rise to a great
      height, and pass away in the direction of Neuilly, and it is said to have
      been found at a distance of several leagues, by peasants.
    </p>
    <p>
      However trifling this experiment may appear at first sight, it added a new
      fact to the science of aerostation. The material employed by the baron was
      lighter and better than paper. It was what is called gold-beaters&rsquo; skin.
      This skin is simply the interior lining of the large bowel of the ox. It
      is carefully prepared, is relieved of the fat, stringy and uneven parts,
      is dried, and is afterwards softened. Little balloons of this material
      came to be the fashion, and they are still frequently seen.
    </p>
    <p>
      At the same time, Montgolfier was busy constructing, at the request of the
      Academy of Sciences, a balloon seventy feet high and forty in diameter,
      with which it was proposed to repeat the experiment of Annonay. He took up
      his quarters in the magnificent gardens of his friend Reveillon,
      proprietor of the royal manufactory of stained paper in the Faubourg St.
      Antoine. The new balloon was of a very singular shape: the upper part
      represented a prism, twenty-four feet high the top was a pyramid of the
      same height; the lower part was a truncated cone, twenty feet in depth. It
      was made of packing-cloth, lined with good paper, both inside and out.
    </p>
    <p>
      The gossipping and prolix Faujas de Saint Fond thus describes this
      machine:&mdash;&ldquo;It was painted blue, represented a sort of tent, and was
      richly ornamented with gold Its height was seventy feet; its weight 1,000
      lbs.; the air which it displaced was 4,500 lbs. in volume, and the vapor
      with which it was filled was half the weight of ordinary air. The approach
      of the equinox having brought rain, all the conditions under which this
      balloon was constructed and exhibited were unfavourable. The structure was
      so large that it was impossible to get it together and stitch it, except
      in the open air&mdash;in the garden, in fact, where Montgolfier commenced
      its construction. It was a great labour to turn and fold this heavy
      covering, while the liability of the thick paper to crack was an
      additional difficulty. Not less than twenty men were required to move it,
      and they were obliged to use all their skill, and every precaution, not to
      destroy it. No balloon had ever given so much trouble. On the 11th of
      September the weather improved, and the balloon was entirely completed and
      prepared for the first experiment. In the evening the attempt was made. It
      was with admiration that the beholders saw the beautiful machine filling
      itself in the short space of nine minutes, swelling out on all sides and
      showing the full symmetry of its artistic form. It was firmly held in
      hand, or it would have risen to a great height. On the following day the
      actual ascent was to take place, and the commissioners of the Academy of
      Sciences were invited to be present. In the morning thick clouds covered
      the horizon, and a tempest was expected; but as there was an ardent desire
      that the ascent should take place without delay, and as all the gearing
      was in order, it was resolved to proceed.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;Fifty pounds of dry straw were fired in parcels under the balloon, and
      upon the fire were thrown at intervals several pounds of wool. This fuel
      produced in ten minutes such a volume of smoke that the huge balloon was
      speedily filled. It rose, with a weight of 500 lbs. holding it down, to
      some height above the ground, and had the ropes by which it was attached
      to the ground been cut, it would have mounted to a great height. Meantime
      the storm broke, rain descended, and the wind blew with great force. The
      most likely means of saving the balloon was to let it fly but as it was to
      ascend again on another occasion, at Versailles, the greatest efforts were
      made to bring it down, and these, together with the damage caused by the
      storm, eventually rent it into numberless fragments and tatters. It
      withstood the storm for twenty-four hours; then, however, the paper came
      peeling off, and this beautiful structure was a wreck.&rdquo;
     </p>
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    <h2>
      Chapter VII. Fourth Experiment.
    </h2>
    <h3>
      (Versailles, 19th September, 1783, in presence of Louis of XVI.)
    </h3>
    <p>
      Of course another balloon was wanted for the fete at Versailles. The king
      had demanded an ascent for the 19th, a week after the disaster at the
      Faubourg St. Antoine. Already the possibility of a man going up with the
      balloon was discussed, and people indulged in visions of splendid aerial
      trips; but the king would not hear of the proposal. Balloons were
      novelties, not offering sufficient security, and he was unwilling that any
      of his subjects should risk their lives in attempting the unknown. He
      consented, however, to a proposal that animals might be sent up in the
      first instance, by way of experiment, suspended in an osier cage attached
      to the neck of the balloon.
    </p>
    <p>
      Montgolfier at once began a new balloon. A few days only were at his
      disposal; but, assisted by friends, he worked with such ardour and success
      that he was able, on the date appointed, to produce a magnificent
      spherical balloon, much stronger than the former, constructed of good
      strong cotton cloth, and painted in distemper.
    </p>
    <p>
      It is proper here to remark that the first balloons were much more elegant
      in appearance than those afterwards made. The coloured prints and
      engravings of the period enable us to form an opinion of the splendour of
      their ornamentation and the beauty of their design. Sometimes the figures
      painted upon them represented scenes from the heathen mythology, and
      sometimes historical scenes; while rich embroideries, royal insignia, and
      gaily-coloured draperies added much to the general effect. The Versailles
      balloon was painted blue, with ornaments of gold, and it presented the
      form of a richly decorated tent. It was fifty-seven feet in height, and
      sixty-seven in diameter.
    </p>
    <p>
      It was first tried at Paris, and succeeded perfectly. On the morning of
      the 19th it was carried to Versailles, where due preparation had been made
      for its reception In the great court of the castle a sort of theatre had
      been temporarily erected with a scaffolding, covered throughout with
      tapestry In the middle was an opening more than fifteen feet in diameter,
      in which was spread a banquet for those who had constructed the balloon. A
      numerous guard formed a double cordon around the structure. A raised
      platform was used for the fire by means of which the balloon was to be
      inflated; a covered funnel or chimney of strong cloth, painted, was
      suspended over the fire-place, and received the hot smoke as it arose.
      Through this funnel the heated air ascended straight up into the balloon.
    </p>
    <p>
      At six in the morning, the road from Paris to Versailles was covered with
      carriages. Crowds came from all parts, and at noon the avenues, the square
      of the castle, the windows, and even the roofs of the houses, were crowded
      with spectators. The noblest, the most illustrious, and most learned men
      in France were present, and the splendour of the scene was complete when
      their majesties and the royal family entered within the enclosure, and
      went forward to inspect the balloon, and to make themselves familiar with
      the preparations for the ascent.
    </p>
    <p>
      In a short time the fire was lit, the funnel extended over it, and the
      smoke rose inside, while the balloon, unfolding, gradually swelled to its
      full size, and then, drawing after it the cage, in which a sheep and some
      pigeons were enclosed, rose majestically into the air. Without
      interreruption, it ascended to a vast height, where, inclining toward the
      north, it seemed to remain stationary for a few seconds, showing all the
      beauty of its form, and then, as though possessed of life, it descended
      gently upon the wood of Vaucresson, 10,200 feet from the point of its
      departure. Its highest elevation, as estimated by the astronomers Le
      Gentil and M. Jeaurat, Jeaurat, was about 1,700 feet.
    </p>
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    <h2>
      Chapter VIII. Men and Balloons.
    </h2>
    <p>
      It is not natural that the human mind should stop upon the way to the
      solution of a problem, especially when it seems to be on the point of
      arriving at a satisfactory conclusion to its labours. The osier cage of
      Versailles very soon transformed itself into a car, bearing human
      passengers, and the age of the &ldquo;Thousand and One Nights&rdquo; was expected to
      come back again. It was resolved to continue experiments, with the direct
      object of finding out whether it was impossible or desperately dangerous
      for man to travel in balloons. Montgolfier returned from Versailles, and
      constructed a new machine in the gardens of the Faubourg St. Antoine. It
      was completed on the 10th of October Its form was oval, its height 70
      feet, its diameter 46 feet and its capacity 60,000 cubic feet. The upper
      part, embroidered with fleurs-de-lis, was further ornamented with the
      twelve signs of the zodiac, worked in gold. The middle part bore the
      monogram of the king, alternating with figures of the sun, while the lower
      part was garnished with masks, garlands, and spread eagles. A circular
      gallery made of osiers and festooned with draperies and other ornaments,
      was attached by a set of cords to the bottom of the structure. The gallery
      was three feet wide, and was protected by a parapet over three feet in
      height. It did not in any way interfere with the opening at the neck of
      the balloon, under which was suspended a grating of iron wire upon which
      the occupants of the gallery, who were to be provided with dried straw and
      wool, could in a few minutes kindle a fire and create fresh smoke, when
      that in the balloon began to be exhausted. The machine weighed, in all,
      1,600 lbs. The public had previously been warned, in the Journal de Paris
      de Paris, that the approaching experiments were to be of a strictly
      scientific character; and as they would be only interesting to savants,
      they would not afford amusement for the merely curious. This announcement
      was necessary, to abate in some degree the excitement of the people until
      some satisfactory results should be obtained; it was also necessary for
      those engaged in the work, whose firmness of nerve might have suffered
      from the enthusiastic cries of excited spectators. On Wednesday, the 15th
      of October, Pilatre des Roziers, who had on other occasions given proofs
      of his intelligence and courage in performing dangerous feats, and who had
      already signalised himself in connection with balloons, offered to go up
      in the new machine. His offer was accepted; the balloon was inflated;
      stout ropes, more than eighty feet long, were attached to it, and it rose
      from the ground to the height to which this tackle allowed it. At this
      elevation it remained four minutes twenty-five seconds; and it is not
      surprising to hear that Roziers suffered no inconvenience from the ascent.
      What was really the interesting thing in this experiment was, that it
      showed how a balloon would fall when the hot air became exhausted, this
      being the point which caused the greatest amount of disquietude among men
      of science. In this instance the balloon fell gently; its form distended
      at the same time, and, after touching the ground, it rose again a foot or
      two, when its human passenger had jumped out.
    </p>
    <p>
      On Friday, the 17th of October, this experiment was repeated, and the
      excitement of the public on this occasion was unbounded. &ldquo;All the world&rdquo;
       came to see. Roziers was again lifted up in the balloon, to the height of
      eighty feet; but so strong was the wind, and the strain on the ropes was
      so great, that the balloon was somewhat unsteady, and the exhibition was
      not on the whole such a splendid success as that of the preceding
      Wednesday.
    </p>
    <p>
      On Sunday, Montgolfier chose a fine day for the following ascents:&mdash;&ldquo;First
      Ascent: On the 19th of October, 1783, at half-past four, in presence of
      two thousand spectators, &lsquo;the machine&rsquo; was filled with gas in five
      minutes, and Roziers, being placed in the gallery with a counterbalancing
      weight of 110 lbs. in the other side of the gallery, was carried up to the
      height of 200 feet. The machine remained six minutes at this elevation
      without any fire in the grating. Second Ascent: The machine carried
      Roziers and the counterbalancing weight&mdash;fire being in the grating&mdash;to
      the height of 700 feet. At this height it remained stationary eight and a
      half minutes As it was drawn back, a wind from the east bore it against a
      tuft of very tall trees in a neighbouring garden, where it got entangled,
      without, however, losing its equilibrium. The gas was renewed by Roziers,
      and the balloon again rising, extricated itself from among the branches,
      and soared majestically into the air, followed by the acclamations of the
      public. This second ascent was very instructive, for it had been often
      asserted that if ever a balloon fell upon a forest it would be destroyed,
      and would place those who travelled in it in the greatest peril. This
      experiment proved that the balloon does not FALL it DESCENDS; that it does
      not overturn; that it does not destroy itself on trees; that it neither
      causes death, nor even damage, to its passengers; that, on the contrary,
      the latter, by making new gas, give it the power of detaching itself from
      the trees; and that it can resume its course after such an event. The
      intrepid Roziers gave in this ascent a further proof of the facility he
      had in descending and ascending at will. When the machine had risen to the
      height of 200 feet it began to descend lightly, and just before it came to
      the earth the aeronaut very cleverly and quickly threw on more fuel and
      produced more smoke, at which the balloon, to the astonishment of every
      one, suddenly soared away again to its former elevation. Third Ascent: The
      balloon rose again with Roziers, accompanied this time by another
      aeronaut, Gerond de Villette; and as the cords had been lengthened, the
      adventurers were carried up to the height of 324 feet. At this elevation
      the balloon rested in perfect equilibrium for nine minutes. It was the
      first time that human beings had ever been carried to an equal elevation,
      and the spectators were astonished to find that they could remain there
      without danger and without alarm. The balloon had a superb effect at this
      elevation; it looked down upon the whole town, and was seen from all the
      suburbs. Its size seemed hardly diminished in the least, though the men
      themselves were barely visible. By the aid of glasses, Roziers could be
      seen calmly and industriously making new gas. When the balloon descended
      the two men declared that they had not experienced the slightest
      inconvenience from the elevation. They received the universal applause
      which their zeal and courage so well deserved. The Marquis d&rsquo;Arlandes, a
      major of infantry, afterwards went up with Roziers, and this latter
      experiment was as successful as the former.&rdquo;
     </p>
    <p>
      Some days after these experiments the conductors of the Journal de Paris
      who described them, received a letter from Montgolfier, and also one from
      Gerond de Villette. The latter only is of interest here. Gerond de
      Villette says: &ldquo;I found myself in the space of a quarter of a minute
      raised 400 feet above the surface of the earth. Here we remained six
      minutes. My first employment was to watch with admiration my intelligent
      companion. His intelligence, his courage and agility in attending to the
      fire, enchanted me. Turning round, I could behold the Boulevards, from the
      gate of St. Antoine to that of St. Martin, all covered with people, who
      seemed to me a flat band of flowers of various colours. Glancing at the
      distance, I beheld the summit of Montmartre, which seemed to me much below
      our level. I could easily distinguish Neuilly, St. Cloud, Sevres, Issy,
      Ivry, Charenton, and Choisy. At once I was convinced that this machine,
      though a somewhat expensive one, might be very useful in war to enable one
      to discover the position of the enemy, his manoeuvres, and his marches;
      and to announce these by signals to one&rsquo;s own army. 1 believe that at sea
      it is equally possible to make use of this machine. These prove the
      usefulness of the balloon, which time will perfect for us. All that I
      regret is that I did not provide myself with a telescope.&rdquo;
     </p>
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    <h2>
      Chapter IX. The First Aerial Voyage&mdash;Roziers and Arlandes.
    </h2>
<pre xml:space="preserve">
     These experiments had only one aim&mdash;the application of
     Montgolfier&rsquo;s discovery to aerial navigation.  The knowledge
     gained in the Faubourg St. Antoine having led to the most
     favourable conclusions, it was resolved that a first aerial
     voyage should be attempted.
</pre>
    <p>
      &ldquo;If,&rdquo; says Linguet, &ldquo;there existed an autograph journal, written by
      Columbus, descriptive of his first great voyage with what jealous care it
      would be preserved, with what confidence it would be quoted! We should
      delight to follow the candid account which he gave of his thoughts, his
      hopes, his fears; of the complaints of his followers, of his attempts to
      calm them, and, finally, of his joy in the moment which, ratifying his
      word and justifying his boldness, declared him the discoverer of a new
      world All these details have been transmitted to us, but by stranger
      hands; and, however interesting they may be, one cannot help feeling that
      this circumstance makes them lose part of their value.&rdquo;
     </p>
    <p>
      The narrative of the first aerial voyage, written by one of the two first
      aeronauts, exists, and we are in a position to place it before our
      readers. Such an enterprise certainly demanded great courage in him who
      was the first to dare to confide himself to the unknown currents of the
      atmosphere It threatened him with dangers, perhaps with death by a fill,
      by fire, by cold, or by straying into the mysterious cloud-land. Two men
      opposed the first attempt. Montgolfier temporised, the king forbade it, or
      rather only gave his permission on the condition that two condemned
      criminals should be placed in the balloon! &ldquo;What!&rdquo; cried Roziers, in
      indignation at the king&rsquo;s proposal, &ldquo;allow two vile criminals to have the
      first glory of rising into the sky! No, no; that will never do!&rdquo; Roziers
      conjured, supplicated, agitated in a hundred ways for permission to try
      the first voyage. He moved the town and the court; he addressed himself to
      those who were most in favour at Versailles; he pleaded with the Duchess
      de Polignac, who was all-powerful with the king. She warmly supported his
      cause before Louis. Roziers dispatched the Marquis d&rsquo;Arlandes, who had
      been up with him, to the king. Arlandes asserted that there was no danger,
      and, as proof of his conviction, he offered himself to accompany Roziers.
      Solicited on all sides, Louis at last yielded.
    </p>
    <p>
      The gardens of La Muette, near Paris, were fixed upon as the spot from
      which this aerial expedition should start. The Dauphin and his suite were
      present on the occasion. It was on the 21st of October, 1783, at one
      o&rsquo;clock p.m., that Roziers and Irelands took their leave of the earth for
      the first time. The following is Arlandes&rsquo; narrative of the expedition,
      given in the form of a letter, addressed by the marquis to Faujas de Saint
      Fond:&mdash;&ldquo;You wish, my dear Faujas, and I consent most willingly to
      your desires, that, owing to the number of questions continually addressed
      to me, and for other reasons, I should gratify public curiosity and fix
      public opinion upon the subject of our aerial voyage.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;I wish to describe as well as I can the first journey which men have
      attempted through an element which, prior to the discovery of MM.
      Montgolfier, seemed so little fitted to support them.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;We went up on the 21st of October, 1783, at near two o&rsquo;clock, M. Roziers
      on the west side of the balloon, I on the east. The wind was nearly
      north-west. The machine, say the public, rose with majesty; but really the
      position of the balloon altered so that M. Roziers was in the advance of
      our position, I in the rear.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;I was surprised at the silence and the absence of movement which our
      departure caused among the spectators, and believed them to be astonished
      and perhaps awed at the strange spectacle; they might well have reassured
      themselves I was still gazing, when M. Roziers cried to me&mdash;
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;&lsquo;You are doing nothing, and the balloon is scarcely rising a fathom.&rsquo; 
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;&lsquo;Pardon me,&rsquo; I answered, as I placed a bundle of straw upon the fire and
      slightly stirred it. Then I turned quickly, but already we had passed out
      of sight of La Muette. Astonished, I cast a glance towards the river. I
      perceived the confluence of the Oise. And naming the principal bends of
      the river by the places nearest them, I cried, &lsquo;Passy, St. Germain, St.
      Denis, Sevres!&rsquo; 
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;&lsquo;If you look at the river in that fashion you will be likely to bathe in
      it soon,&rsquo; cried Roziers. &lsquo;Some fire, my dear friend, some fire!&rsquo; 
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;We travelled on; but instead of crossing the river, as our direction
      seemed to indicate, we bore towards the Invalides, then returned upon the
      principal bed of the river, and travelled to above the barrier of La
      Conference, thus dodging about the river, but not crossing it.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;&lsquo;That river is very difficult to cross,&rsquo; I remarked to my companion.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;&lsquo;So it seems,&rsquo; he answered; &lsquo;but you are doing nothing I suppose it is
      because you are braver than I, and don&rsquo;t fear a tumble.&rsquo; 
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;I stirred the fire, I seized a truss of straw with my fork; I raised it
      and threw it in the midst of the flames. An instant afterwards I felt
      myself lifted as it were into the heavens.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;&lsquo;For once we move,&rsquo; said I.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;&lsquo;Yes, we move,&rsquo; answered my companion.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;At the same instant I heard from the top of the balloon a sound which
      made me believe that it had burst. I watched, yet I saw nothing. My
      companion had gone into the interior, no doubt to make some observations.
      As my eyes were fixed on the top of the machine I experienced a shock, and
      it was the only one I had yet felt. The direction of the movement was from
      above downwards I then said&mdash;
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;&lsquo;What are you doing? Are you having a dance to yourself?&rsquo; 
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;&lsquo;I&rsquo;m not moving.&rsquo; 
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;&lsquo;So much the better. It is only a new current which I hope will carry us
      from the river,&rsquo; I answered.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;I turned to see where we were, and found we were between the Ecole
      Militaire and the Invalides.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;&lsquo;We are getting on.&rsquo; said Roziers.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;&lsquo;Yes, we are travelling.&rsquo; 
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;&lsquo;Let us work, let us work,&rsquo; said he.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;I now heard another report in the machine, which I believed was produced
      by the cracking of a cord. This new intimation made me carefully examine
      the inside of our habitation. I saw that the part that was turned towards
      the south was full of holes, of which some were of a considerable size.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;&lsquo;It must descend,&rsquo; I then cried.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;&lsquo;Why?&rsquo; 
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;&lsquo;Look!&rsquo; I said. At the same time I took my sponge and quietly
      extinguished the little fire that was burning some of the holes within my
      reach; but at the same moment I perceived that the bottom of the cloth was
      coming away from the circle which surrounded it.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;&lsquo;We must descend,&rsquo; I repeated to my companion.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;He looked below.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;&lsquo;We are upon Paris,&rsquo; he said.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;&lsquo;It does not matter,&rsquo; I answered &lsquo;Only look! Is there no danger? Are you
      holding on well?&rsquo; 
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;&lsquo;Yes.&rsquo; 
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;I examined from my side, and saw that we had nothing to fear. I then
      tried with my sponge the ropes which were within my reach. All of them
      held firm. Only two of the cords had broken.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;I then said, &lsquo;We can cross Paris.&rsquo; 
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;During this operation we were rapidly getting down to the roofs. We made
      more fire, and rose again with the greatest ease. I looked down, and it
      seemed to me we were going towards the towers of St. Sulpice; but, on
      rising, a new current made us quit this direction and bear more to the
      south. I looked to the left, and beheld a wood, which I believed to be
      that of Luxembourg. We were traversing the boulevard, and I cried all at
      once&mdash;
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;&lsquo;Get to ground!&rsquo; 
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;But the intrepid Roziers, who never lost his head, and who judged more
      surely than I, prevented me from attempting to descend. I then threw a
      bundle of straw on the fire. We rose again, and another current bore us to
      were now close to the ground, between two mills. As soon to the left. We
      as we came near the earth I raised myself over the gallery, and leaning
      there with my two hands, I felt the balloon pressing softly against my
      head. I pushed it back, and leaped down to the ground. Looking round and
      expecting to see the balloon still distended, I was astonished to find it
      quite empty and flattened. On looking for Roziers I saw him in his
      shirt-sleeves creeping out from under the mass of canvas that had fallen
      over him. Before attempting to descend he had put off his coat and placed
      it in the basket. After a deal of trouble we were at last all right.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;As Roziers was without a coat I besought him to go to the nearest house.
      On his way thither he encountered the Duke of Chartres, who had followed
      us, as we saw, very closely, for I had had the honour of conversing with
      him the moment before we set out.&rdquo;
     </p>
    <p>
      The following report of this first aerial voyage was drawn up by
      scientific observers, among other signatures to it being that of Benjamin
      Franklin.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;Today 21st of October, 1783, at the Chateau de la Muette, an experiment
      was made with the aerostatic machine of M. Montgolfier. The sky was
      clouded in many parts, clear in others&mdash;the wind north-west. At
      mid-day a signal was given, which announced that the balloon was being
      filled. Soon after, in spite of the wind, it was inflated in all its
      parts, and the ascent was made. The Marquis d&rsquo;Arlandes and M. Pilatre des
      Roziers were in the gallery. The first intention was to raise the machine
      and pull it back with ropes, to test it, to find out the exact weight
      which it could carry, and to see if everything was properly arranged
      before the actual ascent was attempted. But the machine, driven by the
      wind, far from rising vertically, was directed upon one of the walks of a
      garden, and the cords which held it shook with so much force that several
      rents were made in the balloon. The machine, being brought back to its
      place, was repaired in less than two hours. Being again inflated, it rose
      once more, bearing the same persons, and when it had risen to the height
      of 250 feet, the intrepid voyagers, bowing their heads, saluted the
      spectators. One could not resist a feeling of mingled fear and admiration.
      Soon the aeronauts were lost to view, but the balloon itself, displaying
      its very beautiful shape, mounted to the height of 3,000 feet, and still
      remained visible. The voyagers, satisfied with their experience, and not
      wishing to make a longer course, agreed to descend, but, perceiving that
      the wind was driving them upon the houses of the Rue de Sevres, preserved
      their self-possession, renewed the hot air, rose anew and continued their
      course till they had passed Paris.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;They then descended tranquilly in the country, beyond the new boulevard,
      without having experienced the slightest inconvenience, having still the
      greater part of their fuel untouched. They could, had they desired, have
      cleared a distance three times as great as that which they traversed.
      Their flight was nearly 30,000 feet, and the time it occupied was from
      twenty to twenty-five minutes. This machine was 70 feet high, 46 feet in
      diameter, and had a capacity of 60,000 cubic feet.&rdquo;
     </p>
    <p>
      It is reported that Franklin, more illustrious in his humility than the
      most brilliant among the lords of the court, when consulted respecting the
      possible use of balloons, answered simply, &ldquo;C&rsquo;est l&rsquo;enfant qui vient de
      naitre?&rdquo;
     </p>
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    <h2>
      Chapter X. The Second Arial Voyage.
    </h2>
    <h3>
      (1st December 1783.&mdash;Charles and Robert at the Tuileries.)
    </h3>
    <p>
      The first ascent of Roziers and Arlandes was a feat of hardihood almost
      unique. The men&rsquo;s courage was, so to speak, their only guarantee. Thanks
      to the balloon, however, they accomplished one of the most extraordinary
      enterprises ever achieved by our race.
    </p>
    <p>
      On the day after the experiment of the Champ de Mars (27th of August),
      Professor Charles&mdash;who had already acquired celebrity at the Louvre,
      by his scientific collection and by his rank as an official instructor&mdash;and
      the Brothers Robert, mechanicians, were engaged in the construction of a
      balloon, to be inflated with hydrogen gas, and destined to carry a car and
      one or two passengers. For this ascent Charles may be said to have created
      all at once the art of aerostation as now practiced, for he brought it at
      one bound to such perfection that since his day scarcely any advance has
      been made upon his arrangements. His simple yet complete invention was
      that of the valve which gives escape to the hydrogen gas, and thus renders
      the descent of the balloon gentle and gradual; the car that carries the
      travellers; the ballast of sand, by which the ascent is regulated and the
      fall is moderated; the coating of caoutchouc, by means of which the
      material of the balloon is rendered airtight and prevents loss of gas;
      and, finally, the use of the barometer, which marks at every instant, by
      the elevation or the depression of the mercury, the position in which the
      aeronaut finds himself in the atmosphere. Charles created all the
      contrivances, or, in other words, all the ingenious precautions which make
      up the art of aerostation.
    </p>
    <p>
      On the 26th of November, the balloon, fitted with its network, and having
      the car attached to it, was sent away from the hall of the Tuileries,
      where it had been exhibited. The ascent was fixed for the 1st of December,
      1783, a memorable day for the Parisians.
    </p>
    <p>
      At noon upon that day, the subscribers, who had paid four louis for their
      seats, took their places within the enclosure outside the circle, in which
      stood the casks employed for making the gas. The humbler subscribers, at
      three francs a-head, occupied the rest of the garden. The number of
      spectators, as we read underneath the numerous coloured prints which
      represent this spectacle, was 600,000; but though, without doubt, the
      gardens of the Tuileries are very large, it is probable this figure is a
      considerable overstatement, for this number would have been three-fourths
      of the whole population of Paris.
    </p>
    <p>
      The roofs and windows of the houses were crowded, whilst the Pont Royal
      and the square of Louis XV. were covered by an immense multitude. About
      mid-day a rumour was spread to the effect that the king forbade the
      ascent. Charles ran to the Chief Minister of State, and plainly told him
      that his life was the king&rsquo;s, but his honour was his own: his word was
      pledged to the country and he would ascend. Taking this high ground, the
      bold professor gained an unwilling permission to carry out his
      undertaking.
    </p>
    <p>
      A little afterwards the sound of cannon was heard. This was the signal
      which announced the last arrangements and thus dissipated all doubt as to
      the rising of the balloon, There had during the day been considerable
      disturbance among the crowd, between the partisans of Charles and
      Montgolfier; each party extolled its hero, and did everything possible to
      detract from the merits of the rival inventor. But whatever ill-feeling
      might have existed was swept away by Professor Charles with a compliment.
      When he was ready to ascend, he walked up to Montgolfier, and, with the
      true instinct of French politeness, presented him with a little balloon,
      saying at the same time&mdash;
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;It is for you, monsieur, to show us the way to the skies.&rdquo;
     </p>
    <p>
      The exquisite taste and delicacy of this incident touched the bystanders
      as with an electric shock, and the place at once rang out with the most
      genuine and hearty applause The little balloon thrown up by Montgolfier
      sped away to the north-east, its beautiful emerald colour showing to fine
      effect in the sun.
    </p>
    <p>
      From this point let us follow the narrative of Professor Charles himself.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;The balloon,&rdquo; he says, &ldquo;which escaped from the hands of M. Montgolfier,
      rose into the air, and seemed to carry with it the testimony of friendship
      and regard between that gentleman and myself, while acclamations followed
      it. Meanwhile, we hastily prepared for departure. The stormy weather did
      not permit us to have at our command all the arrangements which we had
      contemplated the previous evening; to do so would have detained us too
      long upon the earth. After the balloon and the car were in equilibrium, we
      threw over 19 lbs. of ballast, and we rose in the midst of silence,
      arising from the emotion and surprise felt on all sides.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;Nothing will ever equal that moment of joyous excitement which filled my
      whole being when I felt myself flying away from the earth. It was not mere
      pleasure; it was perfect bliss. Escaped from the frightful torments of
      persecution and of calumny, I felt that I was answering all in rising
      above all.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;To this sentiment succeeded one more lively still&mdash;the admiration of
      the majestic spectacle that spread itself out before us. On whatever side
      we looked, all was glorious; a cloudless sky above, a most delicious view
      around. &lsquo;Oh, my friend,&rsquo; said I to M. Robert, &lsquo;how great is our good
      fortune! I care not what may be the condition of the earth; it is the sky
      that is for me now. What serenity! what a ravishing scene! Would that I
      could bring here the last of our detractors, and say to the wretch, Behold
      what you would have lost had you arrested the progress of science.&rsquo; 
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;Whilst we were rising with a progressively increasing speed, we waved our
      bannerets in token of our cheerfulness, and in order to give confidence to
      those below who took an interest in our fate. M. Robert made an inventory
      of our stores; our friends had stocked our commissariat as for a long
      voyage&mdash;champagne and other wines, garments of fur and other articles
      of clothing.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;&lsquo;Good,&rsquo; I said; &lsquo;throw that out of the window.&rsquo; He took a blanket and
      launched it into the air, through which it floated down slowly, and fell
      upon the dome of l&rsquo;Assomption.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;When the barometer had fallen 26 inches, we ceased to ascend. We were up
      at an elevation of 1,800 feet. This was the height to which I had promised
      myself to ascend; and, in fact, from this moment to the time when we
      disappeared from the eyes of our friends, we always kept a horizontal
      course, the barometer registering 26 inches to 26 inches 8 lines.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;We required to throw over ballast in proportion as the almost insensible
      escape of the hydrogen gas caused us to descend, in order to remain as
      nearly as possible at the same elevation. If circumstances had permitted
      us to measure the amount of ballast we threw over, our course would have
      been almost absolutely horizontal.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;After remaining for a few moments stationary, our car I changed its
      course, and we were carried on at the will of the wind. Soon we passed the
      Seine, between St. Ouen and Asnieres. We traversed the river a second
      time, leaving Argenteuil upon the left. We passed Sannois, Franconville,
      Eau-Bonne, St. Leu-Taverny, Villiers, and finally, Nesles. This was about
      twenty-seven miles from Paris, and we had I reached this distance in two
      hours, although there was so little wind that the air scarcely stirred.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;During the whole course of this delightful voyage, not the slightest
      apprehension for our fate or that of our machine entered my head for a
      moment. The globe did not suffer any alteration beyond the successive
      changes of dilatation and compression, which enabled us to mount and
      descend at will. The thermometer was, during more than an hour, between
      ten and twelve degrees above zero; this being to some extent accounted for
      by the fact that the interior of the car was warmed by the rays of the
      sun.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;At the end of fifty-six minutes, we heard the report of the cannon which
      informed us that we had, at that moment, disappeared from view at Paris.
      We rejoiced that we had escaped, as we were no longer obliged to observe a
      horizontal course, and to regulate the balloon for that purpose.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;We gave ourselves up to the contemplation of the views which the immense
      stretch of country beneath us presented. From that time, though we had no
      opportunity of conversing with the inhabitants, we saw them running after
      us from all parts; we heard their cries, their exclamations of solicitude,
      and knew their alarm and admiration.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;We cried, &lsquo;Vive le Roi!&rsquo; and the people responded. We heard, very
      distinctly&mdash;&lsquo;My good friends, have you no fear? Are you not sick? How
      beautiful it is! Heaven preserve you! Adieu, my friends.&rsquo; 
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;I was touched to tears by this tender and true interest which our
      appearance had called forth.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;We continued to wave our flags without cessation, and we perceived that
      these signals greatly increased the cheerfulness and calmed the solicitude
      of the people below. Often we descended sufficiently low to hear what they
      shouted to us. They asked us where we came from, and at what hour we had
      started.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;We threw over successively frock-coats, muffs, and habits. Sailing on
      above the Ile d&rsquo;Adam, after having admired the splendid view, we made
      signals with our flags, and demanded news of the Prince of Conti. One
      cried up to us, in a very powerful voice, that he was at Paris, and that
      he was ill. We regretted missing such an opportunity of paying our
      respects, for we could have descended into the prince&rsquo;s gardens, if we had
      wished, but we preferred to pursue our course, and we re-ascended.
      Finally, we arrived at the plain of Nesles.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;We saw from the distance groups of peasants, who ran on before us across
      the fields. &lsquo;Let us go,&rsquo; I said, and we descended towards a vast meadow.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;Some shrubs and trees stood round its border. Our car advanced
      majestically in a long inclined plane. On arriving near the trees, I
      feared that their branches might damage the car, so I threw over two
      pounds of ballast, and we rose again. We ran along more than 120 feet, at
      a distance of one or two feet from the ground, and had the appearance of
      travelling in a sledge. The peasants ran after us without being able to
      catch us, like children pursuing a butterfly in the fields.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;Finally, we stopped, and were instantly surrounded. Nothing could equal
      the simple and tender regard of the country people, their admiration, and
      their lively emotion.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;I called at once for the cures and the magistrates. They came round me on
      all sides: there was quite a fete on the spot. I prepared a short report,
      which the cures and the syndics signed. Then arrived a company of horsemen
      at a gallop. These were the Duke of Chartres, the Duke of Fitzjames, and
      M. Farrer. By a very singular chance, we had come down close by the
      hunting-lodge of the latter. He leaped from his horse and threw himself
      into my arms, crying, &lsquo;Monsieur Charles, I was first!&rsquo; 
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;Charles adds that they were covered with the caresses of the prince, who
      embraced both of them. He briefly narrated to the Duke of Chartres some
      incidents of the voyage.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;&lsquo;But this is not all, monseigneur. I am going away again,&rsquo; added Charles.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;&lsquo;What! Going away!&rsquo; exclaimed the duke.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;&lsquo;Monseigneur, you will see. When do you wish me to come back again?&rsquo; I
      said.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;&lsquo;In half an hour.&rsquo; 
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;&lsquo;Very well: be it so. In half an hour I shall be with you again.&rsquo; 
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;M. Robert descended from the car, and I was alone in the balloon.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;I said to the duke, &lsquo;Monseigneur, I go.&rsquo; I said to the peasants who held
      down the balloon, &lsquo;My friends, go away, all of you, from the car at the
      moment I give the signal.&rsquo; I then rose like a bird, and in ten minutes I
      was more than 3,000 feet above the ground. I no longer perceived
      terrestrial objects; I only saw the great masses of nature.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;In going away, Charles had taken his precautions against the possible
      explosion of the balloon, and made himself ready to make certain
      observations. In order to observe the barometer and the thermometer,
      placed at different extremities of the car, without endangering the
      equilibrium, he sat down in the middle, a watch and paper in his left
      hand, a pen and the cord of the safety-valve in his right.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;I waited for what should happen,&rdquo; continues he. &ldquo;The balloon, which was
      quite flabby and soft when I ascended, was now taut, and fully distended.
      Soon the hydrogen gas began to escape in considerable quantities by the
      neck of the balloon, and then, from time to time, I pulled open the valve
      to give it two issues at once; and I continued thus to mount upwards, all
      the time losing the inflammable air, which, rushing past me from the neck
      of the balloon, felt like a warm cloud.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;I passed in ten minutes from the temperature of spring to that of winter;
      the cold was keen and dry, but not insupportable. I examined all my
      sensations calmly; <i>I</i> COULD HEAR MYSELF LIVE, so to speak, and I am
      certain that at first I experienced nothing disagreeable in this sudden
      passage from one temperature to another.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;When the barometer ceased to move I noted very exactly eighteen inches
      ten lines. This observation is perfectly accurate The mercury did not
      suffer any sensible movement.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;At the end of some minutes the cold caught my fingers; I could hardly
      hold the pen, but I no longer had need to do so. I was stationary, or
      rather moved only in a horizontal direction.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;I raised myself in the middle of the car, and abandoned myself to the
      spectacle before me. At my departure from the meadow the sun had sunk to
      the people of the valleys; soon he shone for me alone, and came again to
      pour his rays upon the balloon and the car. I was the only creature in the
      horizon in sunshine&mdash;all the rest of nature was in shade. Ere long,
      however, the sun disappeared, and thus I had the pleasure of seeing him
      set twice in the same day. I contemplated for some moments the mists and
      vapours that rose from the valley and the rivers The clouds seemed to come
      forth from the earth, and to accumulate the one upon the other. Their
      colour was a monotonous grey&mdash;a natural effect, for there was no
      light save that of the moon.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;I observed that I had tacked round twice, and I felt currents which
      called me to my senses. I found with surprise the effect of the wind, and
      saw the cloth of my flag: extended horizontally.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;In the midst of the inexpressible pleasure of this state of ecstatic
      contemplation, I was recalled to myself by a most extraordinary pain which
      I felt in the interior of the ears and in the maxillary glands. This I
      attributed to the dilation of the air contained in the cellular tissue of
      the organ as much as to the cold outside. I was in my vest, with my head
      uncovered. I immediately covered my head with a bonnet of wool which was
      at my feet, but the pain only disappeared with my descent to the ground.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;It was now seven or eight minutes since I had arrived at this elevation,
      and I now commenced to descend. I remembered the promise I had made to the
      Duke of Chartres, to return in half an hour. I quickened my descent by
      opening the valve from time to time. Soon the balloon, empty now to one
      half, presented the appearance of a hemisphere.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;Arrived at twenty-three fathoms from the earth, I suddenly threw over two
      or three pounds of ballast, which arrested my descent, and which I had
      carefully kept for this purpose. I then slowly descended upon the ground,
      which I had, so to speak, chosen.&rdquo;
     </p>
    <p>
      Such is the narrative of the second aerial voyage. After such a memorable
      ascent one is astonished to learn that Professor Charles never repeated
      his experiment. It has been said that, in descending from his car, he had
      vowed that he would never again expose himself to such perils, so strong
      had been the alarm he felt when the peasants ceasing to hold him down he
      shot up into the sky with the rapidity of an arrow. But after him a
      thousand others have followed the daring example he set. With this ascent
      the memorable year 1783 closed, and the seed which had been sown soon
      began to be productive.
    </p>
    <p>
      <a name="link2H_PART2" id="link2H_PART2">
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    </p>
    <div style="height: 4em;">
      <br /><br /><br /><br />
    </div>
    <h2>
      PART II.
    </h2>
    <p>
      <a name="link2HCH0011" id="link2HCH0011">
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    </p>
    <div style="height: 4em;">
      <br /><br /><br /><br />
    </div>
    <h2>
      Chapter I. The History of Aerostation from the Year 1783.
    </h2>
<pre xml:space="preserve">
     The Open Route&mdash;Travels and Travellers&mdash;Great Increase in
     the Number of Air Voyages&mdash;Lyons, Ascent of &ldquo;Le Flesselles&mdash;
     Milan, Ascent of Adriani&mdash;Flight of a Balloon from London&mdash;
     Lost Balloons in the Chief Towns of Europe
</pre>
    <p>
      From the year 1783, in which aerostation had its birth, and in which it
      was carried to a degree of perfection, beside which the progress of
      aeronauts in our days seems small, a new route was opened up for
      travellers. The science of Montgolfier, the practical art of Professor
      Charles, and the courage of Roziers, subdued the scepticism of those who
      had not yet given in their adhesion to the possible value of the great
      discovery, and throughout the whole of France a feverish degree of
      enthusiasm in the art manifested itself Aerial excursions now became quite
      fashionable. Let it be understood that we do not here refer to ascents in
      fixed balloons, that is, in balloons which were attached to the earth by
      means of ropes more or less long.
    </p>
    <p>
      M. Biot narrates that, in his young days, when aeronautic ascents were
      less known than they are in these times, there was in the plain of
      Grenelle, at the mill of Javelle, an establishment where balloons were
      constantly maintained for the accommodation of amateurs of both sexes who
      wished to make ascents in what were called &ldquo;ballons captifs,&rdquo; or balloons
      anchored, so to speak, to the earth by means of long ropes They were for a
      considerable time the rage of fashionable society, and it is not recorded
      that any accidents resulted from the practice. Of course it may be easily
      understood with these safe balloons the adventurous aeronauts never
      ascended to any great height. The reader will find this subject treated
      under the chapter of military aerostation.
    </p>
    <p>
      We are at present specially engaged with the narrative of the first
      attempts in aerostation&mdash;the first experiments in the new discovery.
      We have followed with interest the exciting details of the first
      adventurous ascents, in which the genius of man first essayed the
      unexplored paths of the heavens. Yet a continued record of aerial voyages
      would not be of the same interest. The results of subsequent expeditions,
      and the impressions of subsequent aeronauts are the same as those already
      described, or differ from them only in minor points. No important advance
      is recorded in the art. We shall therefore endeavour not to confine
      ourselves to the narrative of a dry and monotonous chronology, but to
      select from the number of ascents that have taken place within the last
      eighty years, only those whose special character renders them worthy of
      more detailed and severe investigation.
    </p>
    <p>
      In order to give an idea of the rapid multiplication of aeronautic
      experiments, it will suffice to state that the only aeronauts of 1783 are
      Roziers, the Marquis d&rsquo;Arlandes, Professor Charles, his collaborateur the
      younger Robert, and a carpenter, named Wilcox, who made ascents at
      Philadelphia and London.
    </p>
    <p>
      A number of balloons were remarkable for the beauty and elegance which we
      have already spoken of. Among the most beautiful we may mention the
      &ldquo;Flesselles&rdquo; balloon and Bagnolet&rsquo;s balloon.
    </p>
    <p>
      Of the ascents which immediately succeeded those that have been treated in
      the first part of our volume, and which are the most memorable in the
      early annals of aerostation, that of the 17th of January, 1784, is
      remarkable. It took place at Lyons. Seven persons went into the car on
      this occasion&mdash;Joseph Montgolfier, Roziers, the Comte de Laurencin,
      the Comte de Dampierre, the Prince Charles de Ligne, the Comte de Laporte
      d&rsquo;Anglifort, and Fontaine, who threw himself into the car when it had
      already begun to move.
    </p>
    <p>
      A most minute account of this experiment is given in a letter of Mathon de
      la Cour, director of the Academy of Sciences at Lyons:&mdash;&ldquo;After the
      experiments of the Champ de Mars and Versailles had become known,&rdquo; he
      says, &ldquo;the citizens of this town proposed to repeat them and a
      subscription was opened for this purpose. On the arrival of the elder
      Montgolfier, about the end of September, M. de Flesselles, our director,
      always zealous in promoting whatever might be for the welfare of the
      province and the advancement of science and art, persuaded him to organise
      the subscription. The aim of the experiment proposed by Montgolfier was
      not the ascent of any human being in the balloon. The prospectus only
      announced that a balloon of a much larger size than any that had been made
      would ascend&mdash;that it would rise to several thousand feet, and that,
      including the animals that it was proposed it should carry, it would weigh
      8,000 lbs. The subscription was fixed at L12, and the number of
      subscribers was 360.&rdquo;
     </p>
    <p>
      It was on these conditions that Montgolfier commenced his balloon of 126
      feet high and 100 feet in diameter, made of a double envelope of cotton
      cloth, with a lining of paper between. A strength and consistency was
      given to the structure by means of ribbons and cords.
    </p>
    <p>
      The work was nearly finished when Roziers went up in his fire-balloon from
      La Muette. Immediately the Comte de Laurencin pressed Montgolfier to allow
      him to go up in the new machine. Montgolfier was only too glad of the
      opportunity&mdash;refused up to this time by the king&mdash;of going up
      himself. From thirty to forty people made application to go with the
      aeronauts; and on the 26th of December, 1678, Roziers, the Comte de
      Dampierre, and the Comte de Laporte, arrived in Lyons with the same
      intention. Prince Charles also arrived; and as his father had taken one
      hundred subscriptions, his claim to go up could not be refused.
    </p>
    <p>
      But while the public papers were full of ascents at Avignon, Marseilles,
      and Paris, it is impossible to describe the vexation of Roziers, when he
      discovered that Montgolfier&rsquo;s new balloon was not intended to carry
      passengers, and had not been, from the first, constructed with that view.
      He suggested a number of alterations, which Montgolfier adopted at once.
    </p>
    <p>
      On the 7th of January, 1784, all the pieces of which the balloon was
      composed were carried out to the field called Les Brotteaux, outside the
      town, from which the ascent was to be made. This event was announced to
      take place on the 10th and at five o&rsquo;clock on the morning of that day; but
      unexpected delays occurred, and in the necessary operations the covering
      was torn in many places.
    </p>
    <p>
      On the 15th the balloon was inflated in seventeen minutes, and the gallery
      was attached in an hour&mdash;the fire from which the heated air was
      obtained requiring to be fed at the rate of 5 lbs. of alder-wood per
      minute; but the preparations had occupied so much time, that it was found,
      when everything was complete, that the afternoon was too far advanced for
      the ascent to be made. This machine was destined to suffer from endless
      misfortunes. It took fire while being inflated, and, several days
      afterwards, it was damaged by snow and rain. Put nothing discouraged
      Roziers and his companions. Places had been arranged in the gallery for
      six persons. After the balloon was at last inflated, Prince Charles and
      the Comes de Laurencin, Dampierre, and Laporte threw themselves into the
      gallery. They were all armed, and were determined not to quit their places
      to whoever might come. Roziers, who wished at the last to enjoy a high
      ascent, proposed to reduce the number to three, and to draw lots for the
      purpose. But the gentlemen would not descend. The debate became animated.
      The four voyagers cried to cut the ropes. The director of the Academy, to
      whom application was made in this emergency, admiring the resolution and
      the courage of the four gentlemen, wished to satisfy them in their desire.
      Accordingly the ropes were cut; but at that moment M. Montgolfier and
      Roziers threw themselves into the gallery. At the same time a certain M.
      Fontaine, who had had much to do in the construction of the machine, threw
      himself in, although it had not previously been arranged that he should be
      of the party. His boldness in jumping in was pardoned, on the ground of
      his services and his zeal.
    </p>
    <p>
      In going away the machine turned to the south-west, and bent a little. A
      rope which dragged along the ground seemed to retard its ascent; but some
      intelligent person having cut this with a hatchet, it began to right
      itself and ascend. At a certain height it turned to the north east. The
      wind was feeble, and the progress was slow, but the imposing effect was
      indescribable. The immense machine rose into the air as by some effect of
      magic. Nearly 100,000 spectators were present, and they were greatly
      excited at the view. They clapped their hands and stretched their arms
      towards the sky; women fainted away, or (for some reasons best known to
      themselves) found relief for their excitement in tears; while the men,
      uttering cries of joy, waved their handkerchiefs, and threw their hats
      into the air.
    </p>
    <p>
      The form of the machine was that of a globe, rising from a reversed and
      truncated cone, to which the gallery was attached. The upper part was
      white, the lower part grey; and the cone was composed of strips of stuff
      of different colours. On the sides of the balloon were two paintings, one
      of which represented History, the other Fame. The flag bore the arms of
      the director of the Academy, and above it were inscribed the words &ldquo;Le
      Flesselles.&rdquo;
     </p>
    <p>
      The voyagers observed that they did not consume a fourth of the quantity
      of combustibles after they had risen into the air, which they consumed
      when attached to the earth. They were in the gayest humour, and they
      calculated that the fuel they had would keep them floating till late in
      the evening. Unfortunately, however, after throwing more wood on the fire,
      in order to get up to a greater altitude, it was discovered that a rent
      had been made in the covering, caused by the fire by which the balloon had
      been damaged two or three days previously. The rent was four feet in
      length; and as the heated air escaped very rapidly by it, the balloon
      fell, after having sailed above the earth for barely fifteen minutes.
    </p>
    <p>
      The descent only occupied two or three minutes, and yet the shock was
      supportable. It was observed that as soon as the machine had touched the
      earth all the cloth became unfolded in a few seconds, which seemed to
      confirm the opinion of Montgolfier, who believed that electricity had much
      to do in the ascent of balloons. The voyagers were got out of the balloon
      without accident, and were greeted with the most enthusiastic applause.
    </p>
    <p>
      On the day of the ascent, the opera of &ldquo;Iphigenia in Aulis&rdquo; was given, and
      the theatre was thronged by a vast assemblage, attracted thither in the
      hope of seeing the illustrious experimentalists. The curtain had risen
      when M. and Madame de Flesselles entered their box, accompanied by
      Montgolfier and Roziers. At sight of them the enthusiasm of the house rose
      to fever pitch. The other voyagers also entered, and were greeted with the
      same demonstrations. Cries arose from the pit to begin the opera again, in
      honour of the visitors. The curtain then fell, and when it again rose,
      after a few moments, the actor who filled the role of Agamemnon advanced
      with crowns, which he handed to Madame de Flesselles, who distributed them
      to the aeronauts. Roziers placed the crown that had been given to him upon
      Montgolfier&rsquo;s head.
    </p>
    <p>
      When the actress who played the part of Clytemnestra, sung the passage
      beginning&mdash;
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;I love to see these flattering honours paid.&rdquo;
     </p>
    <p>
      The audience at once applied her song to the circumstances, and
      re-demanded it, which request the actress complied with, addressing
      herself to the box in which the distinguished visitors sat. The
      demonstrations of admiration were continued after the opera was over; and
      during the whole of the night the gentlemen of the balloon ascent were
      serenaded.
    </p>
    <p>
      Two days afterwards, Roziers having appeared at a ball, received further
      proofs of admiration and honours; and when, on the 22nd of January, he
      departed for Dijon on his return to Paris, he was accompanied as in a
      triumph by a numerous cavalcade of the most distinguished young men of the
      city.
    </p>
    <p>
      There was, however, at Paris, much discontent with the ascent of &ldquo;Le
      Flesselles;&rdquo; and the Journal de Paris de Paris, which notices so
      enthusiastically the other ascents of that epoch, speaks slightingly of
      that at Lyons.
    </p>
    <p>
      The next great ascent took place at Milan, on the 25th of February, 1784,
      under the direction of the Chevalier Paul Andriani, who had a balloon
      constructed by the Brothers Gerli, at his own expense. We read that this
      balloon was 66 feet in diameter, and that the envelope was composed of
      cloth, lined in the interior with fine paper.
    </p>
    <p>
      The balloon was not in all respects constructed like that which rose at
      Lyons. The grating which supported the fire that kept up the supply of hot
      air was placed at the mouth of the opening. It was made of copper, was six
      feet in diameter, and was secured by a number of transverse beams of wood.
      M. Andriani thought it best to place his fire&mdash;contrary to general
      usage&mdash;a little way above the mouth of the opening, and he found out
      that the activity of the fire was in proportion with that of the air which
      entered and fed it.
    </p>
    <p>
      In place of making use of a gallery like that employed by Montgolfier, as
      much to manage the fire as to carry the traveller and the fuel, he
      substituted a wide basket, suspended by cords to the edge of the opening
      of the balloon, at such a distance that fuel could be thrown on with the
      hand without being inconvenienced by the heat.
    </p>
    <p>
      Everything being in readiness, the machine was carried to Moncuco, the
      splendid domain of Andriani, where the first experiments were made; for
      this gentlemen knew that as the populace are impatient, they are also
      often un-reasonable, and jump to the hastiest and most inconsiderate
      conclusion when, in witnessing scientific experiments, any of the
      arrangements happen to be imperfect, and the results in any respect prove
      unsuccessful.
    </p>
    <p>
      Andriani did not deceive himself, for, sure enough, his first attempt did
      not come up to expectation. The reasons for this failure were the too
      great quantity of air which the fire drew in, and the unsuitable character
      of the fuel used.
    </p>
    <p>
      On the 25th of February, 1784, a second attempt was made. The fire was
      lighted under the machine, at first with dry birch-wood and afterwards
      with a bituminous composition, ingeniously concocted by one of the
      Brothers Gerli. In less than four minutes the balloon was completely
      inflated, and the men employed to hold it down with ropes perceived that
      it was on the point of rising. The aeronauts then gave the order to let
      go. Scarcely was the balloon let off, when it gently rose a short
      distance, and then flew in a horizontal direction towards a palace in the
      neighbourhood. In order that the structure should not be destroyed on the
      walls and the roof of the palace, the voyagers heaped on the fuel, and the
      spectators, who had gathered together from the surrounding villages, then
      saw this strange vessel of the air rising with rapidity to a surprising
      height. Such a phenomenon was so astonishing, that those who beheld it
      could hardly believe their own eyes; and when the balloon disappeared from
      view, the delight they had manifested was dashed with fear for the fate of
      the bold aeronauts. The latter, seeing that the balloon was driving
      through the air towards a range of rocky hills in the neighbourhood, and
      perceiving, on the other hand, that their stock of combustibles was nearly
      exhausted, judged it prudent to descend. They diminished their fire, and
      came gradually down, warning the multitude below of their intention by
      means of a speaking-trumpet.
    </p>
    <p>
      In the course of the descent the balloon alighted upon a large tree, to
      the great peril of the travellers; but as soon as the fire was increased
      it again mounted and got clear from the branches while the people below,
      grasping the cords that were hung out to them, guided the machine to the
      spot which the voyagers indicated. To descend to terra firma was then a
      comparatively easy matter, and it was safely accomplished. The fire, which
      in the case of the French balloons had dried, calcined, and almost
      consumed the upper part of the balloon, had no evil effect upon that of
      Andriani, which came down looking as fresh as if it had never been used.
    </p>
    <p>
      The new idea had now passed the frontiers of France, in which it was
      originally conceived, and among the other nations, as at first in France,
      the power of the inflated balloon came to be tested everywhere by the
      construction of small toy globes.
    </p>
    <p>
      It was just about five months after the first experiment at Annonay&mdash;viz.,
      on the 25th of November, 1783&mdash;that the first balloon ascended in
      London. We are informed, in the History of Aerostation by Tiberius
      Cavallo, that an Italian, Count Zambeccari, who was staying in the English
      capital, made a balloon of silk, covered with a varnish of oil. Its
      diameter was ten feet, and its weight eleven pounds. It was gilded for the
      double purpose of enhancing its appearance and preventing the escape of
      air. After having been exposed to public inspection for several days, it
      was filled three parts full of hydrogen gas, a tin bottle was suspended
      from it, containing an address to whoever might find it when it should
      fall, and it was let off from the Artillery Ground, in presence of a vast
      assembly.
    </p>
    <p>
      On the 11th of December, 1783, a little balloon, made of gold-beaters&rsquo; 
      skin, was let off publicly at Turin. This was an experiment similar to
      that which had been tried at Paris in September. The balloon was seen to
      penetrate the clouds, then to mount still higher, and finally to disappear
      entirely in five minutes fifty-four seconds from the time when it was set
      free.
    </p>
    <p>
      It was natural, after the experiments made long before with electric paper
      kites, to employ the balloon in the investigation of the electric
      conditions of the atmosphere. The first to use it for this purpose was the
      Abbe Berthelon de Montpellier. He sent up a number of balloons, to which
      he had attached pieces of metal, long and narrow, and terminating in a
      cylinder of glass, or other substance suitable for the purpose of
      isolation, and he obtained sufficient electricity by these means to
      demonstrate the phenomena of attraction and repulsion, as well as electric
      sparks.
    </p>
    <p>
      Cavallo mentions an accident which took place in England about this time,
      and which served as a warning to all who had to do with balloons filled
      with hydrogen gas. A balloon thus inflated had been sent up at Hopton,
      near Matlock, and was found by two men near Cheadle, in Staffordshire.
      These ingenious persons carried it within doors, and having wished to
      fully inflate it&mdash;half the gas having by this time escaped&mdash;they
      applied a pair of bellows to its mouth. By this means they only forced out
      the volume of the hydrogen gas that was left; and this gas, coming in
      contact with a candle that had been placed too near, exploded. The report
      was louder than that of a cannon, and so powerful was the shock that the
      men were thrown down, the glass blown out of the windows, and the house
      otherwise damaged. The men suffered severely, their hair, beards, and
      eyebrows being completely burnt away, and their faces severely scorched.
    </p>
    <p>
      At Grenoble, in Dauphine, De Baron let off a balloon on the 13th of
      January, 1784. It rose, and at first took a northern direction; but,
      having encountered a current of air, it was carried away in a
      south-easterly direction, and after flying a distance of three-quarters of
      a mile, it fell, having traversed this distance in fifteen minutes.
    </p>
    <p>
      A society, under the presidency of the Abbe de Mably, having constructed a
      balloon thirty-seven feet high and twenty feet in diameter, sent it off
      from the court of the Castle of Pisancon, near Romano, on the same day,
      the 13th of February. At first it was carried to the south by a strong
      north wind, but after it had risen to 1,000 feet above the surface, its
      course was changed towards the north. It was calculated that, in less than
      five minutes, this balloon rose to the height of 6,000 feet.
    </p>
    <p>
      On the 16th of the same month the Count d&rsquo;Albon threw off from his gardens
      at Franconville a balloon inflated with gas, and made of silk, rendered
      air-tight by a solution of gum-arabic. It was oblong, and measured
      twenty-five feet in height, and seventeen feet in diameter. To this
      balloon a cage, containing two guinea-pigs and a rabbit, was suspended.
      The cords were cut, and the inflated globe rose to an enormous height with
      the greatest rapidity. Five days afterwards it was found at the distance
      of eighteen miles, and it is remarkable that, in spite of the cold of the
      season, and particularly of the elevated region through which the balloon
      had been passing, the animals were not only living, but in good condition.
    </p>
    <p>
      On the 3rd of February, 1784, the Marquis de Bullion sent up a paper
      balloon, of about fifteen feet in diameter. A flat sponge, about a foot
      square, placed in a tin dish and drenched with a pint of spirits of wine,
      was the only apparatus made use of to create a supply of heated air. It
      rose at Paris, and three hours afterwards it was found near Basville,
      about thirty miles from the capital.
    </p>
    <p>
      On the 15th of the same month Cellard de Chastelais sent up a paper
      balloon. Heated air was supplied on this occasion by a paper roll,
      enclosing a sponge, and soaked in oil, spirits of wine, and grease. A
      cage, which contained a cat, was attached to this air globe. In
      thirty-five minutes it had mounted so high that it looked but like the
      smallest star, and in two hours it had flown a distance of forty-six miles
      from the place where it was thrown off. The cat was dead, but it was not
      discovered from what cause.
    </p>
    <p>
      The first balloon that traversed the English channel was sent off at
      Sandwich, in Kent, on the 22nd of February, 1784. It was five feet in
      diameter, and was inflated with hydrogen gas. It rose rapidly, and was
      carried toward France by a north-west wind. Two hours and a half after it
      had been let off it was found in a field about nine miles from Lille. The
      balloon carried a letter, instructing the finder of the balloon to
      communicate with William Boys, Esq., Sandwich, and to state where and at
      what time it was found. This request was complied with.
    </p>
    <p>
      On the 19th of February a similar balloon, five feet in diameter, was sent
      up from Queen&rsquo;s College, Oxford. It was spherical, and was made of Persian
      silk, coated with varnish. It was the first balloon sent up from that
      city.
    </p>
    <p>
      De Saussure makes mention, in a letter dated from Geneva, the 26th of
      March, 1784, of certain experiments made in that town with the electricity
      of the atmosphere by means of fixed balloons&mdash;i.e., balloons attached
      to the earth by ropes, which gave forth sparks and positive electricity.
    </p>
    <p>
      Mention is also made of a certain M. Argand, of Geneva, who had the honour
      of making balloon experiments at Windsor in the presence of King George
      III., Queen Charlotte, and the royal family. About this time (1784)
      balloons became &ldquo;the fashion,&rdquo; and frequent instances occur of their being
      raised by day and night, by means of spirit-lamps, to the great delight of
      multitudes of spectators.
    </p>
    <p>
      A letter from Watt to Dr. Lind, of Windsor, dated from Birmingham, 25th
      December, 1784, narrates an experiment made the summer preceding with a
      balloon inflated with hydrogen. The balloon was made of fine paper covered
      with a varnish of oil and filled two-thirds with hydrogen gas, and
      one-third common air. To the neck of the balloon was attached a sort of
      squib two feet long, the fuse of which was ignited when the balloon was
      inflated. The night was calm and dark, and a great multitude was assembled
      to witness the ascent, which was accomplished with a success that gave
      delight to all; for, at the end of six minutes the fuse communicated with
      the squib, and the explosion was like the sound of thunder. The men who
      saw it from a distance, but were not present at its ascent, took it for a
      meteor. &ldquo;Our intention,&rdquo; says Watt, &ldquo;was, if possible, to discover whether
      the reverberating sound of thunder was due to echoes or to successive
      explosions. The sound occasioned by the detonation of the hydrogen gas of
      the balloon in this experiment, does not enable us to form a definite
      judgment; all that we can do is to refer to those who were near the
      balloon, and-who affirm that the sound was like that of thunder.&rdquo;
     </p>
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      <br /><br /><br /><br />
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    <h2>
      Chapter II. Experiments and Studies&mdash;Blanchard at Paris&mdash;Guyton
      de Morveau at Dijon.
    </h2>
    <p>
      The most popular name in aerostation during the Revolution and the
      Consulate in France is, without doubt, that of Blanchard. We have already
      referred to him in the chapter which treats of experiments made prior to
      the discovery of Montgolfier, and we now have to speak of his famous
      ascent from the Champ de Mars, on the 2nd of March 1784, and of the
      ascents which followed.
    </p>
    <p>
      We have seen that he constructed a sort of flying boat, a machine
      furnished with oars and rigging, with which he managed to sustain himself
      some moments in the air at the height of eighty feet. This curious machine
      was exhibited in 1782 in the gardens of the great hotel of the Rue
      Taranne. But a little time afterwards Montgolfier&rsquo;s discoveries quite
      altered the conditions under which the aerostatic art was to be pursued.
      It had no sooner become known than it became public property. The idea was
      too simple in its grandeur, and was of too easy a kind not to call up a
      host of imitators. Of these Blanchard was one of the first; but this
      mechanician was anxious to incorporate his own invention with that of
      Montgolfier, and he arranged that on the 2nd of March, 1784, he should
      make an ascent in what he still called his &ldquo;flying vessel,&rdquo; which he
      furnished with four wings.
    </p>
    <p>
      Blanchard and his companion, Pesch, a Benedictine priest, were prevented
      from going up in the balloon, as represented in our illustration, which
      was drawn before the event it was intended to commemorate. A certain
      Dupont de Chambon persisted in accompanying the voyagers. Pushed back by
      them, he drew his sword, leaped into the car or boat, wounded Blanchard,
      cut the rigging, and broke the oars or wings. The aeronaut was
      consequently compelled to have his machine partly re-fitted in great
      haste, and in the course of a few hours he made the ascent alone in the
      usual way. Blanchard should have known the uselessness of oars, though he
      did not abandon their employment in subsequent ascents. The Brothers
      Montgolfier had dreamed of the employment of oars as a means of guidance,
      but had ultimately rejected the idea. Joseph wrote to his brother Etienne,
      about the end of the year 1783:
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;For my sake, my good friend, reflect; calculate well before you employ
      oars. Oars must either be great or small; if great, they will be heavy; if
      small, it will be necessary to move them with great rapidity. I know no
      sufficient means of guidance, except in the knowledge of the different
      currents of air, of which it is necessary to make a study; and these are
      generally regulated by the elevation.&rdquo; The two brothers often recurred to
      this idea.
    </p>
    <p>
      The pictures of the first ascent of Blanchard from the Champ de Mars on
      the 2nd of March, 1784, in the presence of a vast multitude, show us the
      oars and the mechanism of his flying-machine fitted to a balloon. The
      design which we here give seems to us deserving of being considered only
      as one of the caricatures of the time, especially when we look at the
      personage dressed in the fool&rsquo;s head-gear, who sits behind and accompanies
      the triumphant ascent of the aeronaut with music.
    </p>
    <p>
      It was not with this apparatus that Blanchard effected his ascent, for we
      have seen that the gearing of his vessel was broken by the infuriated
      Dupont de Chambon. Yet the aeronaut pretends to have been, to some extent,
      assisted by his mechanical contrivances. The following is his narrative:&mdash;
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;I rose to a certain height over Plassy, and perceiving Villette, which I
      did not despair of reaching in spite of the misfortune that had happened
      to me, I attached a rope of my rigging to my leg, not being able to make
      use of my left hand, which I had wrapped in my handkerchief on account of
      the sword-wound it had received. I fixed up a piece of cloth, and thus
      made a sort of sail with which I hugged the wind. But the rays of the sun
      had so heated and rarefied the inflammable air that soon I forgot my
      rigging in thinking of the terrible danger that threatened me.&rdquo;
     </p>
    <p>
      Going on to narrate the dangers that beset him, Blanchard describes a
      number of most extraordinary experiences, which would be better worthy of
      a place here if they were more like the truth. His curious narrative is
      thus brought to a close:&mdash;
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;Escaped from these impetuous and contrary winds, during which I had felt
      a great degree of cold, I mounted perpendicularly. The cold became
      excessive. Being hungry I ate a morsel of cake. I wished to drink, but in
      searching the car nothing was to be seen but the debris of bottles and
      glasses, which my assailant had left behind him when we were about to
      depart. Afterwards all was so calm that nothing could be seen or heard.
      The silence became appalling, and to add to my alarm I began to lose
      consciousness. I now wished to take snuff, but found I had left my box
      behind me. I changed my seat many times; I went from prow to stern, but
      the drowsiness only ceased to assail me when I was struck by two furious
      winds, which compressed my balloon to such an extent that its size became
      sensibly diminished to the eye. I was not sorry when I began to descend
      rapidly upon the river, which at first seemed to me a white thread,
      afterwards a ribbon, and then a piece of cloth. As I followed the course
      of the river, the fear that I should have to descend into it, made me
      agitate the oars very rapidly. I believe that it is to these movements
      that I owe my being able to cross the river transversely, and get above
      dry land. When I saw myself upon the plain of Billancourt, I recognised
      the bridge of Sevres, and the road to Versailles. I was then about as high
      as the towers above the plain, and I could hear the words and the cries of
      joy of the people who were following me below. At length I came to a plain
      about 200 feet in extent. The people then assisted me and brought my
      vessel to anchor. Immediately I was surrounded by gentlemen and foot
      passengers who had run together from all parts.&rdquo;
     </p>
    <p>
      This voyage lasted one hour and a quarter. The most important incident of
      it was that the balloon was very nearly burst by the expansion of the
      hydrogen gas. No balloon, as we have already seen, should be entirely
      inflated at the beginning of a journey. Blanchard had a narrow escape from
      being the victim of his ignorance of physics, and it is a wonder he was
      not left to the mercy of fate in a burst balloon, at several thousand feet
      above the earth.
    </p>
    <p>
      Biot, the savant, who had watched the experiment, declared that Blanchard
      did not stir himself, and that the variations of his course are alone to
      be attributed to the currents of air that he encountered. As he had
      inscribed upon his flags, his balloons, and his entrance tickets, from
      which he realised a considerable sum, the ambitious legend, Sic itur ad
      astra, the following epigram was produced respecting him:&mdash;
    </p>
<pre xml:space="preserve">
     From the Field of Mars he took his flight:
     In a field close by he tumbled;
     But our money having taken
     He smiled though sadly shaken,
     As Sic itur ad astra he mumbled.
</pre>
    <p>
      What is most important to examine in each of the great aerial voyages that
      have been made, is the special character which distinguishes them from
      average experiments. All our great voyages are rendered special and
      particular by the ideas of the men who undertook them, and the aims which
      they severally meant to achieve by them. The early ascents of Montgolfier
      had for their aim the establishment of the fact that any body lighter than
      the volume of air which it displaces will rise in the atmosphere; those of
      Roziers were undertaken to prove that man can apply this principle for the
      purpose of making actual aerial voyages; those of Robertson, Gay-Lussac,
      &amp;c., were undertaken for the purpose of ascertaining certain
      meteorological phenomena; those of Conte Coutelle applied aerostation to
      military uses. A considerable number were made with the view of organising
      a system of aerial navigation analogous to that of the sea-steerage in a
      certain direction by means of oars or sails&mdash;in a word, to
      investigate the possibility of sailing through the air to any point fixed
      upon. It was with this object that the experiments at Dijon took place,
      and these were the most serious attempts down to our times that have been
      made to steer balloons.
    </p>
    <p>
      At the middle of the globe of the balloon were placed four oars, two
      sails, and a helm and these were under the management of the voyagers, who
      sat in the car and worked them by means of ropes. The car was also
      furnished with oars. The report of Guyton de Morveau to the Academy at
      Dijon informs us that these different paraphernalia were not altogether
      useless. The following extracts are from this report:&mdash;
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;The very strong wind which arose immediately before our departure, had
      driven us down to tee ground many times, making us fear for the safety of
      our oars, &amp;c., when we resolved to throw over as much ballast as would
      enable us to rise against the wind. The ballast, including from 70 to 80
      lbs. of provisions, was thrown over, and then we rose so rapidly that all
      the objects around were instantly passed and were very soon lost to view.
      The swelling form of our balloon told us that the gas inside had expanded
      under the heat of the sun and the lessening density of the surrounding
      air. We opened the two valves, but even this outlet was insufficient, and
      we had to cut a hole about seven or eight inches long in the lower part of
      the balloon, through which the gas might escape. At five minutes past five
      we passed above a village which we did not know, and here we let fall a
      bag filled with bran, and carrying with it a flag and a written message to
      the effect that we were all well, and that the barometer was recording 20
      inches 9 lines, and the thermometer one degree and a half below zero.&rdquo;
     </p>
    <p>
      Very keen cold attacked the ears, but this was the only inconvenience
      experienced, until the voyagers were lost in a sea of clouds that shut
      them out from the view of the earth. The sun at length began to descend,
      and they then perceived, by a slackening in the lower part of the balloon,
      that it was time for them to think of returning to the earth. Judging from
      the compass that they were not far from the town of Auxonne, they resolved
      to use all their endeavours to reach that place. The sailing appliances
      had been considerably damaged by the rough weather at starting. The
      rigging being disarranged, one of the oars had got broken, another had
      become entangled in the rigging, so that there remained only two of the
      four oars, and these, being on the same side, were absolutely useless
      during the greatest part of the voyage. The adventurers, however, assert
      that they made them work from eight to nine minutes with the greatest
      ease, making use of them to tack to the south-east.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;We hoped then to be able to descend near where we judged Auxonne to be,&rdquo;
       the writer continues, &ldquo;but we lost much gas by the opening in the balloon,
      and descended more rapidly than we expected or wished. We looked to our
      small stock of ballast with anxiety, but there was no need of it, and we
      came very softly down upon a slope.&rdquo;
     </p>
    <p>
      When the aeronauts arrived at Magny-les-Auxonne, the inhabitants gazed
      upon them in terror, and two men and three women fell down on their knees
      before them.
    </p>
    <p>
      Here is an extract from the report of the experiment of the 12th of June,
      the principal object of which was the attempt to discover the means of
      steering in a certain direction:&mdash;
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;M. de Verley and myself mounted in the balloon,&rdquo; says Guyton de Morveau,
      &ldquo;at seven o&rsquo;clock. We rose rapidly and in an almost perpendicular
      direction. The fall of the mercury in the barometer was scarcely
      perceptible when the dilation of the hydrogen gas in the balloon had
      become considerable. The globe swelled out, and a light vapour around the
      mouth announced to us that the gas was commencing to escape by the
      safety-valve. We assisted its escape by pulling the valve-string.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;Having reduced the dilation sufficiently for our purposes, we resolved to
      attempt the working of the balloon before the whole town and to turn it
      from the east to the north. We saw with pleasure that our machinery
      answered By the working of the helm, the prow of our air-boat was turned
      in the direction we desired. The oars, working only on one side, supported
      the helm, and altogether we got on as we wished. We described a curve,
      crossing the road from Dijon to Langres. The mercury had descended to 24
      inches 8 lines, which announced that we were gradually rising. We
      attempted for some time to follow the route to I Langres, but the wind
      drove us off our course in spite of all our efforts. At nine o&rsquo;clock our
      barometer informed us that we had ascended to the height of 6,000 feet. M.
      de Verley took advantage of this elevation to put some touch wood to a
      burning-glass 18 lines in diameter, and the touch wood lighted
      immediately.&rdquo;
     </p>
    <p>
      The aeronauts decided to direct their course for Dijon. After re-setting
      the helm with this intention, they worked their oars, and proceeded in
      that direction more than 1,000 feet. But heat and fatigue obliged them to
      suspend their endeavours, and the current drove them upon Mirebeau, where,
      throwing out the last of their ballast and regulating their descent, they
      came softly down upon a corn-field.
    </p>
    <p>
      The adventurers were cordially welcomed by the ecclesiastics and the
      magistrates of the place, and after a time they, with their balloon, were
      carried back on men&rsquo;s shoulders to Dijon.
    </p>
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    <h2>
      Chapter III.
    </h2>
<pre xml:space="preserve">
     Experiment in Montgolfiers&mdash;Roziers and Proust&mdash;The Duke of
     Chartres&mdash;The Comte d&rsquo;Artois&mdash;Voyage of the Abbe Carnus to
     Rodez.
</pre>
    <p>
      The longest course travelled by Montgolfiere balloons, and the highest
      elevation reached by them, were achieved by Roziers and Proust with the
      Montgolfiere la Marie Antoinette, at Versailles, on the 23rd of June,
      1784. Roziers himself has left us a picturesque narrative of this
      excursion from Versailles to Compiegne. He says:&mdash;
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;The Montgolfiere rose at first very gently in a diagonal line, presenting
      an imposing spectacle. Like a vessel which has just been precipitated from
      the stocks, this astonishing machine hung balanced in the air for some
      time, and seemed to have got beyond human control. These irregular
      movements intimidated a portion of the spectators, who, fearing that,
      should there be a fall, their lives would be in danger, scattered away
      with great speed from under us. After having fed my fire, I saluted the
      people, who answered me in the most cordial manner. I had time to remark
      some faces, in which there was a mixed expression of apprehension and joy.
      In continuing our upward progress, I perceived that an upper current of
      air made the Montgolfiere bend, but on increasing the heat, we rose above
      the current. The size of objects on the earth now began perceptibly to
      diminish, which gave us an idea of the distance at which we were from
      them. It was then that we became visible to Paris and its suburbs, and so
      great was our elevation that many in the capital thought we were directly
      over their heads.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;When we had arrived among the clouds, the earth disappeared from our
      view. Now a thick mist would envelop us, then a clear space showed us
      where we were, and again we rose through a mass of snow, portions of which
      stuck to our gallery. Curious to know how high we could ascend, we
      resolved to increase our fire and raise the heat to the highest degree, by
      raising our grating, and holding up our fagots suspended on the ends of
      our forks.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;Having gained these snowy elevations, and not being able to mount higher,
      we wandered about for some time in regions which we felt were now visited
      by man for the first time. Isolated and separated entirely from nature, we
      perceived beneath us only enormous masses of snow, which, reflecting the
      sunshine, filled the firmament with a glorious light. We remained eight
      minutes at this elevation, 11,732 feet above the earth. This situation,
      however agreeable it might have been to the painter or the poet, promised
      little to the man of science in the way of acquiring knowledge; and so we
      determined, eighteen minutes after our departure, to return through the
      clouds to the earth. We had hardly left this snowy abyss, when the most
      pleasant scene succeeded the most dreary one. The broad plains appeared
      before our view in all their magnificence. No snow, no clouds were now to
      be seen, except around the horizon, where a few clouds seemed to rest on
      the earth. We passed in a minute from winter to spring. We saw the
      immeasurable earth covered with towns and villages, which at that distance
      appeared only so many isolated mansions surrounded with gardens. The
      rivers which wound about in all directions seemed no more than rills for
      the adornment of these mansions; the largest forests looked mere clumps or
      groves, and the meadows and broad fields seemed no more than garden plots.
      These marvellous tableaux, which no painter could render, reminded us of
      the fairy metamorphoses; only with this difference, that we were beholding
      upon a mighty scale what imagination could only picture in little. It is
      in such a situation that the soul rises to the loftiest height, that the
      thoughts are exalted and succeed each other with the greatest rapidity.
      Travelling at this elevation, our fire did not demand continual attention,
      and we could easily walk about the gallery. We were as much at peace upon
      our lofty balcony as we should have been upon the terrace of a mansion,
      enjoying all the pictures which unrolled themselves before us continually,
      without experiencing any of the giddiness which has disturbed so many
      persons. Having broken my fork in my exertions to raise the balloon, I
      went to obtain another one. On my way to get it, I encountered my
      companion, M. Proust. We ought never to have been on the same side of the
      balloon, for a capsize and the escape of all our hydrogen gas might have
      been the result. As it was, so well was the machine ballasted, that the
      only effect of our being on the one side made the balloon incline a little
      in that direction. The winds, although very considerable, caused us no
      uneasiness, and we only knew the swiftness of our progress through the air
      by the rapidity with which the villages seemed to fly away from under our
      feet; so that it seemed, from the tranquillity with which we moved, that
      we were borne along by the diurnal movement of the globe. Often we wished
      to descend, in order to learn what the people were crying to us the
      simplicity of our arrangements enabled us to rise, to descend, to move in
      horizontal or oblique lines, as we pleased and as often as we considered
      necessary, without altogether landing.&rdquo;
     </p>
    <p>
      When they came to Luzarche, the delighted aeronauts resolved to land.
      Already the people were testifying their pleasure at seeing them. Men came
      running together from all directions, while all the animals rushed away
      with equal precipitation, no doubt taking the balloon for some wild beast.
      Finding that their course would lead them straight against certain houses,
      the aeronauts again increased their fire, and, slightly rising, escaped
      the buildings that had been in their way. Shortly afterwards they safely
      landed forty miles from the spot from which they had started.
    </p>
    <p>
      It was not only the man of science or the mechanician that devoted himself
      to the task of taking possession of the new empire, but the nobles gave
      their hands to the aeronauts, and humbly asked the favour of an ascent.
      The king had addressed letters to the Brothers Montgolfier, and the
      marvellous invention had become an affair of state. The princes of the
      blood and the nobles of the court considered it an honour to count among
      the number of their friends a celebrated aeronaut.
    </p>
    <p>
      The Count d&rsquo;Artois, afterwards Charles X., and the Duke de Chartres,
      father of Louis Philippe, made experiments in aerial navigation. The
      chemists Alban and Vallet made a magnificent balloon for the Count, who
      went up many times in it, with several persons of all ranks.
    </p>
    <p>
      Already at St. Cloud, the Duke of Chartres, afterwards Philippe Egalite,
      had, on the 15th of July, 1784, made, with the Brothers Robert, an ascent
      which put their courage to terrible tests. The hydrogen gas balloon was
      oblong, sixty feet high and forty feet in diameter, and it had been
      constructed upon a plan supplied by Meunier. In order to obviate the use
      of the valve, he had placed inside the balloon a smaller globe, filled
      with ordinary air. This was done on the supposition that, when the balloon
      rose high, the hydrogen being rarefied would compress the little globe
      within, and press out of it a quantity of ordinary air equal to the amount
      of its dilation.
    </p>
    <p>
      At eight o&rsquo;clock, the Brothers Robert&mdash;Collin and Hullin&mdash;and
      the Duke of Chartres, ascended in presence of an immense multitude. The
      nearest ranks kneeled down to allow those behind to have a view of the
      departure of the balloon, which disappeared among the clouds amid the
      acclamations of the prostrate multitude. The machine, obedient to the
      stormy and contrary winds which it met, turned several times completely
      round. The helm, which had been fitted to the machine, and the two oars,
      gave such a purchase to the winds that the voyagers, already surrounded by
      the clouds, cut them away. But the oscillations continued, and the little
      globe inside not being suspended with cords, fell down in such an
      unfortunate manner as to close up the opening of the large balloon, by
      means of which provision had been made for the egress of the gas now
      dilated by the heat of the sun, which poured down its rays, a sudden gust
      having cleared the space of the clouds. It was feared that the case of the
      balloon would crack, and the whole thing collapse, in spite of the efforts
      of the aeronauts to push back the smaller balloon from the opening. Then
      the Duke of Chartres seized one of the flags they carried, and with the
      lance-head pierced the balloon in two places. A rent of about nine feet
      was the consequence, and the balloon began to descend with amazing
      rapidity. They would have fallen into a lake had they not thrown over 60
      lbs. of ballast, which caused them to rise a little, and pass over to the
      shore, where they got safely to the earth.
    </p>
    <p>
      The expedition lasted only a few minutes. The Duke of Chartres was rallied
      by his enemies, who accused him of cowardice; and Monjoie, his historian,
      making allusion to the combat of Ouessant, says that he had given proofs
      of his cowardice in the three elements&mdash;earth, air, and water.
    </p>
    <p>
      M. Gray, professor at the seminary of Rodez, presented us some years ago
      with the following letter from the Abbe Carnus, upon the aerial voyage
      which he undertook, August 6th, 1784:&mdash;
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;The progress of the Montgolfiere was so sudden that one might almost have
      believed that it arose all inflated and furnished out of some chasm in the
      earth The air was calm, the sky without clouds, the sun very strong. Our
      fuel and instruments were put into the gallery, my companion, M. Louchet,
      was at his post, and I took mine. At twenty minutes past eight the cords
      were loosened, we waved a farewell to the spectators, and while two
      cannon-shots announced our departure, we were already high above the
      loftiest buildings.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;To the general acclamations of the crowd succeeded a profound silence.
      The spectators, half in fear, half in admiration, stood motionless, with
      eyes fixed, and gazing eagerly at the superb machine, which rose almost
      vertically with rapidity and also with grandeur. Some women, and even some
      men, fainted away; others raised their hands to heaven; others shed tears;
      all grew pale at the sight of our bright fire.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;&lsquo;We have quitted the earth,&rsquo; said I to my companion.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;&lsquo;I compliment you on the fact,&rsquo; he answered; &lsquo;keep up the fire!&rsquo; 
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;A truss of hay, steeped in spirits of wine accelerated the swiftness of
      our ascent. I cast my glance upon the town, which seemed to flee rapidly
      from under our feet. Terrestrial objects had already lost their shape and
      size. The burning heat which I felt at first now gave place to a
      temperature of the most agreeable kind, and the air which we breathed
      seemed to contain healthful elements unknown to dwellers on the lower
      earth.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;&lsquo;How well I am!&rsquo; I said to Louchet; &lsquo;how are you?&rsquo; 
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;&lsquo;As well as can be. Would that I could dispatch a message to the earth!&rsquo; 
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;Immediately I threw over a roll of paper on which I had written the
      words, &lsquo;All well on board the City of Rodez.&rsquo; 
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;At thirty-two minutes past eight our elevation was at least 6,000 feet
      above sea level. A flame from our fire, rising from eighteen to twenty
      feet, sent us up another 1,000 feet. It was then that our machine was seen
      by every spectator within a circuit of nine miles, and it appeared to be
      right over the heads of all of them.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;&lsquo;Send us up out of sight,&rsquo; said my adventurous confrere.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;I had to moderate his ardour&mdash;a larger fire would have burnt our
      balloon.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;From our moving observatory the most splendid view developed itself. The
      boundaries of the horizon were vastly extended. The capital of the
      Rouergue appeared to be no more than a group of stones, one of which
      seemed to rise to the height of two or three feet. This was no other than
      the superb tower of the cathedral. Fertile slopes, agreeable valleys,
      lofty precipices, waste lands, ancient castles perched upon frowning
      rocks, these form the endlessly varied spectacle which the Rouergue and
      the neighbouring provinces present to the view of those who traverse the
      surface of the earth. But how different is the scene to the aerial
      voyager! We could perceive only a vast country, perfectly round, and
      seemingly a little elevated in the middle, irregularly marked with
      verdure, but without inhabitants, without towns, valleys, rivers, or
      mountains. Living beings no longer existed for us; the forests were
      changed into what looked like grassy plains; the ranges of the Cantal and
      the Cevennes had disappeared; we looked in vain for the Mediterranean, and
      the Pyrenees seemed only a long series of piles of snow, connected at
      their bases. Our own balloon, which from Rodez appeared about the size of
      a marble, was the only object that for us retained its natural dimensions.
      What wonderful sensations then arose within us! I had often reflected upon
      the works of nature; their magnificence had always filled me with
      admiration. In this soul-stirring moment how beautiful did nature seem&mdash;how
      grand! With what majesty did it strike my imagination. Never did man
      appear to me before such an excellent being His latest triumph over the
      elements recalled to my mind his other conquests of nature. My companion
      was animated with the same sentiments, and more than once we cried out,
      &lsquo;Vive Montgolfier! Vive Roziers! Vivent ceux qui ont du courage et de la
      constance!&rsquo; 
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;In the meantime our fuel was getting near the end. In eighteen minutes we
      had run a distance of 12,000 feet. &lsquo;Make your observations while I attend
      to the fire,&rsquo; said my companion to me. I examined the barometer, the
      thermometer, and the compass, and having sealed up a small bottle of the
      air at this elevation, I asked my companion to reduce the fire. We
      descended 1,800 feet, and at this height I filled another bottle with air.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;Afterwards we felt the refreshing breath of a slight breeze, which
      carried us gently toward the south-east. In six minutes we had run 18,000
      feet. Then, having only sufficient fuel to enable us to choose the place
      of our descent, we considered whether we should not bring our aerial
      voyage to a termination. We had neither lake nor forest to fear, and we
      were secure against danger from fire, as we could detach the grating at
      some distance from the earth. At fifty-eight minutes past eight all our
      fuel was exhausted, except two bundles of straw, of four pounds each,
      which we reserved for our descent. The balloon came gradually down, and
      terrestrial objects began again to resume their proper forms and
      dimensions. The animals fled at the sight of our balloon, which seemed
      likely to crush them in its fall. Horsemen were obliged to dismount and
      lead their frightened horses. Terrified by such an unwonted sight, the
      labourers in the fields abandoned their work. We were not more than 600
      feet from the earth. We threw on the two bundles of straw, but still
      gradually descended. The grating was then detached, and I had no
      difficulty in leaping to the ground. But now a most surprising and
      unlooked-for event happened. M. Louchet had not been able to descend at
      the same moment as myself, and the balloon, now free from my weight,
      immediately re-ascended with the speed of a bird, bearing away my
      companion. I followed him with my eyes, and it was to my agreeable
      surprise that I heard him crying to me, &lsquo;All is well; fear not!&rsquo; though it
      was not without a species of jealousy that I saw him mounting up to the
      height of 1,400 or 1,500 feet. The balloon, after having run a distance of
      3,600 feet in a horizontal direction, began gently to descend at four
      minutes past nine, at the village of Inieres, after having travelled
      42,000 feet from the point of departure. When it had touched the ground it
      bumped up again two or three feet. M. Louchet jumped out, and seized one
      of the ropes, but had much difficulty in holding the balloon in hand. He
      cried to the frightened peasants to come and help him. But they seemed to
      regard him as a dangerous magician, or as a monster, and they feared to
      touch the ropes lest they might be swallowed up by the balloon. Soon
      afterwards I came to the rescue. The balloon was in as thorough repair as
      when we began our journey. We then pressed out the hot air, folded up the
      envelope, placed it upon a small cart drawn by two oxen, and drove off
      with it.&rdquo;
     </p>
    <p>
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    <div style="height: 4em;">
      <br /><br /><br /><br />
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    <h2>
      Chapter IV.
    </h2>
<pre xml:space="preserve">
     Serio-Comic Aspect of the Subject&mdash;The Public Duped&mdash;The
     Abbes Miolan and Janninet at the Luxembourg&mdash;Caricatures&mdash;
     The &ldquo;Minerva&rdquo; of Robertson, and its Voyage Round the World.
</pre>
    <p>
      The discovery like that of balloons could not be made public in France
      without being travestied, and without offering some comic side for the
      amusement of the wits of the day. Under some old coloured prints, designed
      with the intention of satirising such unfortunate aeronauts as had
      collected their money from the spectators, but had failed in inflating
      their balloons, is written, &ldquo;The Infallible Means of Raising Balloons&rdquo;&mdash;the
      infallible means consisting of ropes and pulleys.
    </p>
    <p>
      While caricature was thus turning its irony upon the efforts of believers
      in the new idea, serious pamphlets were being written and published with
      the same object. One of these declares that the discovery is IMMORAL, I.
      Because since God has not given wings to man, it is impious to try to
      improve his works, and to encroach upon his rights as a Creator; 2.
      Because honour and virtue would be in continual danger, if balloons were
      permitted to descend, at all hours of the night, into gardens and close to
      windows; 3. Because, if the highway of the air were to remain open to all
      and sundry, the frontiers of nations would vanish, and property national
      and personal would be invaded, &amp;c. We do not wish to gather together
      here the stones which critics threw against the new discovery, unaware all
      the time that these stones were falling upon their own heads.
    </p>
    <p>
      It is only fair to state that after the first ascents the public were
      often duped by pretending aeronauts, whose single aim was to sell their
      tickets, and who disappeared when the time came for ascending. The result
      of these frauds was that sometimes honest men were made to suffer as
      rogues. Even in our own day, when an ascent, seriously intended, fails to
      succeed, owing to some unforeseen circumstances, the public frequently
      manifests a decided ill-will to the aeronaut, who is perfectly honest, and
      only unfortunate.
    </p>
    <p>
      The famous ascent of the Abbes Miolan and Janninet, at the Luxembourg, may
      be cited as among the failures which suffered most from the satire of the
      time. Their immense balloon, constructed at great expense at the
      observatory, was expected to rise beyond the clouds, and a multitude, each
      of whom had paid dearly for his ticket, had assembled at the Luxembourg.
      The morning had been occupied in removing the balloon from the observatory
      to the place of ascent, and at midday the inflation of it began. The rays
      of a burning July sun&mdash;and one knows what that is in the Luxembourg
      in Paris&mdash;streamed down on the heads of the thousands of spectators.
      From six in the morning till four in the evening they had waited to see
      the unheard-of wonder; the ascent, however, was to be so imposing, that
      nothing could be lost by waiting for it.
    </p>
    <p>
      But at five in the afternoon the heavy machine was still motionless&mdash;inert
      upon the ground. We need not attempt to describe the scene which took
      place as the impatience of the multitude increased. Sneers of derision
      made themselves heard on all sides. A universal murmur, rapidly developing
      into a clamour, arose amongst the multitude; then, wild with
      disappointment, the frenzied populace threw themselves upon the barricade,
      broke it, attacked the gallery of the balloon, the instruments, the
      apparatus, trampling them under foot, and smashing them in bits. They then
      rushed upon the balloon and fired it. There was then a general melee. Far
      from fleeing the fire, every one struggled to seize and carry off a bit of
      the balloon, to preserve as a relic. The two abbes escaped as they best
      could, under protection of a number of friends.
    </p>
    <p>
      After this there fell a perfect shower of lampoons and caricatures. The
      Abbe Miolan was represented as a cat with a band round its neck, while
      Janninet appeared as a donkey; and in a coloured print the cat and the ass
      are shown arriving in triumph upon their famous balloon at the Academy of
      Montmartre, and are received at the hill of Moulins-a-Vent by a solemn
      assembly of turkey-cocks and geese in different attitudes. Numerous songs
      and epigrams, of which the unfortunate abbes were the subjects, also
      appeared at this time. The letters which composed the words &ldquo;l&rsquo;Abbe
      Miolan&rdquo; were found to form the anagram, Ballon abime&mdash;&ldquo;the balloon
      swallowed up.&rdquo;
     </p>
    <p>
      The most extravagant balloon project was that of Robertson, who published
      a scheme for making a tour of the world. He called it &ldquo;La Minerva, an
      aerial vessel destined for discoveries, and proposed to all the Academies
      of Europe, by Robertson, physicist&rdquo; (Vienna, 1804; reprinted at Paris,
      1820), Robertson dedicated his project to Volta, and in his dedication he
      does not scruple to say: &ldquo;In our age, my friendship seeks only one
      gratification, that we should both live a sufficiently long time together
      to enable you to calculate and utilise the results of this great machine,
      while I take the practical direction of it.&rdquo; The following is this
      aeronaut&rsquo;s prospectus:&mdash;
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;There is no limit to the sciences and the arts, which cultivation does
      not overstep. We have everything to hope and to expect from time, from
      chance, and from the genius of man. The difference which there is between
      the canoe of the savage and the man-of-war of 124 guns is perhaps as great
      as that of balloons as they now are and as they will be in the course of a
      century. If you ask of an aeronaut why he cannot command the motions of
      his balloon, he will ask of you in his turn why the inventor of the canoe
      did not immediately afterwards construct a man-of-war. It must be
      recollected that there have not yet elapsed forty years since the
      discovery of the balloon, and that to perfect it would be a work of
      difficulty, as much from the increased knowledge which such a work would
      demand, as from the pecuniary sacrifices and the personal devotion which
      it would involve.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;Thus this invention, after having at first electrified all savants from
      the one end of the world to the other, has suffered the fate of all
      discoveries&mdash;it was all at once arrested. Did not astronomy wait long
      for Newton, and chemistry for Lavoisier, to raise them to something like
      the splendour they now enjoy? Was not the magnet a long time a toy in the
      hands of the Chinese, without giving birth to the idea of the compass? The
      electric fluid was known in the time of Thales, but how many ages did we
      wait for the discovery of galvanism? Yet these sciences, which may be
      studied in silent retreats, were more likely to yield fruit to the
      discoverer than aerostatics, which demand courage and skill, and of which
      the experiments, which are always public, are attended with great cost.&rdquo;
     </p>
    <p>
      Robertson&rsquo;s proposed machine was to be 150 feet in diameter, and would be
      capable of carrying 150,000 lbs. Every precaution was to be taken in order
      to make the great structure perfect. It was to accommodate sixty persons
      to be chosen by the academics, who should stay in it for several months
      should rise to all possible elevations, pass through all climates in all
      seasons, make scientific observations, &amp;c. This balloon, penetrating
      deserts inaccessible by other means of travel, and visiting places which
      travellers have never penetrated, would be of immense use in the science
      of geography: and when under the line, if the heat near the earth should
      be inconvenient, the aeronauts would, of course, easily rise to elevations
      where the temperature is equal and agreeable. When their observations,
      their needs, or their pleasures demanded it, they could descend to within
      a short distance of the earth, say ninety feet, and fix themselves in
      their position by means of an anchor. It might, perhaps, be possible, by
      taking the advantage of favourable winds, to make the tour of the world.
      &ldquo;Experience will perhaps demonstrate that aerial navigation presents less
      inconvenience and less dangers than the navigation of the seas.&rdquo;
     </p>
    <p>
      The immensity of the seas seemed to be the only source of insurmountable
      difficulties; &ldquo;but,&rdquo; says Robertson, &ldquo;over what a vast space might not one
      travel in six months with a balloon fully furnished with the necessaries
      of life, and all the appliances necessary for safety? Besides, if, through
      the natural imperfection attaching to all the works of man, or either
      through accident or age, the balloon, borne above the sea, became
      incapable of sustaining the travellers, it is provided with a boat, which
      can withstand the waters and guarantee the return of the voyagers.&rdquo;
     </p>
    <p>
      Such were the ideas promulgated regarding the &ldquo;Minerva.&rdquo; The following is
      the serious description given of the machine. The numbers correspond with
      those on the illustration.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;The cock (3) is the symbol of watchfulness; it is also the highest point
      of the balloon. An observer, getting up through the interior to the point
      at which the watchful fowl is placed, will be able to command the best
      view to be had in the &lsquo;Minerva.&rsquo; The wings at the side (1 and 2) are to be
      regarded as ornamental. The balloon will be 150 feet in diameter, made
      expressly at Lyons of unbleached silk, coated within and without with
      indict-rubber. This globe sustains a ship, which contains or has attached
      to it all the things necessary for the convenience, the observations, and
      even the pleasures of the voyagers.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;(a) A small boat, in which the passengers might take refuge in case of
      necessity, in the event of the larger vessel falling on the sea in a
      disabled state.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;(b) A large store for keeping the water, wine, and all the provisions of
      the expedition.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;(cc) Ladders of silk, to enable the passengers to go to all parts of the
      balloon.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;(e) Closets.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;(h) Pilot&rsquo;s room.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;(1) An observatory, containing the compasses and other scientific
      instruments for taking the latitude.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;(g) A room fitted up for recreations, walking, and gymnastics.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;(m) The kitchen, far removed from the balloon. It is the only place where
      a fire shall be permitted.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;(p) Medicine room.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;(v) A theatre, music room, &amp;c.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;&mdash;The study.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;(x) The tents of the air-marines, &amp;c. &amp;c.&rdquo;
     </p>
    <p>
      This balloon is certainly the most marvellous that has ever been imagined&mdash;quite
      a town, with its forts, ramparts, cannon, boulevards, and galleries. One
      can understand the many squibs and satires which so Utopian a notion
      provoked.
    </p>
    <p>
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    <div style="height: 4em;">
      <br /><br /><br /><br />
    </div>
    <h2>
      Chapter V. First Aerial Voyage in England&mdash;Blanchard Crosses the Sea
      in a Balloon.
    </h2>
    <p>
      In spite of their known powers of industry and perseverance, the English
      did not throw themselves with any great ardour into the exploration of the
      atmosphere. From one cause or another it is the French and the Italians
      that have chiefly distinguished themselves in this art. The English
      historian of aerostation gives some details of the first aerial voyage
      made in this country by the Italian, Vincent Lunardy.
    </p>
    <p>
      The balloon was made of silk covered with a varnish of oil, and painted in
      alternate stripes&mdash;blue and red. It was three feet in diameter. Cords
      fixed upon it hung down and were attached to a hoop at the bottom, from
      which a gallery was suspended. This balloon had no safety-valve&mdash;its
      neck was the only opening by which the hydrogen gas was introduced, and by
      which it was allowed to escape.
    </p>
    <p>
      In September, 1784, it was carried to the Artillery Ground and filled with
      gas. After being two-thirds filled, the gallery was attached with its two
      oars or wings, and Lunardy, accompanied by Biggin and Madame Sage, took
      his place; but it was found that the balloon had not sufficient lifting
      power to carry up the whole three, and Lunardy went up alone, with the
      exception of the pigeon, the cat, and the dog, that were with him.
    </p>
    <p>
      The balloon rose to the height of about twenty feet, then followed a
      horizontal line, and descended. But the gallery had no sooner touched the
      earth than Lunardy threw over the sand that served as ballast, and mounted
      triumphantly, amid the applause of a considerable multitude of spectators.
      After a time he descended upon a common, where he left the cat nearly dead
      with cold, ascended, and continued his voyage. He says, in the narrative
      which he has left, that he descended by means of the one oar which was
      left to him, the other having fallen over; but, as he states that, in
      order to rise again, he threw over the remainder of his ballast, it is
      natural to believe that the descent of the balloon was caused by the loss
      of gas, because, if he descended by the use of the oar, he must have
      re-ascended when he stopped using it. He landed in the parish of Standon,
      where he was assisted by the peasants.
    </p>
    <p>
      He assures us again that he came down the second time by means of the oar.
      He says:&mdash;&ldquo;I took my oar to descend, and in from fifteen to twenty
      minutes I arrived at the earth after much fatigue, my strength being
      nearly exhausted. My chief desire was to escape a shock on reaching the
      earth, and fortune favoured me.&rdquo; The fear of a concussion seems to
      indicate that he descended more because of the weight of the balloon than
      by the action of the oar.
    </p>
    <p>
      It appears that the only scientific instrument he had was a thermometer
      which fell to 29 degrees. The drops of water which had attached themselves
      to the balloon were frozen.
    </p>
    <p>
      The second aerial journey in England was undertaken by Blanchard and
      Sheldon. The latter, a professor of anatomy in the Royal Academy, is the
      first Englishman who ever went up in a balloon. This ascent was made from
      Chelsea on the 16th October, 1784.
    </p>
    <p>
      The same balloon which Blanchard had used in France served him on this
      occasion, with the difference that the hoop which went round the middle of
      it, and the parasol above the car, were dispensed with. At the extremity
      of his car he had fitted a sort of ventilator, which he was able to move
      about by means of a winch. This ventilator, together with the wings and
      the helm, were to serve especially the purpose of steering at will, which
      he had often said was quite practicable as soon as a certain elevation had
      been reached.
    </p>
    <p>
      The two aeronauts ascended, having with them a number of scientific and
      musical instruments, some refreshments, ballast, &amp;c. Twice the ascent
      failed, and eventually Sheldon got out, and Blanchard went up again alone.
    </p>
    <p>
      Blanchard says that, on this second ascent, he was carried first
      north-east, then east-south-east of Sunbury in Middlesex. He rose so high
      that he had great difficulty in breathing, the pigeon he had with him
      escaped, but could hardly maintain itself in the rarefied air of such an
      elevated region, and finding no place to rest, came back and perched on
      the side of the car. After a time, the cold becoming excessive, Blanchard
      descended until he could distinguish men on the earth, and hear their
      shouting. After many vicissitudes he landed upon a plain in Hampshire,
      about seventy-five miles from the point of departure. It was observed
      that, so long as he could be clearly seen, he executed none of the feats
      with his wings, ventilator, &amp;c., which he had promised to exhibit.
    </p>
    <p>
      Enthusiasm about aerial voyages was now at its climax; the most wonderful
      deeds were spoken of as commonplace, and the word &ldquo;impossible&rdquo; was erased
      from the language. Emboldened by his success, Blanchard one day announced
      in the newspapers that he would cross from England to France in a balloon&mdash;a
      marvellous journey, the success of which depended altogether upon the
      course of the wind, to the mercy of which the bold aeronaut committed
      himself.
    </p>
    <p>
      A certain Dr. Jeffries offered to accompany Blanchard. On the 7th of
      January the sky was calm, in consequence of a strong frost during the
      preceding night, the wind which was very light, being from the
      north-north-west. The arranged meets were made above the cliffs of Dover.
      When the balloon rose, there were only three sacks of sand of 10 lbs. each
      in it. They had not been long above ground when the barometer sank from
      29.7 to 27.3. Dr. Jeffries, in a letter addressed to the president of the
      Royal Society, describes with enthusiasm the spectacle spread out before
      him: the broad country lying behind Dover, sown with numerous towns and
      villages, formed a charming view; while the rocks on the other side,
      against which the waves dashed, offered a prospect that was rather trying.
    </p>
    <p>
      They had already passed one-third of the distance across the Channel when
      the balloon descended for the second time, and they threw over the last of
      their ballast; and that not sufficing, they threw over some books, and
      found themselves rising again. After having got more than half way, they
      found to their dismay, from the rising of the barometer, that they were
      again descending, and the remainder of their books were thrown over. At
      twenty-five minutes past two o&rsquo;clock they had passed three-quarters of
      their journey, and they perceived ahead the inviting coasts of France.
      But, in consequence either of the loss or the condensation of the
      inflammable gas, they found themselves once more descending. They then
      threw over their provisions, the wings of the car, and other objects. &ldquo;We
      were obliged,&rdquo; says Jeffries, &ldquo;to throw out the only bottle we had, which
      fell on the water with a loud sound, and sent up spray like smoke.&rdquo;
     </p>
    <p>
      They were now near the water themselves, and certain death seemed to stare
      them in the face. It is said that at this critical moment Jeffries offered
      to throw himself into the sea, in order to save the life of his companion.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;We are lost, both of us,&rdquo; said he; &ldquo;and if you believe that it will save
      you to be lightened of my weight, I am willing to sacrifice my life.&rdquo;
     </p>
    <p>
      This story has certainly the appearance of romance, and belief in it is
      not positively demanded.
    </p>
    <p>
      One desperate resource only remained&mdash;they could detach the car and
      hang on themselves to the ropes of the balloon. They were preparing to
      carry out this idea, when they imagined they felt themselves beginning to
      ascend again. It was indeed so. The balloon mounted once more; they were
      only four miles from the coast of France, and their progress through the
      air was rapid. All fear was now banished. Their exciting situation, and
      the idea that they were the first who had ever traversed the Channel in
      such a manner, rendered them careless about the want of certain articles
      of dress which they had discarded. At three o&rsquo;clock they passed over the
      shore half-way between Cape Blanc and Calais. Then the balloon, rising
      rapidly, described a great arc, and they found themselves at a greater
      elevation than at any part of their course. The wind increased in
      strength, and changed a little in its direction. Having descended to the
      tops of the trees of the forest of Guines, Dr. Jeffries seized a branch,
      and by this means arrested their advance. The valve was then opened, the
      gas rushed out, and the aeronauts safely reached the ground after the
      successful accomplishment of this daring and memorable enterprise.
    </p>
    <p>
      A number of horsemen, who had watched the recent course of the balloon,
      now rode up, and gave the adventurers the most cordial reception. On the
      following day a splendid fete was celebrated in their honour at Calais.
      Blanchard was presented with the freedom of the city in a box of gold, and
      the municipal body purchased the balloon, with the intention of placing it
      in one of the churches as a memorial of this experiment, it being also
      resolved to erect a marble monument on the spot where the famous aeronauts
      landed.
    </p>
    <p>
      Some days afterwards Blanchard was summoned before the king, who conferred
      upon him an annual pension of 1,200 livres. The queen, who was at play at
      the gambling table, placed a sum for him upon a card, and presented him
      with the purse which she won.
    </p>
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    <h2>
      Chapter VI. Zambeccari&rsquo;s Perilous Trip Across the Adriatic Sea.
    </h2>
    <p>
      There is not in the whole annals of aerostation a more moving catastrophe
      than that of the unfortunate Comte Zambeccari, who, during an aerial
      journey on October the 7th, 1804, was cast away on the waves of the
      Adriatic.
    </p>
    <p>
      The history of Zambeccari is dramatic throughout. After having been taken
      by the Turks and thrown into the Bay of Constantinople, from which he with
      difficulty escaped, he devoted himself to the study and practice of aerial
      navigation. He fancied he could make use of a lamp supplied with spirits
      of wine, the flame of which he could direct at will, in the hope of thus
      being able to steer the balloon in whatever direction he chose. One day
      his balloon damaged itself against a tree at Boulogne, and the spirits of
      wine set his clothes on fire. The flames with which the aeronaut was
      covered only served to increase the ascending power of the balloon, and
      the frightened spectators, among whom were Zambeccari&rsquo;s young wife and
      children, saw him carried up into the clouds out of sight. He succeeded,
      however, in extinguishing the fire which surrounded him.
    </p>
    <p>
      In 1804, he organised a series of experiments at Milan, for which he
      received, in advance, the sum of 8,000 crowns; but the experiments failed,
      in consequence of the inclemency of the weather, the treachery of his
      assistants, and the malice of his rivals.
    </p>
    <p>
      At length, on the 7th of October, after a fall of rain which lasted
      forty-eight hours, and which had delayed the announced ascent, he
      resolved, whatever might happen, to carry it out, though all the chances
      were against him. Eight young men whom he had instructed, and who had
      promised him their assistance in filling the balloon, failed him at the
      critical moment. Still, however, he continued his labours, with the help
      of two companions, Andreoli and Grassetti. Wearied with his long-continued
      efforts, dis-appointed and hungry, he took his place in the car.
    </p>
    <p>
      The two companions whom we have named went with him. They rose gently at
      first, and hovered over the town of Bologna. Zambeccari says, &ldquo;The lamp,
      which was intended to increase our ascending force, became useless. We
      could not observe the state of the barometer by the feeble light of a
      lantern. The insupportable cold that prevailed in the high region to which
      we had ascended, the weariness and hunger arising from my having neglected
      to take nourishment for twenty-four hours, the vexation that embittered my
      spirit&mdash;all these combined produced in me a total prostration, and I
      fell upon the floor of the gallery in a profound sleep that was like
      death. &lsquo;The same misfortune overtook my companion Grassetti. Andreoli was
      the only one who remained awake and able for duty&mdash;no doubt because
      he had taken plenty of food and a large quantity of rum. Still he suffered
      from the cold, which was excessive, and his endeavours to wake me were for
      a long time vain. Finally, however, he succeeded in getting me to my feet,
      but my ideas were confused, and I demanded of him, like one newly awaking
      from a dream, &lsquo;What is the news? Where are we? What time is it? How is the
      wind?&rsquo; 
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;It was two o&rsquo;clock. The compass had been broken, and was useless; the wax
      light in the lantern would not burn in such a rarefied atmosphere. We
      descended gently across a thick layer of whitish clouds, and when we had
      got below them, Andreoli heard a sound, muffled and almost inaudible,
      which he immediately recognised as the breaking of waves in the distance.
      Instantly he announced to me this new and fearful danger. I listened, and
      had not long to wait before I was convinced that he was speaking the
      truth. It was necessary to have light to examine the state of the
      barometer, and thus ascertain what was our elevation above the sea level,
      and to take our measures in consequence. Andreoli broke five phosphoric
      matches, without getting a spark of fire. Nevertheless, we succeeded,
      after very great difficulty, by the help of the flint and steel, in
      lighting the lantern. It was now three o&rsquo;clock in the morning&mdash;we had
      started at midnight. The sound of the waves, tossing with wild uproar,
      became louder and louder, and I suddenly saw the surface of the sea
      violently agitated just below us. I immediately seized a large sack of
      sand, but had not time to throw it over before we were all in the water,
      gallery and all. In the first moment of fright, we threw into the sea
      everything that would lighten the balloon&mdash;our ballast, all our
      instruments, a portion of our clothing, our money, and the oars. As, in
      spite of all this, the balloon did not rise, we threw over our lamp also.
      After having torn and cut away everything that did not appear to us to be
      of indispensable necessity, the balloon, thus very much lightened, rose
      all at once, but with such rapidity and to such a prodigious elevation,
      that we had difficulty in hearing each other, even when shouting at the
      top of our voices. I was ill, and vomited severely. Grassetti was bleeding
      at the nose; we were both breathing short and hard, and felt oppression on
      the chest. As we were thrown upon our backs at the moment when the balloon
      took such a sudden start out of the water and bore us with such swiftness
      to those high regions, the cold seized us suddenly, and we found ourselves
      covered all at once with a coating of ice. I could not account for the
      reason why the moon, which was in its last quarter, appeared on a parallel
      line with us, and looked red as blood.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;After having traversed these regions for half an hour, at an immeasurable
      elevation, the balloon slowly began to descend, and at last we fell again
      into the sea, at about four in the morning I cannot determine at what
      distance we were from land when we fell the second time. The night was
      very dark, the sea rolling heavily, and we were in no condition to make
      observations. But it must have been in the middle of the Adriatic that we
      fell. Although we descended gently, the gallery was sunk, and we were
      often entirely covered with water. The balloon being now more than half
      empty, in consequence of the vicissitudes through, which we had passed,
      gave a purchase to the wind, which pressed against it as against a sail,
      so that by means of it we were dragged and beaten about at the mercy of
      the storm and the waves. At daybreak we looked out and found ourselves
      opposite Pesaro, four miles from the shore. We were comforting ourselves
      with the prospect of a safe landing, when a wind from the land drove us
      with violence away over the open sea. It was now full day, but all we
      could see were the sea, the sky, and the death that threatened us.
      Certainly some boats happened to come within sight; but no sooner did they
      see the balloon floating and striping upon the water than they made all
      sail to get away from it. No hope was then left to us but the very small
      one of making the coasts of Dalmatia, which were opposite, but at a great
      distance from us. Without the slightest doubt we should have been drowned
      if heaven had not mercifully directed towards us a navigator who, better
      informed than those we had seen before, recognised our machine to be a
      balloon and quickly sent his long-boat to our rescue. The sailors threw us
      a stout cable, which we attached to the gallery, and by means of which
      they rescued us when fainting with exposure. The balloon thus lightened,
      immediately rose into the air, in spite of all the efforts of the sailors
      who wished to capture it. The long boat received a severe shock from its
      escape, as the rope was still attached to it, and the sailors hastened to
      cut themselves free. At once the balloon mounted with incredible rapidity,
      and was lost in the clouds, where it disappeared for ever from our view.
      It was eight in the morning when we got on board. Grassetti was so ill
      that he hardly showed any signs of life. His hands were sadly mutilated.
      Cold, hunger, and the dreadful anxiety had completely prostrated me. The
      brave captain of the vessel did everything in his power to restore us. He
      conducted us safely to Ferrara, whence we were carried to Pola, where we
      were received with the greatest kindness, and where I was compelled to
      have my fingers amputated.&rdquo;
     </p>
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    <h2>
      Chapter VII. Garnerin&mdash;Parachutes&mdash;Aerostation at Public Fetes.
    </h2>
    <p>
      &ldquo;On the 22nd October, 1797,&rdquo; says the astronomer Lalande, &ldquo;at twenty-eight
      minutes past five, Citizen Garnerin rose in a balloon from the park of
      Monceau. Silence reigned in the assembly, anxiety and fear being painted
      on the visages of all. When he had ascended upwards of 2,000 feet, he cut
      the cord that connected his parachute and car with the balloon. The latter
      exploded, and Garnerin descended in his parachute very rapidly. He made a
      dreadful lurch in the air, that forced a sudden cry of fear from the whole
      multitude, and made a number of women faint. Meanwhile Citizen Garnerin
      descended into the plain of Monceau; he mounted his horse upon the spot,
      and rode back to the park, attended by an immense multitude, who gave vent
      to their admiration for the skill and talent of the young aeronaut.
      Garnerin was the first to undertake this most daring and dangerous
      venture. He had conceived the idea of this feat while lying a prisoner of
      state in Buda, Hungary.&rdquo; Lalande adds that he went and announced his
      success at the Institute National, which was assembled at the time, and
      which listened to him with the greatest interest.
    </p>
    <p>
      Robertson conducted an experiment of descending by means of a parachute at
      Vienna, in 1804, in which he received all the glory, without partaking of
      any of the danger. He made the public preparations for an ascent in the
      balloon, his pupil, Michaud, however, took his place in the car, and made
      the ascent.
    </p>
    <p>
      Robertson says that on this occasion he yielded to the entreaties of a
      young man who was his pupil, and had begged to be allowed to make his
      debut before such a great multitude. In this case a slight improvement was
      made in the parachute. The car was surrounded by a cloth of silk, which,
      when the aeronaut cut himself away from the balloon, spread itself out in
      such a way as to form a second parachute.
    </p>
    <p>
      Robertson made all the preparations, and Michaud had no more to do than
      place himself in the car. Loud applause arose on all sides. Michaud had
      ascended 900 feet above the earth when the signal for his cutting himself
      clear of the balloon was given, by the firing of a cannon. He at once cut
      the two strings, and the balloon soared away into the upper regions,
      whilst he was left for one terrible moment to fate. The fall was at first
      rapid, but the two parachutes soon opened themselves simultaneously, and
      presented a majestic appearance. In a few seconds the aeronaut had
      traversed the space that intervened between him and the assembly, and
      found himself safely landed on the ground, at a short distance from the
      place whence he had set out, while the whole air was rent with shouts of
      applause. This experiment was deemed a most extraordinary one. Compliments
      were showered upon Robertson from all sides, and the court presented him
      with rich presents.
    </p>
    <p>
      Balloons have always formed a prominent feature at the fetes of Paris, for
      the celebration of the chief events of the Revolution, the Consulate, and
      the Empire&mdash;the first of these epochs being that in which these
      aerial vessels were held in highest esteem.
    </p>
    <p>
      Jacques Garnerin had played a brilliant role as aeronaut under the
      Directory, the Consulate, and the Empire; and it was he who after the
      coronation of the Emperor Napoleon I., was charged with the raising of a
      monster balloon, which was arranged to ascend, with the accompaniment of
      fireworks, on the evening of the 16th of December, 1804.
    </p>
    <p>
      An uncommon incident connected with this event serves to show us the
      spirit of fatalism with which the character of Napoleon I. was infected.
      &ldquo;The Man of Destiny&rdquo; believed in the destiny of man; he had faith in his
      star alone; and from the height of his greatness the new ruler,
      consecrated emperor and king by the Pope, beheld a presage of misfortune
      in a chance circumstance, insignificant to all but himself, in the
      experiment of which we are about to recount the history.
    </p>
    <p>
      The fete given by the city of Paris to their majesties embraced the whole
      town, from the Champs Elysees to the Barriere du Trone, on the square of
      the Hotel de Ville. Upon the river throughout its length between the Isle
      of St. Louis and the bridge of Notre Dame, an immense display of fireworks
      was to take place. The scene to be represented was the passage of Mont St.
      Bernard. Garnerin was stationed with his balloon in front of the gate of
      the church of Notre Dame. At eleven o&rsquo;clock in the evening, at the moment
      when the first discharge of fireworks made the air luminous with a hundred
      thousand stars, Garnerin threw off his immense balloon. The chief feature
      of it was the device of a crown, designed in coloured lanterns arranged
      round the globe. It rose splendidly, and with the most perfect success.
    </p>
    <p>
      On the following morning the inhabitants of Rome were astounded to behold
      advancing toward them from the horizon a luminous globe, which threatened
      to descend upon their city. The excitement was intense. The balloon passed
      the cupola of St. Peter&rsquo;s and the Vatican; then descending, it touched the
      ground, but rose again, and finally it sank into the wafers of Lake
      Bracciano.
    </p>
    <p>
      It was drawn from the water, and the following inscription, emblazoned in
      letters of gold upon its vast circumference, was printed, published, and
      read throughout the whole of Italy&mdash;&ldquo;Paris, 25eme Primaire, an XIII.,
      couronnement de l&rsquo;empereur Napoleon, 1er par S.S. Pie VII.&rdquo;
     </p>
    <p>
      In touching the earth, the balloon happened to strike against the tomb of
      the Emperor Nero, and, owing to the concussion, a portion of the crown was
      left upon this ancient monument. The Italian journals, which were not so
      strictly under the supervision of the government as were the journals of
      France, gave the full particulars of these minor events; and certain of
      them, connecting the names of Nero and Napoleon, indulged in malicious
      remarks at the expense of the French emperor. These facts came to the ear
      of the great general, who manifested much indignation, dismissed the
      innocent Garnerin from his post, and appointed Madame Blanchard to the
      supervision of all the balloon ascents which took place at the public
      fetes.
    </p>
    <p>
      The balloon was preserved in the vaults of the Vatican in Rome,
      accompanied with an inscription narrating its travels and wonderful
      descent&mdash;minus the circumstance of the tomb. It was removed, as might
      be supposed, in 1814. From this time the ascents of balloons took place
      for the most part only on the occasions of coronations and other great
      public fetes.
    </p>
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    <h2>
      Chapter VIII. Green&rsquo;s Great Journey Across Europe.
    </h2>
    <p>
      It is probable that at the origin of navigation, man, before he had
      invented oars and sails, made use of trunks of trees upon which he trusted
      himself, leaving the rest to the winds and the currents of the water,
      whether these were known or unknown. There is some analogy between such
      rude rafts, the first discovered means of navigation on water, and
      balloons, the first discovered means of navigation in air. But
      unquestionably the advantage is with the latter. No means have yet been
      found of directly steering balloons, but by allowing the gas to escape the
      aeronaut can descend at will, and by lightening his car of part of the
      ballast he carries he can ascend as readily. It must also be remembered
      that the currents of air vary in their directions, according to their
      elevation, and were the aeronaut perfectly acquainted with aerial
      currents, he might, by raising or lowering himself, find a wind blowing in
      the direction in which he wished to proceed, and the last problem of
      aerostation would be solved. That any such knowledge can ever be acquired
      it is impossible to say; but this much may with safety be advanced, that
      distant journeys may frequently be taken with balloons for useful
      purposes.
    </p>
    <p>
      One of the most remarkable excursions of this kind was that superintended
      by Green, in 1836, from London to Germany. This journey, 1,200 miles in
      length, is the longest that has been yet accomplished. Green set out from
      London on the 7th of November, 1836, accompanied by two friends&mdash;Monk-Mason,
      the historian of the journey, and a gentleman named Molland. Not knowing
      to what quarter of the globe he might be blown, Green provided himself
      with passports to all the states of Europe, and with a quantity of
      provisions sufficient to last him for some time, should he be driven by
      the wind over the sea. Shortly after mid-day the balloon rose with great
      grandeur, and, urged by a light breeze, floated to the south-east, over
      the plains of Kent. At four o&rsquo;clock the voyagers sighted the sea.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;It was forty-eight minutes past four,&rdquo; says Monk-Mason, &ldquo;that we first
      saw the line of waves breaking on the shores beneath us. It would have
      been impossible to have remained unmoved by the grandeur of the spectacle
      that spread out before us. Behind us were the coasts of England, with
      their white cliffs half lost in the coming darkness. Beneath us on both
      sides the ocean spread out far end wide to where the darkness closed in
      the scene. Opposite us a barrier of thick clouds like a wall, surmounted
      all along its line with projections like so many towers, bastions, and
      battlements, rose up from the sea as if to stop our advance. A few minutes
      afterwards we were in the midst of this cloudy barrier, surrounded with
      darkness, which the vapours of the night increased. We heard no sound. The
      noise of the waves breaking on the shores of England had ceased, and our
      position had for some time cut us off from all the sounds of earth.&rdquo;
     </p>
    <p>
      In an hour the Straits of Dover were cleared, the lights of Calais shone
      out toward the voyagers, and the sound of the town drums rose up toward
      them. &ldquo;Darkness was now complete,&rdquo; continues the writer, &ldquo;and it was only
      by the lights, sometimes isolated, sometimes seen in masses, and showing
      themselves far down on the earth beneath us, that we could form a guess of
      the countries we traversed, or of the towns and villages which appeared
      before us every moment. The whole surface of the earth for many leagues
      round showed nothing but scattered lights, and the face of the earth
      seemed to rival the vault of heaven with starry fires. Every moment in the
      earlier part of the night before men had betaken themselves to repose,
      clusters of lights appeared indicating large centres of population.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;Those on the horizon gave us the notion of a distant conflagration. In
      proportion as we approached them, these masses of lights appeared to
      increase, and to cover a greater space, until, when right over them, they
      seemed to divide themselves into different parts, to stretch out in long
      streets, and to shine in starry quadrangles round the squares, so that we
      could see the exact plan of each city, given as on a small map. It would
      be difficult to give an idea of what sort of effect such a scene in such
      circumstances produces. To find oneself transported in the darkness of
      night, in the midst of vast solitudes of air, unknown, unperceived, in
      secret and in silence, exploring territories, traversing kingdoms,
      watching towns which come into view, and pass out of it before one can
      examine them in detail&mdash;these circumstances are enough in themselves
      to render sublime a science which, independent of these adjuncts, would be
      so interesting. If you add to this the uncertainty which, increasing as we
      went on into the night, began to assail us respecting our voyage, our
      ignorance of where we were, and what were the objects we were attempting
      to discover, you may form some idea of our singular position.&rdquo;
     </p>
    <p>
      About midnight, the travellers found themselves above Liege. Situated in
      the midst of a thickly-peopled country, full of foundries, smelting works,
      and forges, this town was quite a blaze of light. The gas-lamps with which
      this town is so well lighted, clearly marked out for our travellers the
      main streets, the squares, and the public buildings. But after midnight,
      at which time the lamps in continental towns are mostly put out, the whole
      of the under world disappeared from the view of the aeronauts.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;After the turn of the night,&rdquo; says Mason, &ldquo;the moon did not show itself,
      and the heavens, always more sombre when regarded from great altitudes,
      seemed to us to intensify the natural darkness. On the other hand, by a
      singular contrast, the stars shone out with unusual brilliancy, and seemed
      like living sparks sown upon the ebony vault that surrounded us. In fact,
      nothing could exceed the intensity of the night which prevailed during
      this part of our voyage. A black profound abyss surrounded us on all
      sides, and, as we attempted to penetrate into the mysterious deeps, it was
      with difficulty we could beat back the idea and the apprehension that we
      were making a passage through an immense mass of black marble, in which we
      were enclosed, and which, solid to within a few inches of us, appeared to
      open up at our approach.&rdquo;
     </p>
    <p>
      Until three o&rsquo;clock the voyagers were in this state. The height of the
      balloon, as calculated by the barometer, was 2,000 feet. They had not then
      anything to fear from a disastrous encounter, when all at once a sudden
      explosion was heard, the silk of the balloon quivered, the car received a
      violent shock, and seemed to be shot suddenly into the gloomy abyss. A
      second explosion and a third succeeded, accompanied each time by this
      fearful shock to the car. The travellers soon found out that, owing to the
      great altitude, the gas had expanded, and the rope which surrounded it,
      saturated with water, and frozen with the intense cold, had yielded to the
      pressure, in jerks which caused the report and the shock.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;From time to time,&rdquo; continues Mason, &ldquo;vast masses of clouds covered the
      lower regions of the atmosphere, and spread a thick, whitish veil over the
      earth, intercepting our view, and leaving us for some time uncertain if
      this was not a continuation of the same plains covered with snow which we
      had already noticed. From these masses of vapour, there seemed more than
      once during the night to come a sound as of a great fall of water, or the
      contending waves of the sea; and it required all the force of our reason,
      joined to our knowledge&mdash;such as it was&mdash;of the direction of our
      route, to repress the idea that we were approaching the sea, and that,
      driven by the wind, we had, been carried along the coasts of the North Sea
      or the Baltic. As the day advanced these apprehensions disappeared. In
      place of the unbroken surface of the sea, we gradually made out the varied
      features of a cultivated country, in the midst of which flowed a majestic
      river, which lost itself, at both extremities, in the mist that still lay
      on the horizon.&rdquo;
     </p>
    <p>
      This river was the Rhine, and as the neighbourhood seemed suitable for a
      descent, and as the travellers did not wish to be carried too far into the
      heart of Europe, they allowed a portion of the gas to escape, came
      gradually down, and dropped their anchor.
    </p>
    <p>
      It was then half-past seven in the morning. It was only then that the
      inhabitants, who had hitherto held themselves aloof, watching the
      movements of the strangers from under the brushwood, began to assemble
      from all sides. A few words in German spoken from the balloon dissipated
      their fears, and, recovering from their mistrust, they hastened
      immediately to lend assistance to the aeronauts The latter were now
      informed that the place they had selected for their descent was in the
      Duchy of Nassau. The town of Wiberg, where Blanchard had descended, after
      his ascent at Frankfort in 1785 was, by a singular chance, only two
      leagues distant. The three aeronauts received a most flattering reception,
      and, in memory of the event, they placed the flag which they had borne in
      their car during their adventurous excursion in the ducal palace, side by
      side with that of Blanchard.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;Thus,&rdquo; says Mason, &ldquo;terminated an expedition which, whether we regard the
      extent of the journey, the length of time occupied in it, or the results
      which were the objects of the experiment, may justly be considered as one
      of the most interesting and most important ever undertaken. The best
      answer which one could give to those who would be disposed to criticise
      the employment of the peculiar means which we made use of, or to doubt
      their efficiency, would be to state that, after having traversed without
      hindrance, without either danger or difficulty, so large a portion of the
      European continent, we arrived at our destination still in possession of
      as much force as, had we wished it, might have carried us round the whole
      world.&rdquo;
     </p>
    <p>
      <a name="link2HCH0019" id="link2HCH0019">
      <!--  H2 anchor --> </a>
    </p>
    <div style="height: 4em;">
      <br /><br /><br /><br />
    </div>
    <h2>
      Chapter IX. The &ldquo;Geant&rdquo; Balloon.
    </h2>
    <p>
      Not a few of our readers will remember the ascent of Nadar&rsquo;s colossal
      balloon from Paris, on Sunday, the 18th of October, 1863. This balloon was
      remarkable as having attached to it a regular two-story house for a car.
      Its ascent was witnessed by nearly half a million of persons. The balloon,
      after passing over the eastern part of France, Belgium, and Holland,
      suffered a disastrous descent in Hanover the day after it started on its
      perilous journey. It was a fool-hardy enterprise to construct such a
      gigantic and unmanageable balloon, presenting such an immense surface to
      the atmosphere, and being so susceptible to adverse aerial currents as to
      become the helpless prey of the elements; and it was still more fool-hardy
      to place the lives of its passengers at the mercy of such terrible and
      ungovernable forces. A large section of the public laboured under the
      delusion that Nadar&rsquo;s balloon was one capable of being steered. In
      reality, however, the &lsquo;Geant&rsquo; was unquestionably the most rebellious and
      unruly specimen of its class that has been made since the days of
      Montgolfier. The object in view when this formidable monster was designed
      and constructed was to create the means to collect sufficient funds to
      form a &ldquo;Free Association for Aerial Navigation by means of MACHINES
      HEAVIER THAN AIR,&rdquo; and for the construction of machines on this principle.
      The receipts from the exhibition of the &ldquo;Geant&rdquo; were intended to form the
      first capital of the association. The hopes, however, of the promoters
      have not been realised in this respect; for while the expenses of the
      construction of the balloon have amounted, directly and indirectly, to the
      sum of L8,300, its two ascents in Paris and its exhibition in London
      produced only L3,300.
    </p>
    <p>
      Space forbids us to enter at length on the various stages of the idea of
      aerial navigation by means of an apparatus heavier than the atmosphere.
      The idea is not, however, by any means so absurd as it appears at first
      sight. Those who, like Arago, declare that the word &ldquo;impossible&rdquo; does not
      exist, except in the higher mathematics, and those who look hopefully to
      the future instead of resting content with the past, will join in
      applauding the spirit which dictated the manifesto of aerial locomotion to
      the founder of the association which we are about to describe. M. Babinet,
      speaking on this subject before the French Polytechnic Association, said:
      &ldquo;It is absurd to talk of guiding balloons. How will you set about it? How
      is it possible that a balloon&mdash;say, for instance, like the
      Flesselles, whose diameter measures 120 feet&mdash;can resist and
      manoeuvre against opposing winds or currents of air? It would require a
      power equal to 400 horses for the sails of a ship to struggle on equal
      terms with the wind. Suppose an impossibility, namely, that a balloon
      could carry with it a force equal to 400 horse-power; this result would be
      of little use, for under the immense weight the fragile covering of the
      balloon would instantly collapse. If all the horses of a regiment were
      harnessed to the car of a balloon by means of a long rope, the result
      would be that the balloon would fly into shivers, being too fragile to
      withstand these two opposing forces. Man must seek to raise himself in the
      air by another mode of operation altogether, if he wish to guide himself
      at the same time. Some time ago I bought a play thing, very much in vogue
      at that time, called a Stropheor. This toy was composed of a small
      rotating screw propeller, which revolved on its own support when the piece
      of string wound round it was pulled sharply. The screw was rather heavy,
      weighing nearly a quarter of a pound, and the wings were of tin, very
      broad and thick. This machine, however, was rather too eccentric for
      parlour use, for its flight was so violent that it was continually
      breaking the pier glass, if there was one in the room; and, failing this,
      it next attacked the windows. The ascending force of this machine is so
      great that I have seen one of them fly over Antwerp Cathedral, which is
      one of the highest edifices in the world. The air from underneath the
      machine is exhausted by the action of the screw, which, passing under the
      wings, causes a vacuum, while the air above it replenishes and fills this
      void, and under the influence of these two causes the apparatus mounts
      from the earth. But the problem is not solved by means of this plaything,
      whose motive power is exterior to it. Messrs. Nadar, Ponton, D&rsquo;Amecourt,
      and De la Landelle teach us better than this, although the wings of their
      different models are entirely unworthy of men who desire to demonstrate a
      truth to short-lived mortals. We have only arrived as yet at the infancy
      of the process, but we have made a good beginning, for, having once proved
      that a machine capable of raising itself in the air, wholly unaided from
      without, can be made, we have overcome with this apparently small result
      the whole difficulty. The principle of propulsion by means of a screw is
      by no means a novelty. It was first utilised in windmills, whose sails are
      nothing more nor less than an immense screw which is turned by the action
      of the wind on its surface. In the case of turbine water-wheels, where
      perhaps 970 cubic feet of water are utilised by means of a mechanism not
      larger than a hat, we see another illustration of it, with this
      difference, that water takes the place of wind as the motive power.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;The aerial screw is beset with great difficulties, but if we can succeed
      through its agency in raising even the smallest weight, we may be
      confident of being able to raise a heavier one, for a large machine is
      always more powerful in proportion to its size than a small one.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;Mlle. Garnerin once made a bet that she would guide herself in her
      descent from a considerable altitude towards a fixed spot on the earth at
      some distance, with no other help than the parachute; and she was really
      able to guide herself to within a few feet of the specified spot, by
      simply altering the inclination of the parachute.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;From observations in mountainous districts, where large birds of prey may
      be seen to the best advantage hovering with outstretched wings, I have
      come to the conclusion that they first of all attain the requisite height
      and then, extending their wings in the form of a parachute, let themselves
      glide gradually towards the desired spot. Marshal Niel confirms this
      opinion by his experience in the mountains of Algeria. It is, therefore,
      clear from these examples that we should possess the power of transporting
      ourselves from place to place if we could only discover a means of raising
      a weight perpendicularly in the air, which would then act as a capital of
      power, only requiring to be expended at will.&rdquo;
     </p>
    <p>
      From the foregoing remarks we may gather an idea of the importance which
      may be attached to aerial locomotion notwithstanding the successive
      failures of all those who have hitherto taken up the subject. We come now
      to the description of the memorable ascent of the &lsquo;Geant.&rsquo; 
    </p>
    <p>
      We learn from the very interesting account of the &lsquo;Geant,&rsquo; published at
      the time, all the mishaps and adventures it outlived from the time of the
      first stitch in its covering to its final inflation with gas. We must,
      however, be content to take up the narrative at the point at which the
      &lsquo;Geant,&rsquo; with thirteen passengers on board, had, in obedience to the order
      to &ldquo;let go,&rdquo; been released from the bonds which held it to the earth. The
      narrative is, as our readers will perceive, written in somewhat
      exaggerated language:&mdash;
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;The &lsquo;Geant&rsquo; gave an almost imperceptible shake on finding itself free,
      and then commenced to rise. The ascent was slow and gradual at first&mdash;the
      monster seemed to be feeling its way. An immense shout rose with it from
      the assembled multitude. We ascended grandly, whilst the deafening clamour
      of two hundred thousand voices seemed to increase. We leant over the edge
      of the car, and gazed at the thousands of faces which were turned towards
      us from every point of the vast plain, in every conceivable angle of which
      we were the common apex. We still ascended. The summits of the double row
      of trees which surround the Champ de Mars were already under us. We
      reached the level of the cupola of the Military School. The tremendous
      uproar still reached us. We glided over Paris in an easterly direction, at
      the height of about six hundred feet. Every one took up the best possible
      position on the six light cane stools, and on the two long bunks at either
      end of the car, and contemplated the marvellous panorama spread out under
      us, of which we never grew weary.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;There is never any dizziness in a balloon, as is often erroneously
      supposed, for in it you are the only point in space without any
      possibility of comparison with another, and therefore the means of
      becoming giddy are not at hand.&rdquo;
     </p>
    <p>
      A very experienced aeronaut, who numbers his ascents by hundreds, has
      assured me that he never knew of a single case of dizziness.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;The earth seems to unfold itself to our view like an immense and
      variegated map, the predominant colour of which is green in all its shades
      and tints. The irregular division of the country into fields made it
      resemble a patchwork counterpane. The size of the houses, churches,
      fortresses, was so considerably diminished as to make them resemble
      nothing so much as those playthings manufactured at Carlsruhe. This was
      the effect produced by a microscopic train, which whistled very faintly to
      attract our attention, and which seemed to creep along at a snail&rsquo;s pace,
      though doubtless going at the rate of thirty miles an hour, and was
      enveloped in a minute cloud of smoke. What a lasting impression this
      microscopic neatness makes on us! What is that white puff I see down
      there? the smoke of a cigar? No: it is a cloud of mist. It must be a
      perfect plain that we are looking at, for we cannot distinguish between
      the different altitudes of a bramble-bush and an oak a hundred years old!
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;It is one of the delights of an aeronaut to gaze on the familiar scenes
      of earth from the immense height of the car of a balloon! What earthly
      pleasure can compare with this! Free, calm, silent, roving through this
      immense and hospitable space, where no human form can harm me, I despise
      every evil power; I can feel the pleasure of existence for the first time,
      for I am in full possession, as on no other occasion, of perfect health of
      mind and body. The aeronauts of the &lsquo;Geant&rsquo; will scarcely condescend to
      pity those miserable mortals whom they can only faintly recognise by their
      gigantic works, which appear to them not more dignified than ant-hills!
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;The sun had already set behind the purple horizon in our rear. The
      atmosphere was still quite clear round the &lsquo;Geant,&rsquo; although there was a
      thick haze underneath, through which we could occasionally see lights
      glimmering from the earth. We had attained a sufficient altitude to be
      only just able to hear noises from villages that we left beneath us, and
      were beginning to enjoy the delicious calm and repose peculiar to aerial
      ascents.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;There is, however, a talk about dinner, or rather supper, and night is
      now fast approaching. Every one eats with the best possible appetite.
      Hams, fowls and dessert only appear to disappear with an equal
      promptitude, and we quench our thirst with bordeaux and champagne. I
      remind our companions of the pigeons we brought with us, and which are
      hanging in a cage outside the railing. I knew there was no danger of their
      flying away, so fearlessly opened the cage. The three or four birds I had
      put in the car seemed struck with terror. They flew awkwardly towards the
      centre of our party, tumbling among the plates and dishes and under our
      feet. It was not a case of hunger with them, and I ought to have
      remembered that their feeding time was long since past. I replaced them in
      their cage.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;Meanwhile, the sun has left us for some time. Our longing gaze followed
      it behind the dark clouds in the horizon, whose edges it tipped with a
      glorious purple. Its last rays shone on us, and then came a bluish-grey
      twilight. Suddenly we are enveloped in a dense fog. We look around, above
      us. Everything has disappeared in the mist. The balloon itself is no
      longer visible. We can see nothing except the ropes which suspend us, and
      these are only visible for a few feet above our heads, when they lose
      themselves in the fog. We are alone with our wickerwork house in an
      unfathomable vault.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;We still ascend, however, through the compact and terrible fog, which is
      so solid-looking as to seem capable of being carved into forms with a
      knife. As we were without a moon, and had no light at all, in fact, we
      were unable to distinguish nicely the different shades of colour in these
      thick clouds. Now and then, when the clouds seemed to be lighter, they had
      a bluish tinge; but the thicker ones were dirty and muddy-looking. Dante
      must have seen some like these.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;Water trickled down our faces, hands, and clothes, and the ropes and
      sides of our car.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;The water did not fall in rain-drops or in flakes, as it sometimes does
      in the tropics; but we were as completely saturated by this heavy,
      penetrating mist as if we had been under a waterfall. We still continued
      to traverse these rainy regions. The thick fog which the balloon dislodged
      in forcing a passage closed immediately after it. At one moment I thought
      I felt something press against my cheek, which could only be compared to
      the points of a thousand needles, or to floating particles of ice. We were
      all of us too much absorbed with our situation to think of the hour or of
      the height to which we had attained. Suddenly the Prince of Wittgenstein,
      who was standing at my left hand, cried out under his breath&mdash;
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;&lsquo;Look at the balloon, sir! look at the balloon!&rsquo; 
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;I raised my eyes, in company with several others, and shall never forget
      the magnificent sight which awaited them. I saw the balloon, for which I
      had been searching in vain a few minutes before. It had undergone a
      transformation. It looked now as if coated with silver, and floating in a
      pale phosphorescent glimmer. All the ropes and cords seemed to be of new,
      bright, and liquid silver, like mercury, caused by the mist which had
      rested on them becoming suddenly congealed. Two luminous arcs intervened
      between us, in a sea of mother-of-pearl and opal, the lower one being the
      colour of red ochre and the upper one orange. Both of them, blinding in
      their brilliancy, seemed about to embrace one another.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;&lsquo;How far are they off?&rsquo; thought I to myself. &lsquo;Can I touch them with my
      hand, or are they separated from me by an immense space?&rsquo; We are not
      capable of forming ideas of perspective, floating as we are in the midst
      of such a glimmering splendour.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;Above and around us are nothing but thick fogs and enormous black clouds,
      whose ragged edges and backs are relieved by a pale silver coating. They
      undulate ceaselessly to and fro, and either usurp quietly the place of
      others, or disappear only to be superseded by more formidable ones. But
      the last ray of reflected light has died out, and we plunge into this
      chaos of dreadful forms. Monsters seem to wish to approach us, and to
      envelop us in their dark embraces. One of them, on my right hand, looks
      like a deformed human arm in a menacing attitude, writhing its jagged top
      like a blind serpent feeling its way. The vague monster has disappeared;
      but the momentary splendour being followed by the original gloom, we
      plunge once more into a darkness that can be felt.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;The water which had collected on the balloon during its ascent now began
      to take effect, and caused it to descend with such rapidity into the dark
      abyss that the ballast, which was immediately thrown overboard, was
      overtaken in its descent and fell on our heads again.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;I hear exclamations and voices near me. My companions are evidently
      agitated, and with good reason, too; for the lights which we could see a
      long way below us approach with terrible rapidity. We reached the earth
      rather quicker than we left it.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;Suddenly we feel a dreadful shock, followed by ominous crackings. The car
      has grounded. The &lsquo;Geant&rsquo; has made its descent. But in what part of the
      habitable globe, and under what zone? At Meaux!&rdquo;
     </p>
    <p>
      To employ an expression of M. Nadar&rsquo;s it seems that these gentlemen never
      before experienced such a &ldquo;knock-down blow.&rdquo;
     </p>
    <p>
      After all these preparations, all this trouble, all the energy employed in
      the undertaking&mdash;sufficient, indeed, wherewith to attempt to cross
      the Atlantic&mdash;to &ldquo;descend at Meaux!&rdquo;
     </p>
    <p>
      The &lsquo;Geant,&rsquo; however, had its revenge. Its second ascent gave it this
      revenge. We shall be as brief as possible in relating this voyage; but the
      details are all so very interesting that we regret extremely our being
      unable to give more than extracts from the narrative.
    </p>
    <p>
      Our travellers committed themselves again to the mercy of the air. The
      Emperor, following the example of a former King of France, took
      considerable interest in the construction of this aerial monster, and
      wished the aeronaut &ldquo;Bon voyage&rdquo; at starting. The passengers endeavoured
      to pass the night as comfortably as possible, having first instituted a
      four hours&rsquo; watch, as on board ship.
    </p>
    <p>
      The aerial vessel glided rapidly through the air. &ldquo;We repeatedly,&rdquo; said
      Nadar, &ldquo;passed over some manufacturing centre, whose lights were not yet
      extinguished. I either hailed them with my speaking-trumpet or rang our
      two bells. Sometimes we received a reply from below, in the shape of a
      shout, for, although we still had no moon, the night was occasionally
      clear enough for people to distinguish us; and sometimes we heard a peal
      of laughter from out of the atmosphere in which we were travelling. It was
      another party of aeronauts in a smaller balloon, who left at the same time
      as we did, and who would persist in keeping the &lsquo;Geant&rsquo; company. We are
      passing over a small town; we hear the usual shouting and the report of a
      gun. Our first thoughts are&mdash;Was it loaded with shot or ball? The
      inhuman brute who fired will say, &lsquo;Certainly not;&rsquo; but as balloons have
      often been damaged in this way, we may be confident there was more than
      powder in this one. It would be satisfactory, at any rate, if the name of
      the person could be ascertained who favoured us with this welcome. But it
      is rather late to make inquiries on this subject. It was between a quarter
      and half-past nine o&rsquo;clock when this occurred. &lsquo;The sea!&rsquo; cried Jules;
      &lsquo;look at the revolving lights of the lighthouses. There: one has just
      disappeared: it will flash out again in a moment!&rsquo; But what is this?
      Before us, as far as our eyes can reach, we distinguish faint lights,
      which in this case are neither lamps nor torches. As we continue to draw
      nearer we get a better view of these numerous, violent, and smoking
      furnaces. Loud and ringing sounds strike on our ear at the same time. Am I
      right in my conjectures? Is this not that splendid country I love more
      than ever now? It must be Erquelines! And the dignified Custom-house
      official, had it been possible, would have added thereto &lsquo;Belgium!&rsquo; 
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;We still continue to pass over fires, forges, tall chimneys, and coal
      mines at frequent intervals. Not long after we distinguish a large town on
      our right hand, which, by its size and brilliant lighting by gas, we
      recognise as Brussels. There could be no mistake, for close by, more
      modest in size and appearance, we see Catholic Malines. We have left it
      behind us.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;Onward! Onward! Behind us the fires fade gradually away, and disappear
      one after another. Before us nothing at present visible. We seemed to
      drift on for about one hundred or one hundred and fifty yards more. We
      cannot distinguish a single point in front of us on which to fix our gaze.
      But we still continue our course in silence.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;This mournful darkness, this endless shroud, in which we can discover
      neither rent nor spangle, still continues. Where are we? Over what strange
      country, possessing neither cities, towns, nor villages, are we hovering
      in the tomb-like silence of this interminable darkness? We seem, indeed,
      to have been carried by a puff of wind towards the west.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;But something seems to approach us. What are those pale rays of light
      which we can faintly see a long, long way before us&mdash;rays pale and
      soft, quite unlike those flaming fires we have left behind us? Surely
      these do not denote the presence of human activity! As we continue to
      advance, these pale flakes of light&mdash;resembling nothing so much in
      appearance as molten lead&mdash;which at first were scanty and isolated,
      gradually expand, and leave only narrow strips of darkness to divide them
      into fantastic shapes. By their help we discovered we were passing over
      the immense marshes of Holland, which extended to and lost themselves in
      the hazy horizon. On our right hand we hear a deep moan, still distant,
      but rapidly approaching every moment. It is undoubtedly the rushing of the
      wind. A fresh breeze for five minutes would bring us to the sea.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;We experienced another shock not less formidable than the first. The
      &lsquo;Geant&rsquo; is trembling from its effects. The cable of our first anchor has
      just broken like a piece of thread. We could not hope for a better result.
      The violence of the wind which is carrying us along seems to be redoubled.
      A bump: another and another&mdash;then shock after shock.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;&lsquo;The second dead men!&rsquo; 
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;Our swift pace was shock after shock.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;&lsquo;The anchor is lost,&rsquo; cries Jules; &lsquo;we are all dead men!
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;This truth is too palpable to all of us to require expressing in so many
      words, for we are just commencing that furious, tearing course called
      &lsquo;trailing.&rsquo; 
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;Our swift pace was considerably accelerated by the lower part of the
      balloon, which&mdash;limp, empty, and forming nearly a third of the whole&mdash;had
      been set free at the first shock, and flapped against the distended part,
      acting as a sail. The shocks continued to multiply so fast that it was
      impossible to count them. The car continued to rebound from these shocks
      to the height of five, ten, sometimes thirty, forty, and even fifty feet,
      for all the world like an India-rubber ball from the hands of an
      indefatigable player. Unfortunately, all our human freight, terror
      stricken and without advice, had crowded into one side of the car; and as
      this happened to be the side on which we invariably bumped, we experienced
      all the worst effects of the joltings.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;What a dizzy whirl! What a succession of breathless shocks! What a strain
      on both muscles and nerves! By the least negligence or slip, or by the
      loss of presence of mind for one moment, we should have been thrown out
      and dashed to atoms.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;Every collision tries our muscles and strains our wrists or our
      shoulders; and every rebound dashes us one against the other, constituting
      each individual a tormentor and victim at the same time. Our flight is so
      rapid that we can only distinguish an occasional glimpse of anything. Far,
      far in the distance we distinguish an isolated tree. We approach it like
      lightning, and we break it as though it were a straw.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;Two terrified horses, with manes and tails erect, endeavour to fly from
      us. But we consume distances; we leave them behind immediately. We skip
      over a flock of affrighted sheep in one of our bounds. But now comes the
      real danger.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;At this moment, when we were perfectly benumbed with fear, and had lost
      all power of articulation, we saw a locomotive, drawing two carriages,
      running along an embankment at right angles to our course. A few more
      revolutions of the wheels, and it will be all over with us, for we seem to
      be fated to meet with geometrical precision at one spot!
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;What will happen?
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;Travelling at our present hurricane pace, we shall undoubtedly lift up
      and overturn the machine and what it is drawing. But shall we not be
      crushed ourselves? A few paces still intervene between us and our foe, and
      we give vent to a shout of terror.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;It is heard, and the locomotive answers it by a whistle, then slackens
      its pace, and after seeming to hesitate an instant backs quickly and only
      just in time to give us a free passage, whilst the driver, waving his cap,
      salutes us with&mdash;
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;&lsquo;Look out for the wires!&rsquo; 
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;The caution was well timed, for we had not noticed the four telegraph
      wires which we rapidly approached. We energetically ducked our heads on
      seeing them, but fortunately we escaped any more damage than having two or
      three of our ropes cut. These we continued to drag after us like the tail
      of a ragged comet, having the telegraph-wires and the posts which lately
      supported them attached to us.&rdquo;
     </p>
    <p>
      After having been dragged thus for some time at the mercy of a hurricane
      which they ought to have been able to avoid, these aerial navigators at
      last got entangled in the outskirts of a wood near Rethem, in Hanover. A
      few broken arms and legs paid for their temerity in meddling with this
      monster, and one and all of the passengers have reason to be thankful that
      it will be unnecessary for us to proclaim their virtues and their fate in
      our next chapter.
    </p>
    <p>
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      <br /><br /><br /><br />
    </div>
    <h2>
      Chapter X. The Necrology of Aeronautic
    </h2>
    <p>
      We will conclude this second part by giving a brief notice of some of
      those who, in the early days of aerostation, fell martyrs to their
      devotion to the new cause, and sometimes victims to their own want of
      foresight and their inexperience.
    </p>
    <p>
      First among these is Pilatre des Roziers, with whose courage and ingenuity
      our readers are already familiar. After the passage of Blanchard from
      England over to France this hero, who was the first to trust himself to
      the wide space of the sky, resolved to undertake the return voyage from
      France to England&mdash;a more difficult feat, owing to the generally
      adverse character of the winds and currents. In vain did Roziers&rsquo; friends
      attempt to make him understand the perils to which this enterprise must
      expose him; his only reply was that he had discovered a new balloon which
      united in itself all the necessary conditions of security, and would
      permit the voyager to remain an unusually long time in the air. He asked
      and obtained from government the sum of 40,000 livres, in order to
      construct his machine. It then became clear what sort of balloon he had
      contrived. He united in one machine the two modes previously made use of
      in aerostation. Underneath a balloon filled with hydrogen gas, he
      suspended a Montgolfiere, or a balloon filled with hot air from a fire. It
      is difficult to understand what was his precise object in making this
      combination, for his ideas seem to have been confused upon the subject. It
      is probable that, by the addition of a Montgolfiere, he wished to free
      himself from the necessity of having to throw over ballast when he wished
      to ascend and to let off this gas when he wished to descend. The fire of
      the Montgolfiere might, he probably supposed, be so regulated as to enable
      him to rise or fall at will.
    </p>
    <p>
      This mixed system has been justly blamed. It was simply &ldquo;putting fire
      beside powder,&rdquo; said Professor Charles to Roziers; but the latter would
      not listen, and depended for everything on his own intrepidity and
      scientific skill of which he had already given so many proofs. There were,
      perhaps, other reasons for his unyielding obstinacy. The court that had
      furnished him with the funds for the construction of the balloon pressed
      him, and he himself was most ambitious to equal the achievement of
      Blanchard, who was the first to cross the Channel, on the 7th of January,
      1785.
    </p>
    <p>
      The fact was that at this time the prevailing fear in France was, that
      Great Britain should bear off all the honours and profits of aerostation
      before any of these had been won by France. It was thus that with an
      untried machine, and under conditions the most unfavourable for his
      enterprise, Roziers prepared to risk his life in this undertaking, which
      was equally dangerous and useless.
    </p>
    <p>
      The double balloon was alternately inflated and emptied. While under cover
      it was assailed by the rats that gnawed holes in it, and when brought out
      of its place it was exposed to the tempests, so that the longer the
      experiment was delayed, the worse chance there was of getting through it
      successfully. At length Roziers went to Boulogne, and announced the day of
      his departure; but, as if by a special Providence, his attempt was delayed
      by unfavourable weather. For many weeks in succession the little trial
      balloons thrown up to show the course of the wind were driven back upon
      the shores of France. During all these trials the impatient Roziers
      continued to chafe and torment himself.
    </p>
    <p>
      At last, on the 13th and 14th of June, 1785, the Aero-Montgolfiere
      remained inflated, waiting a favourable moment for departure. On the 15th
      at four in the morning, a little pilot balloon that had been thrown up
      fell back on the spot from which it had been thrown free, thus showing
      that there was no wind. Seven hours later Roziers, accompanied by his
      brother Romain, one of the constructors of the balloon, appeared in the
      gallery. A nobleman present threw a purse of 200 louis into the car, and
      was preparing to follow it and join in the adventure. Roziers forbade him
      to enter, gently but firmly.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;The experiment is too unsafe,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;for me to expose to danger the
      life of another.&rdquo;
     </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;Finally,&rdquo; says a narrative of the time, &ldquo;the Aero-Montgolfiere rose in an
      imposing manner. The sound of cannon signalised the departure, the
      voyagers saluted the crowd, who responded with loud shouts. The balloon
      advanced until it began to traverse the sea, and every one with eyes fixed
      upon the fragile machine, regarded it with fear. It had traversed upwards
      of a league of its journey, and had reached the height of 700 feet above
      sea level, when a wind from the west drove it back toward the shore, after
      having been twenty-seven minutes in the air.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;At this moment the crowd beneath perceived that the voyagers were showing
      signs of alarm. They seemed suddenly to lower the grating of the
      Montgolfiere. But it was too late. A violet flame appeared at the top of
      the balloon, then spread over the whole globe, and enveloped the
      Montgolfiere and the voyagers. &ldquo;The unfortunate men were suddenly
      precipitated from the clouds to the earth, in front of the Tour de Croy,
      upwards of a league from Boulogne, and 300 feet from the sea beach.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;The dead body of Roziers was found burnt in the gallery, many of the
      bones being broken. His brother was still breathing, but he was not able
      to speak, and in a few minutes he expired.&rdquo;
     </p>
    <p>
      De Maisonfort, who, against his own will, was left on the earth, was
      witness of this sad event. He has given the following explanation of it:&mdash;
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;Some minutes after their departure the voyagers were assailed by contrary
      winds, which drove them back again upon the land. It is probable that
      then, in order to descend and seek a more favourable current of air, which
      would take them out again to sea, Roziers opened the valve of the gas
      balloon; but the cord attached to this valve was very long, it worked with
      difficulty, and the friction which it occasioned tore the valve. The stuff
      of the balloon, which had suffered much from many preliminary attempts,
      and from other causes, was torn to the extent of several yards, and the
      valve fell down inside the balloon, which at once emptied itself.&rdquo;
     </p>
    <p>
      According to this narrative, there was no conflagration of the gas in the
      middle of the atmosphere, nor is it stated precisely whether the grating
      of the Montgolfiere was lighted.
    </p>
    <p>
      Maisonfort ran to the spot when the travellers fell, found them covered
      with the cloth of the balloon, and occupying the same positions which they
      had taken up on departing.
    </p>
    <p>
      By a sad chance, that seems like irony, they were thrown down only a few
      paces from the monument which marks the spot where Blanchard descended. At
      the present day Frenchmen going to England via Calais do not fail to visit
      at the forest of Guines the monument consecrated to the expedition of
      Blanchard. A few paces from this monument the cicerone will point out with
      his finger the spot where his rivals expired.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;Such was the end of the first of aeronauts, and the most courageous of
      men,&rdquo; says a contemporaneous historian. &ldquo;He died a martyr to honour and to
      zeal. His kindness, amiability, and modesty endeared him to all who knew
      him. She who was dearest to him&mdash;a young English lady, who boarded at
      a convent at Boulogne, and whom he had first met only a few days prior to
      his last ascent&mdash;could not support the news of his death. Horrible
      convulsions seized her and she expired, it is said, eight days after the
      dreadful catastrophe. Roziers died at the age of twenty-eight and a half
      years.&rdquo;
     </p>
    <p>
      Olivari perished at Orleans on the 25th of November, 1802. He had ascended
      in a Montgolfiere made of paper, strengthened only by some bands of cloth.
      His car, made of osiers, and loaded with combustible matter, was suspended
      below the grating; and when at a great elevation it became the prey of the
      flames. The aeronaut, thus deprived of his support, fell, at the distance
      of a league from the spot from which he had risen.
    </p>
    <p>
      Mosment made his last ascent at Lille on the 7th of April, 1806. His
      balloon was made of silk, and was filled with hydrogen gas. Ten minutes
      after his departure he threw into the air a parachute with which he had
      provided himself. It is supposed that the oscillations consequent on the
      throwing off of the parachute were the cause of they aeronaut&rsquo;s fall. Some
      pretend that Mosment had foretold his death, and that it was caused by a
      willful carelessness. However this may be, the balloon continued its
      flight alone, and the body of the aeronaut was found partly buried in the
      sand of the fosse which surrounds the town.
    </p>
    <p>
      Bittorff made a great many successful ascents. He never used any machine
      but the Montgolfiere. At Manheim, on the 17th of July, the day of his
      death his balloon, which was of paper, sixteen metres in diameter, and
      twenty in height, took fire in the air, and the aeronaut was thrown down
      upon the town. His fall was mortal.
    </p>
    <p>
      Harris, an old officer of the English navy, together with another English
      aeronaut, named Graham, had made a great many ascents. He conceived the
      idea of constructing a balloon upon an original plan; but his alterations
      do not seem to have been improvements. In May, 1824, he attempted an
      ascent from London, which had much apparent success, but which terminated
      fatally. When at a great elevation, it seems, the aeronaut, wishing to
      descend, opened the valve. It had not been well constructed, and after
      being opened it would not close again. The consequent loss of gas brought
      the balloon down with great force. Harris lost his life with the fall; but
      the young lady who had accompanied him received only a trifling wound.
    </p>
    <p>
      Sadler, a celebrated English aeronaut, who, in one of his many
      experiments, had crossed the Irish Channel between Dublin and Holyhead,
      lost his life miserably near Bolton, on the 28th of September, 1824.
      Deprived of his ballast, in consequence of his long sojourn in the air,
      and forced at last to descend, at a late hour, upon a number of high
      buildings, the wind drove him violently against a chimney. The force of
      the shock threw him out of his car, and he fell to the earth and died. His
      prudence and knowledge were unquestionable, and his death is to be
      ascribed alone to accident. It was an aerial shipwreck.
    </p>
    <p>
      Cocking had gone up twice in Mr. Green&rsquo;s balloon as a simple amateur. He
      took it into his head to go up a third time. He wished to attempt a
      descent in a parachute of his own construction, which he believed was
      vastly superior to the ordinary one. He altered the form altogether,
      though that form had been proved to be satisfactory. In place of a concave
      surface, supporting itself on a volume of air, Cocking used an inverted
      cone, of an elaborate construction, which, instead of supporting him in
      the air, only accelerated his fall. Unhappily, Green participated in this
      experiment. The two made an ascent from Vauxhall, on the 27th of
      September, 1836, Green having suspended Cocking&rsquo;s wretched contrivance
      from the car of his balloon. Cocking held on by a rope, and at the height
      of from 1,000 to 1,200 feet the amateur, with his patent parachute, were
      thrown off from the balloon. A moment afterwards Green was soaring away
      safely in his machine, but Cocking was launched into eternity.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;The descent was so rapid,&rdquo; says one who witnessed it, &ldquo;that the mean rate
      of the fall was not less than twenty yards a second. In less than a minute
      and a half the unfortunate aeronaut was thrown to the earth, and killed by
      the fall.&rdquo;
     </p>
    <p>
      Madame Blanchard, thinking to improve upon Garnerin, who had decorated the
      balloon which ascended in celebration of the coronation of Napoleon I.
      with coloured lights, fixed fireworks instead to hers. A wire rope ten
      yards long was suspended to her car; at the bottom of this wire rope was
      suspended a broad disc of wood, around which the fireworks were ranged.
      These consisted of Bengal and coloured lights. On the 6th of July, 1819,
      there was a great fete at Tivoli, and a multitude had assembled around the
      balloon of Madame Blanchard. Cannon gave the signal of departure, and soon
      the fireworks began to show themselves. The balloon rose splendidly, to
      the sound of music and the shoutings of the people. A rain of gold and
      thousands of stars fell from the car as it ascended. A moment of calm
      succeeded, and then to the eyes of the spectators, still fixed on the
      balloon, an unexpected light appeared. This light did not come from under
      the balloon, where the crown of fireworks was already extinguished, but
      shone in the car itself. It was evident that the lady aeronaut, although
      now so high above the spectators, was busy about something. The light
      increased, then disappeared suddenly; then appeared again, and showed
      itself finally at the summit of the balloon, in the form of an immense jet
      of gas. The gas with which the balloon was inflated had taken fire, and
      the terrible glare which the light threw around was perceived from the
      boulevards, and all the Quartier Montmartre.
    </p>
    <p>
      It was at this moment&mdash;a frightful one for those who perceived what
      had taken place&mdash;that a general sentiment of satisfaction and
      admiration among the spectators found vent in cries of &ldquo;Brava! Vive Madame
      Blanchard!&rdquo; &amp;c. The people thought the lady was giving them an
      unexpected treat. Meantime, by the light of the flame, the balloon was
      seen gradually to descend. It disappeared when it reached the houses, like
      a passing meteor, or a train of fire which a blast of wind suddenly
      extinguishes. A number of workmen and other persons, who had perceived
      that some accident had taken place, ran in the direction in which the
      balloon appeared to descend. They arrived at a house in the Rue de
      Provence. On the roof of this house the balloon had fallen, and the
      unfortunate Madame Blanchard, thrown out of the car by the shock, was
      killed by her fall to the earth.
    </p>
    <p>
      This news spread rapidly from Tivoli, where it occasioned a stupefying
      surprise. It was the first time that a fall of the kind had taken place
      from the sky at Paris. Fireworks were from this time discontinued, the
      fete came to an end, and a subscription was rapidly organised, producing
      some thousands of francs, which shortly afterwards were employed in
      erecting a monument to the lady, which is now to be seen in the cemetery
      of Pere-la-Chaise.
    </p>
    <p>
      Madame Blanchard had wished to surpass the ordinary spectacle of an aerial
      ascent; she had really prepared a SURPRISE for the spectators. She had
      prepared and she took with her a small parachute of about two yards in
      diameter. After the extinction of the crown or star of fireworks, she
      intended to throw this little parachute loose; and as it was terminated by
      another supply of fireworks, it was supposed that the effect would be as
      beautiful as surprising.
    </p>
    <p>
      The unhappy lady was small in stature, and very light, and unfortunately
      made use of a very small balloon. That of the 6th of July, 1819, was only
      seven metres in diameter; and to make it ascend with the weight it carried
      it had to be filled to the neck with inflammable air. In quitting the
      earth some of this gas escaped, and rising above the balloon, formed a
      train like one of powder, which would certainly flash into a blaze the
      moment it came in contact with the fire. But on this day it was she who
      with her own hand fired this train. At the moment when, detaching the
      little parachute from her car, she took the light for the fireworks in her
      other hand, she crossed this train with the light and set it on fire. Then
      the brave woman, throwing away the parachute and the match, strove to
      close the mouth of the balloon, and to stifle the fire. These efforts
      being unavailing, Madame Blanchard was distinctly seen to sit down in her
      car and await her fate.
    </p>
    <p>
      The burning of the hydrogen lasted several minutes, during which time the
      balloon gradually descended. Had it not been that it struck on the roof of
      the house Madame Blanchard would have been saved. At the moment of the
      shock she was heard to cry out, &ldquo;A moi.&rdquo; These were her last words. The
      car, going along the roof of the house, was caught by an iron bar and
      overturned, and the lady was thrown head foremost upon the pavement.
    </p>
    <p>
      When she reached the ground she immediately expired. Her head and
      shoulders were slightly burnt, otherwise she exhibited no marks of the
      fire which had destroyed the balloon.
    </p>
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    <h2>
      PART III. Scientific Experiments&mdash;Applications of Ballooning.
    </h2>
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    <h2>
      Chapter I. Experiments of Robertson, Lhoest, Saccarof, &amp;c.
    </h2>
    <p>
      Robertson is regarded by many as a sort of mountebank; yet such men as
      Arago have put themselves to the trouble of examining the aerostatic feats
      of this aeronaut, and of examining the results of his observations.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;The savant Robertson,&rdquo; says Arago, &ldquo;performed at Hamburg on the 18th of
      July, 1803, with his countryman, Lhoest, the first aeronautic voyage from
      which science has been able to draw useful deductions. The two aeronauts
      remained suspended in the air during five hours, and came down near
      Hanover, twenty-five leagues from the spot from which they set off.&rdquo;
     </p>
    <p>
      The first time that Robertson appears in the annals of aerostation is in
      1802, on the occasion of the sale of the balloon used at the battle of
      Fleurus, of which mention will be made in the chapter on military
      aerostation. But three years previously he had been instructed to make a
      balloon of an original form, which should ascend in honour of the Turkish
      ambassador at the garden of Tivoli. The fete was completely successful.
      Turks, Chinese, Persians, and Bedouins will always be welcome, as on this
      occasion, at Paris, appearing as they do only at rare intervals, and for a
      short time.
    </p>
    <p>
      The fete took place on the 2nd of July. Robertson presented himself at the
      house of Esseid-Ali, to obtain his autograph. The Turkish ambassador
      willingly granted the request, and wrote his name in letters, each of
      which was two inches in height, on a sheet of paper. He then offered the
      aeronaut coffee and comfits, and promised to be present to witness the
      balloon ascent. His name was painted in large characters on a balloon
      fifteen feet in diameter, and on the form of which was the figure of a
      crescent. The experiment delighted the ambassador, and was well received
      by the public.
    </p>
    <p>
      Jacques Garnerin, when he came to make his debut as an aeronaut, made an
      attempt with the parachute, the following August, at the garden of the
      Hotel de Biron. The ambassador was asked to honour the fete, but he
      declined, saying that he had &ldquo;made up his mind that man was not intended
      for flying&mdash;Mahomet had not so willed it.&rdquo;
     </p>
    <p>
      Of one of Robertson&rsquo;s more interesting ascents he himself has left us the
      following sketch:&mdash;
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;I rose in the balloon at nine a.m., accompanied by my fellow-student and
      countryman, M. Lhoest. We had 140 lbs. of ballast. The barometer marked
      twenty-eight inches; the thermometer sixteen degrees Reaumur. In spite of
      some slight wind from the north-west, the balloon mounted so
      perpendicularly that in all the streets each of the spectators believed we
      were mounting straight up above his head. In order to quicken our ascent I
      discharged a parachute made of silk, and weighted in a way to prevent
      oscillations. The parachute descended at the rate of two feet per second,
      and its descent was uniform. From the moment when the barometer began to
      sink we became very careful of our ballast, as we wished to test from
      experience the different temperatures through which we were about to pass.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;At 10.15, the barometer was at nineteen inches, and the thermometer at
      three above zero. We now felt all the inconvenience of an extremely
      rarefied atmosphere coming upon us, and we commenced to arrange some
      experiments in atmospheric electricity. Our first attempts did not
      succeed. We threw over part of our ballast, and mounted up till the cold
      and the rarefaction of the air became very troublesome. During our
      experiments we experienced an illness throughout our whole system. Buzzing
      in the cars commenced, and went on increasing. The pain we felt was like
      that which one feels when he plunges his head in water. Our chests seemed
      to be dilated, and failed in elasticity. My pulse was quickened, M.
      Lhoest&rsquo;s became slower; he had, like me, swelled lips and bleeding eyes;
      the veins seemed to come out more strongly on the hands. The blood ran to
      the head, and occasioned a feeling as if our hats were too tight. The
      thermometer continued to descend, and, as we ascended, our illness
      increased, and we could with difficulty keep awake. Fearing that my
      travelling companion might go to sleep, I attached a cord to my thigh and
      to his, and we held the extremities of the cord in our hands. Thus
      trammelled, we had to commence the experiments which I had proposed to
      make.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;At this elevation, the glass, the brimstone, and the Spanish wax were not
      electrified in a manner to show any signs under friction&mdash;at least, I
      obtained no electricity from the conductors or the electrometer.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;I had in my car a voltaic pile, consisting of sixty couples&mdash;silver
      and zinc. It worked very well on the occasion of our departure from the
      earth, and gave, without the condenser, one degree to the electrometer. At
      our great elevation, the pile gave only five-sixths of a degree to the
      same electrometer. The galvanic flame seemed more active at this elevation
      than on the earth.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;I took two birds with me on coming into the balloon&mdash;one of these
      was now dead, the other appeared stupefied. After having placed it upon
      the brink of the gondola, I tried to frighten it to make it take to
      flight. It moved its wings, but did not leave the spot; then I left it to
      itself, and it fell perpendicularly and with great rapidity. Birds are
      certainly not able to maintain themselves at such elevations.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;It is notable that the atmosphere, which was of a perfect purity near the
      earth, was grey and misty above our heads, and the beautiful blue sky seen
      from the surface did not exist for us, although the weather was calm and
      serene, and the day the most beautiful that could be. The sun did not seem
      dazzling to us, and its heat was diminished owing to our elevation.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;At half-past eleven, the balloon was no longer visible from Hamburg. The
      heavens were so pure beneath us that everything was distinctly seen by us,
      though very much diminished by distance. At 11.40, the town of Hamburg
      seemed only a red point in our eyes; the Elbe looked like a straight
      ribbon. I wished to make use of an opera-glass, but what surprised me was
      that when I lifted it up it was so cold that I had to wrap my handkerchief
      around it to enable me to hold it.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;Not being able to support our position any longer, we descended, after
      having used up much gas and ballast. Our descent caused that degree of
      terror among the inhabitants which the size of our balloon was calculated
      to inspire in a country where such machines had never before been seen. We
      descended above a poor village called Radenburg, a place amid the heaths
      of Hanover. Our appearance caused great alarm, and even the beasts of the
      field fled from us.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;While our balloon rapidly approached the earth, we waved our hats and
      flags, and shouted to the inhabitants, but our voices only increased their
      terror. The villagers rushed away with cries of terror, leaving their
      herds, whose bellowings increased the general alarm. When the balloon
      touched the ground, every man had shut himself up in his own house. Having
      appealed in vain, and fearing that the villagers might do us some injury,
      we resolved to re-ascend.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;In making this second ascent, we threw over all our ballast; but in this
      we were imprudent, for after sailing about at a great height, and having
      lost much gas, I perceived that our descent would be very rapid, and to
      provide against accident, I gathered together all the instruments, the
      bread, the ropes, and even such money as we had with us, and placed them
      in three sacks, to which I attached a rope of a hundred feet in length.
      This precaution saved us a shock. The weight, amounting to thirty pounds,
      reached the ground before us, and the balloon, thus lightened, came softly
      to the ground between Wichtenbech and Hanover, after having run
      twenty-five leagues in five and a half hours.&rdquo;
     </p>
    <p>
      After this ascent Robertson became acquainted with some savants of
      Hamburg, and amongst others with Professor Pfaff, who was interested in
      aerial travelling as a means of settling certain meteorological problems.
      Some days after Robertson&rsquo;s ascent, the professor wrote to him&mdash;
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;You speak of a certain height at which the hydrogen gas will find itself
      in equilibrium in the air of the atmosphere. I believe that this height is
      the extremity of the atmosphere itself; for as the gas has an elasticity
      much greater than that of the air, it will go on dilating as it mounts
      into the higher regions of the atmosphere, and its specific weight will
      diminish as the weight of atmospheric air diminishes; and it will not
      cease to mount until it rises above the atmosphere itself, if two
      conditions be completely fulfilled&mdash;1, the condition that the gas may
      be allowed to dilate without leaving the balloon as it rises; 2, the
      condition that the gas shall not be allowed to mix at all with the
      atmospheric air.&rdquo;
     </p>
    <p>
      Another ascent was arranged for the 14th of August, in which Robertson was
      to be accompanied by the professor, but the latter, yielding to the
      entreaties of his family, did not go. &ldquo;I went up with my friend Lhoest,&rdquo;
       says Robertson, &ldquo;at forty-two minutes past twelve midday. In a minute or
      two we rose up between two masses of cloud, which seemed to open up and
      offer us a passage. The upper surfaces of these clouds are not uniformly
      level, like the under sides seen from the earth, but they are of a conical
      or pyramidal shape. These imposing masses seem to precipitate themselves
      upon the earth, as if to engulf it, but this optical illusion was due to
      the apparent immobility of the balloon, which at the moment was rising at
      the rate of about twenty feet per second.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;The fear of losing the view of the Baltic, which we perceived between the
      clouds at intervals, obliged us to renounce the project of rising as high
      as on the last occasion. The barometer was at fifteen inches, and the
      thermometer one degree below zero, when I let off two pigeons.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;One descended in a diagonal direction, its wings half open but not
      moving, with a swiftness which seemed that of a fall. The other flew for
      an instant, and then placed itself upon the car, and did not wish to quit
      us. Acting on the hint of Dr. Reimarus, I tried the same experiment with
      butterflies, but the air was too much rarefied for them; they attempted in
      vain to raise themselves by their wings, but they did not forsake the car.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;The wind continuing to carry me towards the sea, I resolved to bring my
      observations to an end. I effected my descent in a meadow, near the
      village of Rehorst, in Holstein, after having run sixteen leagues from
      France in sixty-five minutes.&rdquo;
     </p>
    <p>
      At the commencement of the year 1804, Laplace, at the Institute, proposed
      to take advantage of the means offered by aerostation to verify at great
      heights certain scientific points&mdash;as, for example, those which
      concern magnetism. This proposition was made at a favourable time, and
      was, so far, carried out in the best possible way. The aeronauts who were
      appointed to carry out the expedition were Biot and Gay-Lussac, the most
      enthusiastic aeronauts of the period.
    </p>
    <p>
      The following is their report:&mdash;
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;We observed the animals we had with us at all the different heights, and
      they did not appear to suffer in any manner. For ourselves, we perceived
      no effect any more then a quickening of the pulse. At 10,000 feet above
      the ground we set a little green-finch at liberty. He flew out at once,
      but immediately returning, settled upon our cordage; afterwards, setting
      out again, he flew to the earth, describing a very tortuous line in his
      passage. We followed him with our eyes till he was lost in the clouds. A
      pigeon, which we set free at the same elevation, presented a very curious
      spectacle. Placed at liberty on the edge of the car, he remained at rest
      for a number of instants, as if measuring the length of his flight; then
      he launched himself into space, flying about irregularly, as if to try his
      wings. Afterwards he began his descent regularly, sweeping round and round
      in great circles, ever reaching lower, until he also was lost in the
      clouds.&rdquo;
     </p>
    <p>
      As to the voyagers themselves, this is how they speak of their situation
      at the height of 3,000 yards:&mdash;
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;About this elevation we observed our animals. They did not appear to
      suffer from the rarity of the air, yet the barometer was at twenty inches
      eight lines.. We were much surprised that we did not suffer from the cold;
      on the contrary, the sun warmed us much. We had thrown aside the gloves
      which had been put on board, and which were of no use to us. Our pulses
      were very quick; that of M. Gay-Lussac, which is 62 in the minute on
      ordinary occasions, now gave 80; and mine, which is ordinarily 89, gave
      111. This acceleration was felt by both of us in nearly the same
      proportion. Nevertheless, our respiration was in no way interfered with,
      we experienced no illness, and our situation seemed to us extremely
      agreeable.&rdquo;
     </p>
    <p>
      The following is their report to the Galvanic Society&mdash;
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;We have known for a long time that no animal can with safety pass into an
      atmosphere much more dense or much more rare than that to which it has
      been accustomed. In the first case it suffers from the outer air, which
      presses upon it severely; in the second case there are liquids or fluids
      in the animal&rsquo;s body which, being less pressed against than they should
      be, become dilated, and press against their coverings or channels. In both
      cases the symptoms are nearly the same&mdash;pain, general illness,
      buzzing in the ears, and even haemorrhage. The experience of the
      diving-bell has long made us familiar with what aeronauts suffer. Our
      colleague (Robertson), and his companion, have experienced these effects
      in great intensity. They had swelled lips, their eyes bled, their veins
      were dilated, and, what is very remarkable, they both preserved a brown or
      red tinge which astonished those that had seen them before they made the
      ascent. This distension of the blood-vessels would necessarily produce an
      inconvenience and a difficulty in the muscular action.&rdquo;
     </p>
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    <h2>
      Chapter II. Ascent of M. Gay-Lussac Alone&mdash;Excursions of MM. Barral
      and Bixio.
    </h2>
    <p>
      Respecting this ascent, Arago states that M. Gay-Lussac has reduced to
      their proper value the narratives of the physical pains which aeronauts
      say they suffer in lofty aerial ascents.
    </p>
    <p>
      M. Gay-Lussac says:&mdash;&ldquo;Having arrived at the most elevated point of my
      ascent, 21,000 feet above sea level, my respiration was rendered sensibly
      difficult, but I was far from experiencing any illness of a kind to make
      me descend. My pulse and my breathing were very quick; breathing very
      frequently in an extremely dry atmosphere, I should not have been
      surprised if my throat had been so dry as to make it painful to swallow
      bread.&rdquo;
     </p>
    <p>
      After having finished his observations, which referred chiefly to the
      magnetic needle, with all the tranquillity of a doctor in his study,
      Gay-Lussac descended to the earth between Rouen and Dieppe, eighty leagues
      from Paris.
    </p>
    <p>
      After the names of Robertson, Gay-Lussac, and Biot, science has registered
      those of Barral and Bixio, two men whose aeronautic achievements have
      enriched meteorology with more important discoveries, perhaps, than any we
      have yet mentioned.
    </p>
    <p>
      These gentlemen had conceived the project of rising by means of a balloon
      to a great height, in order to study, with the assistance of the very best
      instruments in use in their day, a multitude of phenomena then imperfectly
      known. The subjects to which they were specially to direct their
      attention, were the law of the decrease of temperature in progress
      upwards, the discovery of whether the chemical composition of the
      atmosphere is the same throughout all its parts, the comparison of the
      strength of the solar rays in the higher regions of the atmosphere and on
      the surface of the earth, the ascertaining whether the light reflected and
      transmitted by the clouds is or is not polarised, &amp;c.
    </p>
    <p>
      All the preparations having been made in the garden of the Observatory at
      Paris, the ascent took place on the 29th of June, 1850, at 10.27 a.m., the
      balloon being filled with hydrogen gas. The first ascent was a signal
      failure. It was found that the weather being bad, the envelope of the
      balloon was torn in several places, and had to be mended in all haste.
      Immediately preceding the moment of ascent, a torrent of rain fell. But
      the voyagers were determined to ascend. They placed themselves in the car,
      and, when thrown off from the fastenings, they rose through the air with
      the speed of an arrow. The height to which the balloon reached made it
      suddenly dilate, and the network, which was much too small, was stretched
      to the utmost. The balloon was forced down upon them by the dilation, and
      one of them, in the endeavour to work the valve, made a rent in the lower
      part of the globe, from which the gas escaping almost over the heads of
      the travellers, nearly choked them. The escape of the gas had the usual
      result&mdash;the balloon descended rapidly, and fell in a vineyard near
      Lugny, where they were found by the peasants holding on to the trees by
      their legs and arms, and thus attempting to stop the horizontal advance of
      the car. They had risen to the height of over 17,000 feet, and they had
      descended from this height in from four to five minutes.
    </p>
    <p>
      For all practical purposes, the ascent was a failure, and the aeronauts
      immediately commenced preparations for a new voyage, which took place a
      month afterwards. They rose to very great altitudes, but experienced no
      illness from the rarefied air. M. Bixio did not feel the sharp pains in
      the ears from which he had suffered on the former occasion. They passed
      through a mass of cloud 15,000 feet in thickness, and they had not yet
      passed quite through it, when at the height of over 21,000 feet from the
      ground, they began to descend, their descent being caused by a rent in the
      envelope of the balloon, from which the gas escaped. They might, in
      throwing out the last of their ballast, have, perhaps, prolonged for a
      little their sojourn in space, but the circumstances in which they were
      placed did not permit them to make many more scientific observations than
      those they had made, and thus they were obliged to submit to their fate.
      When they had reached their greatest height, there seemed to open up in
      the midst of the vaporous mass a brilliant space, from which they could
      see the blue of heaven. The polariscope, directed towards this region,
      showed an internal polarisation, but, when pointed to the side where the
      mist still prevailed, there was no polarisation.
    </p>
    <p>
      An optical phenomenon of a remarkable kind was witnessed when the voyagers
      had attained their highest point. They saw the sun through the upper
      mists, looking quite white, as if shorn of its strength; and, at the same
      time, below the horizontal plane, below their horizon, and at an angular
      distance from the plane equal to that of the sun above it, they saw a
      second sun, which resembled the reflection of the actual sun in a sheet of
      water. It is natural to suppose that the second sun was formed by the
      reflection of the sun&rsquo;s rays upon the horizontal faces of the ice crystals
      floating in this high cloud.
    </p>
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    <h2>
      Chapter III. Ascents of the Mssrs. Welsh, Glaisher and Coxwell.
    </h2>
    <p>
      The most recent balloon ascents in England deserving attention have been
      undertaken for scientific objects, and in this country, more than in any
      other, it may be said that the conquest of the air has been made to serve
      a practical end.
    </p>
    <p>
      In July, 1852, the Committee of the Kew Observatory resolved to undertake
      a number of balloon voyages. This resolution was approved of by the
      British Association for the Advancement of Science, and the necessary
      instruments for making a number of meteorological observations were
      prepared. The balloon employed was that of Mr. Green, who was accompanied
      in his ascents by Mr. Welsh. The greatest height to which Mr. Welsh rose
      was on the fourth ascent which took place on the 10th of November, 1852.
      The balloon rose 22,930 feet, and the lowest temperature observed was 26
      degrees below zero.
    </p>
    <p>
      It is to Mr. Glaisher and Mr. Coxwell, however, that the highest honours
      of scientific aerostation belong. The ascents made by these gentlemen&mdash;Mr.
      Glaisher being the scientific observer, and Mr. Coxwell the practical
      aeronaut&mdash;have become matters of history. Not only did they, in the
      course of a large number of ascents undertaken under the auspices of the
      British Association, succeed in gathering much valuable meteorological
      information, but they reached a greater height than that ever gained on
      any previous or subsequent occasion, and penetrated into that distant
      region of the skies in which it has been satisfactorily proved that no
      life can be long maintained. It was on the 5th of September, 1862, that
      Mr. Glaisher and Mr. Coxwell made the famous ascent in which they reached
      the greatest height ever attained by an aeronaut, and were so nearly
      sacrificed to their unselfish daring. Mr. Glaisher has given an admirable
      account of this ascent, which took place from Wolverhampton. He says:&mdash;&ldquo;Our
      ascent had been delayed, owing to the unfavourable state of the weather.
      It commenced at three minutes past one p.m., the temperature of the air
      being 59 degrees, and the dew-point 48 degrees. At the height of one mile
      the temperature was 41 degrees and the dew-point 38 degrees. Shortly after
      wards clouds were entered of about 1,100 feet in thickness. Upon emerging
      from them at seventeen minutes past one, I tried to take a view of their
      surface with the camera, but the balloon was ascending too rapidly and
      spiraling too quickly to allow me to do so. The height of two miles was
      reached at twenty-one minutes past one. The temperature of the air had
      fallen to 32 degrees and the dew-point to 26 degrees. The third mile was
      passed at twenty-eight minutes past one, with an air temperature of 18
      degrees, and a dew-point of 13 degrees. The fourth mile was passed at
      thirty-nine minutes past one, with an air temperature of 8 degrees, and a
      dew-point of minus 6 degrees and the fifth mile about ten minutes later,
      with an air temperature minus 5 degrees, and a dew-point minus 36 degrees.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;Up to this time I had experienced no particular inconvenience. When at
      the height of 26,000 feet I could not see the fine column of the mercury
      in the tube; then the fine divisions on the scale of the instrument became
      invisible. At that time I asked Mr. Coxwell to help me to read the
      instruments, as I experienced a difficulty in seeing them. In consequence
      of the rotary motion of the balloon, which had continued without ceasing
      since the earth was left, the valve line had become twisted, and he had to
      leave the car, and to mount into the ring above to adjust it. At that time
      I had no suspicion of other than temporary inconvenience in seeing.
      Shortly afterwards I laid my arm upon the table, possessed of its full
      vigour; but directly after, being desirous of using it, I found it
      powerless. It must have lost its power momentarily. I then tried to move
      the other arm, but found it powerless also. I next tried to shake myself,
      and succeeded in shaking my body. I seemed to have no legs. I could only
      shake my body. I then looked at the barometer, and whilst I was doing so
      my head fell on my left shoulder. I struggled, and shook my body again,
      but could not move my arms. I got my head upright, but for an instant
      only, when it fell on my right shoulder; and then I fell backwards, my
      back resting against the side of the car, and my head on its edge. In that
      position my eyes were directed towards Mr. Coxwell in the ring. When I
      shook my body I seemed to have full power over the muscles of the back,
      and considerable power over those of the neck, but none over my limbs. As
      in the case of the arms, all muscular power was lost in an instant from my
      back and neck. I dimly saw Mr. Coxwell in the ring, and endeavoured to
      speak, but could not do so; when in an instant intense black darkness came
      over me, and the optic nerve lost power suddenly. I was still conscious,
      with as active a brain as whilst writing this. I thought I had been seized
      with asphyxia, and that I should experience no more, as death would come
      unless we speedily descended. Other thoughts were actively entering my
      mind when I suddenly became unconscious, as though going to sleep. I could
      not tell anything about the sense of hearing: the perfect stillness of the
      regions six miles from the earth&mdash;and at that time we were between
      six and seven miles high&mdash;is such that no sound reaches the ear. My
      last observation was made at 29,000 feet, about fifty-four minutes past
      one. I suppose two or three minutes elapsed between my eyes becoming
      insensible to seeing the fine divisions and fifty-four minutes past one,
      and that other two or three minutes elapsed before I became unconscious;
      therefore I think that took place about fifty-six or fifty-seven minutes
      past one. Whilst powerless I heard the words &lsquo;temperature,&rsquo; and
      &lsquo;observation,&rsquo; and I knew Mr. Coxwell was in the car, speaking to me, and
      endeavouring to rouse me; and therefore consciousness and hearing had
      returned. I then heard him speak more emphatically, but I could not speak
      or move. Then I heard him say, &lsquo;Do try; now do!&rsquo; Then I saw the
      instruments dimly, next Mr. Coxwell, and very shortly I saw clearly. I
      rose in my seat and looked round, as though waking from sleep, and said to
      Mr. Coxwell, &lsquo;I have been insensible.&rsquo; He said, &lsquo;Yes; and I too, very
      nearly.&rsquo; I then drew up my legs, which had been extended out before me,
      and took a pencil in my hand to note my observations. Mr. Coxwell informed
      me that he had lost the use of his hands, which were black, and I poured
      brandy over them. I resumed my observations at seven minutes past two. I
      suppose three or four minutes were occupied from the time of my hearing
      the words &lsquo;temperature&rsquo; and &lsquo;observation,&rsquo; until I began to observe. If
      so, then returning consciousness came at four minutes past two, and that
      gives about seven minutes of total insensibility. Mr. Coxwell told me that
      in coming from the ring he thought for a moment that I had laid back to
      rest myself; that he spoke to me without eliciting a reply; that he then
      noticed that my legs projected, and my arms hung down by my side. That my
      countenance was serene and placid, without earnestness or anxiety, he had
      noticed before going into the ring. It then struck him that I was
      insensible. He wished then to approach me, but could not, and he felt
      insensibility coming over himself. He became anxious to open the valve,
      but, in consequence of having lost the use of his hands, he could not; and
      ultimately he did so by seizing the cord with his teeth and dipping his
      head two or three times. No inconvenience followed our insensibility. When
      we dropped it was in a country where no accommodation of any kind could be
      obtained, so that we had to walk between seven and eight miles. At the
      time of ceasing our observations the ascent was at the rate of 1,000 feet
      per minute, and on resuming observations the descent was at the rate of
      2,000 feet per minute. These two positions must be connected, having
      relation to the interval of time which elapsed between them; and they can
      scarcely be connected at a point less than 36,000 or 37,000 feet high.
      Again, a very delicate minimum thermometer was found to read minus 12
      degrees, and that reading would indicate an elevation exceeding 36,000
      feet. There cannot be any doubt that the balloon attained the great height
      of seven miles&mdash;the greatest ever reached. In this ascent six pigeons
      were taken up. One was thrown out at three miles. It extended its wings,
      and dropped like a piece of paper. A second at four miles, and it flew
      with vigour. A third between four and five miles, and it fell downwards. A
      fourth was thrown out at four miles in descending, and it alighted on the
      top of the balloon. Two were brought to the ground. One was dead, and the
      other was ill, but recovered so as to fly away in a quarter of an hour.&rdquo;
     </p>
    <p>
      The results gathered by Mr. Glaisher from his numerous ascents are very
      interesting. He found that in no instance did the temperature of the air
      decrease uniformly with the increase of height. In fact, the decrease in
      the first mile is double that in the second, and nearly four times as
      great as the change of temperature in the fifth mile. The distribution of
      aqueous vapour in the air is no less remarkable. The temperature of the
      dew-point on leaving the earth decreases less rapidly than the temperature
      of the air; so that the difference between the two temperatures becomes
      less and less, till the vapour or cloud plane is reached, when they are
      usually together, and always most nearly approach each other, and that
      point is usually at about the height of one mile. On leaving the upper
      surface of cloud, the dew point decreases more rapidly than the air, and
      at extremely high situations the difference between the two temperatures
      is wonderfully great, indicating an extraordinary degree of dryness, and
      an almost entire absence of water. Under these circumstances, the presence
      of cirrus clouds far above this dry region, apparently as much above as
      when viewed from the earth, is very remarkable, and leads to the
      conclusion that they are not composed of water.
    </p>
    <p>
      In the propagation of sound, M. Glaisher made many curious experiments. In
      one ascent (July 17th) he found, when at a distance of 11,800 feet above
      the earth, that a band was heard; at a height of 22,000 feet, a clap of
      thunder was heard; and at a height of 10,070 feet, the report of a gun was
      heard. On one occasion, he heard the dull hum of London at a height of
      9,000 feet above the city, and on another occasion, the shouting of many
      thousands of persons could not be heard at the height of 4,000 feet.
    </p>
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    <h2>
      Chapter IV. Balloons Made Useful in Warfare.
    </h2>
<pre xml:space="preserve">
     Wars of the French Republic&mdash;Company of &ldquo;Ballooneers&rdquo;&mdash;
     Battle of Fleurus&mdash;The Balloons of Egypt&mdash;Napoleon&mdash;Modern
     Services War in Italy&mdash;War in America&mdash;Conclusion.
</pre>
    <p>
      We will conclude our work with a glance at aerostation as applied to
      warfare. Scarcely had the first ascents astonished the world, than the
      more adventurous spirits began to use the new discovery for a thousand
      purposes directly useful to man. The first point of view in which
      aerostation was regarded, was in that of its practical utility If one
      refers to the pre-occupations of the time&mdash;to the great events then
      occurring in the history of France, one will easily understand that the
      Committee of Public Safety soon thought of employing balloons in the
      observation of the forces and the movements of hostile troops. In 1794,
      the idea was practically carried out, and the French armies were provided
      with two companies of aeronauts. The command of one of these companies was
      given to Captain Coutelle, a young physicist of great talent, who rendered
      memorable services at the battle of Fleurus. The balloons were not thrown
      free, but were retained attached by means of long cords. In this way they
      took up, so to speak, aerial posts of observation. Placed in his car, the
      captain transmitted his instructions to his men below by means of coloured
      flags. Coutelle has left us a lively narrative of certain incidents
      connected with one of the grand days of the old Republic. He had been
      commissioned by the Committee of Public Safety to go to Maubeuge, where
      Jourdan&rsquo;s army was encamped, and to offer him the use of his balloon. The
      representative to whom the young doctor presented his commission, knew
      nothing about balloons, and not being able to understand the order of the
      Committee of Public Safety, it suddenly dawned upon him that Coutelle,
      with his trumpery forgery about balloons, was nothing else than a spy, and
      he was about to have him shot. The genuineness of the order from the
      Committee, however, was proved, and Coutelle&rsquo;s case was listened to.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;The army was at Beaumont,&rdquo; says Coutelle, &ldquo;and the enemy, placed at a
      distance of only three miles, could attack at any moment. The general told
      me this fact, and engaged me to return and communicate it to the
      Committee. This I did. The Commission then felt the necessity of making an
      experiment with a balloon that could raise two persons, and the minister
      placed at my service the garden and the little mansion of Meudon. Many of
      the members of the Commission came to witness the first ascent of a
      balloon held in hand, like a kite, by means of two cords. The
      Commissioners ordered me to place myself in the car, and instructed me as
      to a number of signals which I must repeat, and observations which I must
      make. I raised myself to the full length of the cord, a height of 1,500
      feet, and at this height, with the help of a glass, I could distinctly see
      the seven bends of the river Seine. On returning to the earth, I received
      the compliments of the Commission.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;Arrived at Maubeuge, my first care was to find a suitable spot to erect
      my furnace, and to make every preparation for the arrival of my balloon
      from Meudon. Each day my observations contained something new either in
      the works which the Austrians had thrown up during the night, or in the
      arrangement of their forces. On the fifth day a piece of cannon had been
      brought to bear upon the balloon, and shots were fired at me as soon as I
      appeared above the ramparts. None of the shots took effect, and on the
      following day the piece was no longer in position. Experience enforced
      upon me the necessity of forming some provision against these unexpected
      attacks. I employed the night in fixing cords all round the middle of my
      balloon. Each of the aerostiers had charge of one of the ropes, and by
      means of them I could easily move about, and thus get myself out of range
      of any gun that had been trained to bear against me. I was afterwards
      ordered to make a reconnaissance at Mayence, and I posted myself between
      our lines and the enemy at half range of cannon. When the wind, which was
      tempestuous at first, became calmer, I was able to count the number of
      cannon on the ramparts, as well as the troops that marched through the
      streets and in the squares.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;Generally the soldiers of the enemy, all who saw the observer watching
      them and taking notes, came to the idea that they could do nothing without
      being seen. Our soldiers were of the same opinion, and consequently they
      regarded us with great admiration and trust. On the heavy marches they
      brought us prepared food and wine, which my men were hardly able to get
      for themselves, so closely did they require to attend to the ropes. We
      were encamped upon the banks of the Rhine at Manheim when our general sent
      me to the opposite bank to parley. As soon as the Austrian officers were
      made aware that I commanded the balloon, I was overwhelmed with questions
      and compliments.
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;What causes an impression which, till one is accustomed to it, is very
      alarming, is the noise which the balloon makes when it is struck by
      successive gales of wind. When the wind has passed, the balloon, which has
      been pressed into a concave form by the wind, suddenly resumes its
      globular form with a loud noise heard at a great distance. The silk of the
      balloon would often burst in a case of this kind, were it not for the
      restraining power of the network.&rdquo;
     </p>
    <p>
      After the days of Coutelle we do not read that balloons were made much use
      of in warfare. The only ascent in the Egypt campaign was that of a
      tricolor balloon thrown up to commemorate a fete. That Napoleon knew full
      well the value of the scientific discoveries of his time is clear from the
      following conversation with a learned Mohammedan, which took place in the
      great pyramid of Cheops:&mdash;
    </p>
    <p>
      Mussamed. &ldquo;Noble successor of Alexander, honour to shine invincible arms,
      and to the unexpected lightning with which your warriors are furnished.&rdquo;
     </p>
    <p>
      Bonaparte. &ldquo;Do you believe that that lightning is the work of the children
      of men? Allah has placed it in our hands by means of the genius of war.&rdquo;
     </p>
    <p>
      Mussamed. &ldquo;We recognised by your arms that it is Allah that has sent you&mdash;the
      Delta and all the neighbouring countries are full of thy miracles. But
      would you be a conqueror if Allah did not permit you?&rdquo;
     </p>
    <p>
      Bonaparte. &ldquo;A celestial body will point by my orders to the dwelling of
      the clouds, and lightning will descend towards the earth, along a rod of
      metal from which I can call it forth.&rdquo;
     </p>
    <p>
      Napoleon did not favour the use of balloons in war. Perhaps it was because
      he himself had such a splendid genius for war that he depended alone upon
      himself, and scorned assistance. Perhaps it was because if balloons were
      discovered to be of real utility, his enemies might make use of them as
      well as himself, and France retain no special advantage in them. But
      however this may be, on his return from Egypt he sold the balloon of
      Fleurus to Robertson. The company of ballooneers was dissolved, and the
      balloons themselves disappeared in smoke.
    </p>
    <p>
      During the war in America, the role which the balloon played was a more
      important one. The Government of the United States conferred the title of
      aeronautic engineer upon Mr. Allan, of Rhode Island, who originated the
      idea of communicating by a telegraphic wire from the balloon to the camp.
      The first telegraphic message which was transmitted from the aerial
      regions is that of Professor Love, at Washington, to the President of the
      United States. The following is this despatch:&mdash;
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;WASHINGTON, Balloon the &lsquo;Enterprise.&rsquo; 
    </p>
    <p>
      &ldquo;SIR,&mdash;The point of observation commands an extent of nearly fifty
      miles in diameter. The city, with its girdle of encampments, presents a
      superb scene. I have great pleasure in sending you this despatch&mdash;the
      first that has been telegraphed from an aerial station&mdash;and to know
      that I should be so much encouraged, from having given the first proof
      that the aeronautic science can render great assistance in these
      countries.&rdquo;
     </p>
    <p>
      In the month of September, 1861, one of the most hardy aeronauts (La
      Mountain) furnished important information to General M&rsquo;Clellan. The
      balloon of La Mountain, which arose from the northern camp upon the
      Potomac, passed above Washington. La Mountain then cut the cord that
      connected his balloon with the earth, and rising rapidly to the height of
      a mile and a half, he found himself directly above his enemies&rsquo; lines.
      There he was able to observe perfectly their position and their movements.
      He then threw over ballast, and ascended to the height of three miles. At
      this height he encountered a current which carried him in the direction of
      Maryland, where he descended in safety. General M&rsquo;Clellan was so much
      satisfied with the observations taken in the balloon, that, at his
      request, the order was given to the War Department to construct four new
      balloons.
    </p>
    <p>
      If this volume of &ldquo;The Library of Wonders&rdquo; had not had for its single
      object &ldquo;balloons and their history,&rdquo; we would have devoted a chapter to
      the numerous attempts made to steer balloons. We shall only say here that
      aerial navigation should be divided into two kinds with balloons, and
      without balloons. In the first case, it is limited to the study of aerial
      currents, and to the art of rising to those currents which suit the
      direction of the voyage undertaken. The balloon is not the master of the
      atmosphere; on the contrary, it is its powerless slave. In the second
      case, the discovery of Montgolfier is useless; and the question is, to
      find out a new machine capable of flying in the air, and at the same time
      heavier than the air. Birds are, without doubt, the best models to study.
      But with what force shall we replace LIFE? The air-boat of M. Pline seems
      to us one of the best ideas; but the working of it presents many
      difficulties. Let us find a motive power at once light and powerful
      (aluminium and electricity, for example), and we will have definitively
      conquered the empire of the air.
    </p>
    <p>
      <a name="link2H_4_0031" id="link2H_4_0031">
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<pre xml:space="preserve"><b>
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