the dominion of the air-第5部分

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iennes。　　A　magnificent　feast　was　held　at　Calais　to　celebrate　the　above　event。　　M。　Blanchard　was　presented　with　the　freedom　of　the　city　in　a　gold　box；　and　application　was　made　to　the　Ministry　to　have　the　balloon　purchased　and　deposited　as　a　memorial　in　the　church。　　On　the　testimony　of　the　grandson　of　Dr。　Jeffries　the　car　of　this　balloon　is　now　in　the　museum　of　the　same　city。

A　very　noteworthy　example　of　how　a　balloon　may　be　made　to　take　a　fresh　lease　of　life　is　supplied　by　a　voyage　of　M。　Testu　about　this　date；　which　must　find　brief　mention　in　these　pages。　　In　one　aspect　it　is　laughable；　in　another　it　is　sublime。　　From　every　point　of　view　it　is　romantic。

It　was　four　o'clock　on　a　threatening　day　in　June　when　the　solitary　aeronaut　took　flight　from　Paris　in　a　small　hydrogen　balloon　only　partially　filled；　but　rigged　with　somencontrivance　of　wings　which　were　designed　to　render　it　self…propelling。　　Discovering；　however；　that　this　device　was　inoperative；　M。　Testu；　after　about　an　hour　and　a　half；　allowed　the　balloon　to　descend　to　earth　in　a　corn　field；　when；　without　quitting　hold　of　the　car；　he　commenced　collecting　stones　for　ballast。　　But　as　yet　he　knew　not　the　ways　of　churlish　proprietors　of　land；　and　in　consequence　was　presently　surprised　by　a　troublesome　crowd；　who　proceeded；　as　they　supposed；　to　take　him　prisoner　till　he　should　pay　heavy　compensation；　dragging　him　off　to　the　nearest　village　by　the　trail　rope　of　his　balloon。

M。　Testu　now　had　leisure　to　consider　his　situation；　and　presently　hit　on　a　stratagem　the　like　of　which　has　often　since　been　adopted　by　aeronauts　in　like　predicament。　　Representing　to　his　captors　that　without　his　wings　he　would　be　powerless；　he　suffered　them　to　remove　these　weighty　appendages；　when　also　dropping　a　heavy　cloak；　he　suddenly　cut　the　cord　by　which　he　was　being　dragged；　and；　regaining　freedom；　soared　away　into　the　sky。　　He　was　quickly　high　aloft；　and　heard　thunder　below　him；　soon　after　which；　the　chill　of　evening　beginning　to　bring　him　earthward；　he　descried　a　hunt　in　full　cry；　and　succeeded　in　coming　down　near　the　huntsmen；　some　of　whom　galloped　up　to　him；　and　for　their　benefit　he　ascended　again；　passing　this　time　into　dense　cloud　with　thunder　and　lightning。　　He　saw　the　sun　go　down　and　the　lightning　gather　round；　yet　with　admirable　courage　he　lived　the　night　out　aloft　till　the　storms　were　spent　and　the　midsummer　sun　rose　once　more。　　With　daylight　restored；　his　journey　ended　at　a　spot　over　sixty　miles　from　Paris。

We　have；　of　course；　recounted　only　a　few　of　the　more　noteworthy　early　ballooning　ventures。　　In　reality　there　had　up　to　the　present　time　been　scores　of　ascents　made　in　different　localities　and　in　all　conditions　of　wind　and　weather；　yet　not　a　life　had　been　lost。　　We　have　now；　however；　to　record　a　casualty　which　cost　the　first　and　boldest　aeronaut　his　life；　and　which　is　all　the　more　regrettable　as　being　due　to　circumstances　that　should　never　have　occurred。

M。　Pilatre　de　Rosier；　accompanied　by　M。　Romain；　determined　on　crossing　the　Channel　from　the　French　side；　and；　thinking　to　add　to　their　buoyancy　and　avoid　the　risk　of　falling　in　the　sea；　hit　on　the　extraordinary　idea　of　using　a　fire　balloon　beneath　another　filled　with　hydrogen　gas！　　With　this　deadly　compound　machine　they　actually　ascended　from　Boulogne；　and　had　not　left　the　land　when　the　inevitable　catastrophe　took　place。

The　balloons　caught　fire　and　blew　up　at　a　height　of　3；000　feet；　while　the　unfortunate　voyagers　were　dashed　to　atoms。　　



CHAPTER　III。　THE　FIRST　BALLOON　ASCENT　IN　ENGLAND。


As　may　be　supposed；　it　was　not　long　before　the　balloon　was　introduced　into　England。　　Indeed；　the　first　successful　ascent　on　record　made　in　our　own　country　took　place　in　the　summer　of　1784；　ten　months　previous　to　the　fatal　venture　narrated　at　the　close　of　the　last　chapter。　　Now；　it　is　a　remarkable　and　equally　regrettable　circumstance　that　though　the　first　ascent　on　British　soil　was　undoubtedly　made　by　one　of　our　own　countrymen；　the　fact　is　almost　universally　forgotten；　or　ignored；　and　the　credit　is　accorded　to　a　foreigner。

Let　us　in　strict　honesty　examine　into　the　case。　　Vincent　Lunardi；　an　Italian；　Secretary　to　the　Neapolitan　Ambassador；　Prince　Caramanico；　being　in　England　in　the　year　1784；　determined　on　organising　and　personally　executing　an　ascent　from　London；　and　his　splendid　enterprise；　which　was　presently　carried　to　a　successful　issue；　will　form　the　principal　subject　of　the　present　chapter。　　It　will　be　seen　that　remarkable　success　crowned　his　efforts；　and　that　his　first　and　ever　memorable　voyage　was　carried　through　on　September　15th　of　that　year。

More　than　a　month　previously；　however；　attention　had　been　called　to　the　fact　that　a　Mr。　Tytler　was　preparing　to　make　an　ascent　from　Edinburgh　in　a　hot　air　balloon；　and　in　the　London　Chronicle　of　August　27th　occurs　the　following　circumstantial　and　remarkable　letter　from　a　correspondent　to　that　journal：？

〃Edinburgh；　Aug。　　27；　1784。

〃Mr。　Tytler　has　made　several　improvements　upon　his　fire　balloon。　The　reason　of　its　failure　formerly　was　its　being　made　of　porous　linen；　through　which　the　air　made　its　escape。　　To　remedy　this　defect；　Mr。　Tytler　has　got　it　covered　with　a　varnish　to　retain　the　inflammable　air　after　the　balloon　is　filled。

〃Early　this　morning　this　bold　adventurer　took　his　first　aerial　flight。　　The　balloon　being　filled　at　Comely　Garden；　he　seated　himself　in　the　basket；　and　the　ropes　being　cut　he　ascended　very　high　and　descended　quite　gradually　on　the　road　to　Restalrig；　about　half　a　mile　from　the　place　where　he　rose；　to　the　great　satisfaction　of　those　spectators　who　were　present。　　Mr。　Tytler　went　up　without　the　furnace　this　morning；　when　that　is　added　he　will　be　able　to　feed　the　balloon　with　inflammable　air；　and　continue　his　aerial　excursions　as　long　as　he　chooses。

〃Mr。　Tytler　is　now　in　high　spirits；　and　in　his　turn　laughs　at　those　infidels　who　ridiculed　his　scheme　as　visionary　and　impracticable。　　Mr。　Tytler　is　the　first　person　in　Great　Britain　who　has　navigated　the　air。〃

Referring　to　this　exploit；　Tytler；　in　a　laudatory　epistle　addressed　to　Lunardi；　tells　of　the　difficulties　he　had　had　to　contend　with；　and　artlessly　reveals　the　cool；　confident　courage　he　must　have　displayed。　　No　shelter　being　available　for　the　inflation；　and　a　strong　wind　blowing；　his　first　misfortune　was　the　setting　fire　to　his　wicker　gallery。　　The　next　was　the　capsizing　and　damaging　of　his　balloon；　which　he　had　lined　with　paper。　　He　now　substituted　a　coat　of　varnish　for　the　paper；　and　his　gallery　being　destroyed；　so　that　he　could　no　longer　attempt　to　take　up　a　stove；　he　resolved　to　ascend　without　one。　　In　the　end　the　balloon　was　successfully　inflated；　when　he　had　the　hardihood　to　entrust　himself　to　a　small　basket　（used　for　carrying　earthenware）　slung　below；　and　thus　to　launch　himself　into　the　sky。　　He　did　so　under　the　conviction　that　the　risk　he　ran　was　greater　than　it　really　was；　for　he　argued　that　his　craft　was　now　only　like　a　projectile；　and　〃must　undoubtedly　come　to　the　ground　with　the　same　velocity　with　which　it　ascended。〃　　On　this　occasion　the　crowd　tried　for　some　time　to　hold　him　near　the　ground　by　one　of　the　restraining　ropes；　so　that　his　flight　was　curtailed。　　In　a　second　experiment；　however；　he　succeeded　in　rising　some　hundreds　of　feet；　and　came　to　earth　without　mishap。

But　little　further　information　respecting　Mr。　Tytler　is　apparently　forthcoming；　and　therefore　beyond　recording　the　fact　that　he　was　the　first　British　aeronaut；　and　also　that　he　was　the　first　to　achieve　a　balloon　ascent　in　Great　Britain；　we　are　unable　to　make　further　mention　of　him　in　this　history。

Of　his　illustrious　contemporary　already　mentioned　there　is；　on　the　contrary；　much　to　record；　and　we　would　desire　to　give　full　credit　to　his　admirable　courage　and　perseverance。　　It　was　with　a　certain　national　and　pardonable　pride　that　the　young　Italian　planned　his　bold　exploit；　feeling　with　a　sense　of　self…　satisfaction；　which　he　is　at　no　pains　to　hide；　that　he　aimed　at　winning　honour　for　his　country　as　well　as　for　himself。　　In　a　letter　which　he　wrote　to　his　guardian；　Chevalier　Gherardo　Compagni；　he　alludes　to　the　stolid　indifference　of　the　English　people　and　philosophers　to　the　brilliant　achievements　in　aeronautics　which　had　been　made　and　so　much　belauded　on　the　Continent。　　He　proclaims　the　rivalry　as　regards　science　and　art　existing　between　France　and　England；　attributing　to　the　latter　an　attitude　of　sullen　jealousy。　　At　the　same　time　he　is　fully　alive　to　the　necessity　of　gaining　English　patronage；　and　sets　about　securing　this　with　tactful　diplomacy。　　First　he　casts　about　for　a　suitable　spot　where　his　enterprise　would　not　fail　to　enlist　general　attention　and　perhaps　powerful　patrons；　and　here　he　is　struck　by　the　attractions　and　facilities　offered　by　Chelsea　Hospital。　　He　therefore　applies　to　Sir　George　Howard；　the　Governor；　asking　for　the　use　of　the　famous　hospital；　to　which；　on　the　occasion　of　his　experiments；　he　desires　that　admittance　should　only　be　granted　to　subscribers；　while　any　profits　should　be　devoted　to　the　pensioners　of　the　hospital。　　His　application　having　been　granted；　he　assures　his　guardian　that　he　〃still　maintains　his　mental　balance；　and　his　sleep　is　not　banished　by　the　magnitude　of　his　enterprise；　which　is　destined　to　lead　him　through　the　path　of　danger　to　glory。〃

This　letter　was　dated　the　15th　of　July；　and　by　the　beginning　of　August　his　advertisement　was　already　before　the　public；　inviting　subscribers　and　announcing　a　private　view　of　his　balloon　at　the　Lyceum；　where　it　was　m　course　of　construction；　and　was　being　fitted　with　contrivances　of　his　own　in　the　shape　of　oars　and　sails。　　He　had　by　this　time　not　only　enlisted　the　interest　of　Sir　George　Howard；　and　of　Sir　Joseph　Banks；　but　had　secured　the　direct　patronage　of　the　King。

But　within　a　fortnight　a　most　unforeseen　mishap　had　occurred；　which　threatened　to　overwhelm　Lunardi　in　disappointment　and　ruin。　　A　Frenchman　of　the　name　of　Moret；　designing　to　turn　to　his　own　advertisement　the　attention　attracted　by　Lunardi's　approaching　trials；　attempted　to　forestall　the　event　by　an　enterprise　of　his　own；　announcing　that　he　would　make　an　ascent　with　a　hot　air　balloon　in　some　gardens　near　Chelsea　Hospital；　and　at　a　date　previous　to　that　fixed　upon　by　Lunardi。　　In　attempt