"Sit down," said he, "and do not forget that Brioschi, Biot, and Gay-Lussac, ascended to a height of seven thousand metres, in order to establish some new scientific laws."
"We must descend;" resumed I, with an attempt at gentleness. "The storm is gathering beneath our feet and around us; it would not be prudent."
"We will ascend above it, and shall have nothing to fear from it. What more beautiful than to reign in heaven, and look down upon the clouds which hover upon the earth! Is it not an honour to navigate these aerial waves? The greatest personages have travelled like ourselves. The Marquise and Comtesse de Montalembert, the Comtesse de Potteries, Mlle.
La Garde, the Marquis of Montalembert, set out from the Faubourg St.
Antoine for these unknown regions. The Duc de Chartres displayed much address and presence of mind in his ascension of the 15th of July, 1784; at Lyons, the Comtes de Laurencin and de Dampierre; at Nantes, M. de Luynes; at Bordeaux, D"Arbelet des Granges; in Italy, the Chevalier Andreani; in our days, the Duke of Brunswick; have left in the air the track of their glory. In order to equal these great personages, we must ascend into the celestial regions higher than they. To approach the infinite is to comprehend it."
The rarefaction of the air considerably dilated the hydrogen, and I saw the lower part of the aerostat, designedly left empty, become by degrees inflated, rendering the opening of the valve indispensable; but my fearful companion seemed determined not to allow me to direct our movements. I resolved to pull secretly the cord attached to the valve, while he was talking with animation. I feared to guess with whom I had to do; it would have been too horrible! It was about three-quarters of an hour since we had left Frankfort, and from the south thick clouds were arising and threatening to engulf us.
"Have you lost all hope of making your plans succeed?" said I, with great apparent interest.
"All hope!" replied the unknown, despairingly. "Wounded by refusals, caricatures, those blows with the foot of an a.s.s, have finished me. It is the eternal punishment reserved for innovators. See these caricatures of every age with which my portfolio is filled."
I had secured the cord of the valve, and stooping over his works, concealed my movements from him. It was to be feared, nevertheless, that he would notice that rushing sound, like a waterfall, which the gas produces in escaping.
"How many jests at the expense of the Abbe Miolan! He was about to ascend with Janninet and Bredin. During the operation, their balloon took fire, and an ignorant populace tore it to pieces. Then the caricature of _The Curious Animals_ called them _Maulant, Jean Mind, and Gredin_."
The barometer had began to rise; it was time! A distant muttering of thunder was heard towards the south.
"See this other engraving," continued he, without seeming to suspect my manoeuvres. "It is an immense balloon, containing a ship, large castles, houses, &c. The caricaturists little thought that their absurdities would one day become verities. It is a large vessel; at the left is the helm with the pilot"s box; at the prow, _maisons de plaisance_, a gigantic organ, and cannon to call the attention of the inhabitants of earth or of the moon; above the stern the observatory and pilot-balloon; at the equatorial circle, the barracks of the army; on the left the lantern; then upper galleries for promenades, the sails, the wings; beneath, the cafes and general store-houses of provisions. Admire this magnificent announcement. "Invented for the good of the human race, this globe will depart immediately for the seaports in the Levant, and on its return will announce its voyages for the two poles and the extremities of the Occident. Every provision is made; there will be an exact rate of fare for each place of destination; but the prices for distant voyages will be the same, 1000 louis. And it must be confessed that this is a moderate sum, considering the celerity, convenience, and pleasure of this mode of travelling above all others. While in this balloon, every one can divert himself as he pleases, dancing, playing, or conversing with people of talent. Pleasure will be the soul of the aerial society." All these inventions excited laughter. But before long, if my days were not numbered, these projects should become realities."
We were visibly descending; he did not perceive it!
"See this game of balloons; it contains the whole history of the aerostatic art. This game, for the use of educated minds, is played like that of the Jew; with dice and counters of any value agreed upon, which are to be paid or received, according to the condition in which one arrives."
"But," I resumed, "you seem to have valuable doc.u.ments on aerostation?"
"I am less learned than the Almighty! That is all! I possess all the knowledge possible in this world. From Phaeton, Icarus, and Architas. I have searched all, comprehended all! Through me, the aerostatic art would render immense services to the world, if G.o.d should spare my life!
But that cannot be."
"Why not?"
"Because my name is Empedocles or Erostratus!"
II.
The Company of Aerostiers--The Battle of Fleurus--The Balloon over the Sea--Blanchard and Jefferies--A Drama such as is rarely seen--3000 Metres--The Thunder beneath our Feet--Gavnerin at Rome--The Compa.s.s gone--The Victims of Aerostation--Pilatre--At 4000 Metres--The Barometer gone--Descents of Olivari, Mosment, Bittorf, Harris, Sadler, and Madame Blanchard--The Valve rendered useless--7000 Metres--Zambecarri--The Ballon (sic) Wrecked--Incalculable Heights--The Car Overset--Despair--Vertigo--The Fall--The Denouement.
I shuddered! Fortunately the balloon was approaching the earth. But the danger is the same at 50 feet as at 5000 metres! The clouds were advancing.
"Remember the battle of Fleurus, and you will comprehend the utility of aerostats! Coulee, by order of the government, organized a company of aerostiers. At the siege of Maubeuge, General Jourdan found this new method of observation so serviceable, that twice a day, accompanied by the General himself, Coutelle ascended into the air; the correspondence between the aeronaut and the aerostiers who held the balloon, was carried on by means of little white, red, and yellow flags. Cannons and carbines were often aimed at the balloon at the moment of its ascension, but without effect. When Jourdan was preparing to invest Charleroi, Coutelle repaired to the neighbourhood of that place, rose from the plain of Jumet, and remained taking observations seven or eight hours, with General Morelot. The Austrians came to deliver the city, and a battle was fought on the heights of Fleurus. General Jourdan publicly proclaimed the a.s.sistance he had received from aeronautic observations.
Well! notwithstanding the services rendered on this occasion, and during the campaign with Belgium, the year which witnessed the commencement of the military career of balloons, also saw it terminate. And the school of Meuon, founded by government, was closed by Bonaparte, on his return from Egypt. "What are we to expect from the child which has just been born?" Franklin had said. But the child was born alive! It need not have been strangled!"
The unknown hid his forehead in his hands, reflected for a few moments, then, without raising his head, said to me:
"Notwithstanding my orders, you have opened the upper valve!"
I let go the cord.
"Fortunately" continued he, "we have still two hundred pounds of ballast."
"What are your plans?" said I, with effort.
"You have never crossed the sea?"
I grew frightfully pale, terror froze my veins.
"It is a pity," said he, "that we are being wafted towards the Adriatic!
That is only a streamlet. Higher! we shall find other currents!"
And without looking at me, he lightened the balloon by several bags of sand.
"I allowed you to open the valve, because the dilatation of the gas threatened to burst the balloon. But do not do it again."
I was stupified.
"You know the voyage from Dover to Calais made by Blanchard and Jefferies. It was rich in incident. On the 7th of January, 1785, in a northeast wind, their balloon was filled with gas on the Dover side; scarcely had they risen, when an error in equilibrium compelled them to threw out their ballast, retaining only thirty pounds. The wind drifted them slowly along towards the sh.o.r.es of France. The permeability of the tissue gradually suffered the gas to escape, and at the expiration of an hour and a half, the voyagers perceived that they were descending.
"What is to be done?" said Jefferies.--"We have pa.s.sed over only three-fourths of the distance," replied Blanchard "and at a slight elevation. By ascending we shall expose ourselves to contrary winds.
Throw out the remainder of the ballast." The balloon regained its ascensional force, but soon re-descended. About midway of the voyage, the aeronauts threw out their books and tools. A quarter of an hour afterwards, Blanchard said to Jefferies: "The barometer?"--"It is rising! We are lost; and yet there are the sh.o.r.es of France!" A great noise was heard. "Is the balloon rent?" asked Jefferies.--"No! the escape of the gas has collapsed the lower part of the balloon"--"But we are still descending. We are lost! Everything not indispensable must be thrown overboard!" Their provisions, oars and helm were thrown out into the sea. They were now only 100 metres in height. "We are remounting,"
said the Doctor.--" No, it is the jerk caused by the diminution of weight. There is not a ship in sight! Not a bark on the horizon! To the sea with our garments!" And the unfortunate men stripped, but the balloon continued to descend. "Blanchard," said Jefferies, "you were to have made this voyage alone; you consented to take me; I will sacrifice myself to you! I will throw myself into the water, and the balloon, relieved, will re-ascend!"--" No, no, it is frightful." The balloon collapsed more and more, and its concavity forming a parachute, forced the gas against its sides and accelerated its motion. "Adieu, my friend," said the Doctor. "May G.o.d preserve you!" He was about to have taken the leap, when Blanchard detained him. "One resource remains to us! We can cut the cords by which the car is attached, and cling to the network? perhaps the balloon will rise. Ready! But the barometer falls!
We remount! The wind freshens! We are saved!" The voyagers perceived Calais! Their joy became delirium; a few moments later, they descended in the forest of Guines. I doubt not," continued the unknown, "that in similar circ.u.mstances you would follow the example of Doctor Jefferies."
The clouds were unrolling beneath our feet in glittering cascades; the balloon cast a deep shadow on this pile of clouds, and was surrounded by them as with an aureola! The thunder growled beneath our feet! All this was frightful!
"Let us descend!" exclaimed I.
"Descend, when the sun is awaiting us yonder! Down with the bags!" And he lightened the balloon of more than fifty pounds. At 3000 metres we remained stationary. The unknown talked incessantly, but I scarcely heard him; I was completely prostrated, while he seemed in his element.
"With a good wind, we shall go far, but we must especially go high!"
"We are lost!"
"In the Antilles there are currents of air which travel a hundred leagues an hour! On the occasion of Napoleon"s coronation, Gavnerin let off a balloon illuminated with coloured lamps, at eleven o"clock in the evening! The wind blew from the N.N.E.; the next morning at daybreak the inhabitants of Rome saluted its pa.s.sage above the dome of St. Peter"s.
We will go farther."
I scarcely heard him; everything was buzzing around me! There was an opening in the clouds!
"See that city, my host;" said the unknown. "It is Spire. Nothing else!"
I dared not lean over the railing of the car. Nevertheless I perceived a little black spot. This was Spire. The broad Rhine looked like a riband, the great roads like threads. Above our heads the sky was of a deep azure; I was benumbed with the cold. The birds had long since forsaken us; in this rarefied sir their flight would have been impossible. We were alone in s.p.a.ce, and I in the presence of a strange man!
"It is useless for you to know whither I am taking you," said he, and he threw the compa.s.s into the clouds. "A fall is a fine thing. You know that there have been a few victims from Pilatre des Rosiers down to Lieutenant Gale, and these misfortunes have always been caused by imprudence. Pilatre des Rosiers ascended in company with Remain, at Boulogne, on the 13th of June, 1785. To his balloon, inflated with gas, he had suspended a _mongolfier_ filled with warm air, undoubtedly to save the trouble of letting off gas, or throwing out ballast. It was like putting a chafing-dish beneath a powder-cask. The imprudent men rose to a height of four hundred metres, and encountered opposing winds, which drove them over the ocean. In order to descend, Pilatre attempted to open the valve of the aerostat; but the cord of this valve caught in the balloon, and tore it so that it was emptied in an instant. It fell on the mongolfier, overturned it, and the imprudent men were dashed to pieces in a few seconds. It is _frightful, is_ it not?" said the unknown, shaking me from my torpor.
I could reply only by these words:
"In pity, let us descend! The clouds are gathering around us in every direction, and frightful detonations reverberating from the cavity of the aerostat are multiplying around us."