the dominion of the air-第10节

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　one　of　stagnation　or　retrogression。

Before　passing　on　to　later　annals；　however；　we　must　duly　chronicle　certain　exceptional　achievements　and　endeavours　as　yet　unmentioned；　which　stand　out　prominently　in　the　period　we　have　been　regarding　as　also　in　the　advancing　years　of　the　new　century　Among　these　must　in　justice　be　included　those　which　come　into　the　remarkable；　if　somewhat　pathetic　subsequent　career　of　the　brilliant；　intrepid　Lunardi。

Compelling　everywhere　unbounded　admiration　he　readily　secured　the　means　necessary　for　carrying　out　further　exploits　wherever　he　desired　while　at　the　same　time　he　met　with　a　measure　of　good　fortune　in　freedom　from　misadventure　such　as　has　generally　been　denied　to　less　bold　adventurers。　　Within　a　few　months　of　the　time　when　we　left　him；　the　popular　hero　and　happy　recipient　of　civic　and　royal　favours；　we　find　him　in　Scotland　attempting　feats　which　a　knowledge　of　practical　difficulties　bids　us　regard　as　extraordinary。

To　begin　with；　nothing　appears　more　remarkable　than　the　ease；　expedition；　and　certainty　with　which　in　days　when　necessary　facilities　must　have　been　far　harder　to　come　by　than　now；　he　could　always　fill　his　balloon　by　the　usually　tedious　and　troublesome　mode　attending　hydrogen　inflation。　　We　see　him　at　his　first　Scottish　ascent；　completing　the　operation　in　little　more　than　two　hours。　　It　is　the　same　later　at　Glasgow；　where；　commencing　with　only　a　portion　of　his　apparatus；　he　finds　the　inflation　actually　to　proceed　too　rapidly　for　his　purpose；　and　has　to　hold　the　powers　at　his　command　strongly　in　check。　　Later；　in　December　weather；　having　still　further　improved　his　apparatus；　he　makes　his　balloon　support　itself　after　　the　inflation　of　only　ten　minutes。　　Then；　as　if　assured　of　impunity；　he　treats　recognised　risks　with　a　species　of　contempt。　　At　Kelso　he　hails　almost　with　joy　the　fact　that　the　wind　must　carry　him　rapidly　towards　the　sea；　which　in　the　end　he　narrowly　escapes。　　At　Glasgow　the　chances　of　safe　landing　are　still　more　against　him；　yet　he　has　no　hesitation　in　starting；　and　at　last　the　catastrophe　he　seemed　to　court　actually　overtook　him；　and　he　plumped　into　the　sea　near　Berwick；　where　no　sail　was　even　in　sight；　and　a　winter's　night　coming　on。　　From　this　predicament　he　was　rescued　by　a　special　providence　which　once　before　had　not　deserted　him；　when　in　a　tumult　of　violent　and　contrary　currents；　and　at　a　great　height　to　boot；　his　gallery　was　almost　completely　carried　away；　and　he　had　to　cling　on　to　the　hoop　desperately　with　both　hands。

Then　we　lose　sight　of　the　dauntless；　light…hearted　Italian　for　one…and…twenty　years；　when　in　the　Gentleman's　Magazine　of　July　31；　1806；　appears　the　brief　line；　〃Died　in　the　convent　of　Barbadinas；　of　a　decline；　Mr。　Vincent　Lunardi；　the　celebrated　aeronaut。〃

Garnerin；　of　whom　mention　has　already　been　made；　accomplished　in　the　summer　of　1802　two　aerial　voyages　marked　by　extreme　velocity　in　the　rate　of　travel。　　The　first　of　these　is　also　remarkable　as　having　been　the　first　to　fairly　cross　the　heart　of　London。　　Captain　Snowdon；　R。N。；　accompanied　the　aeronaut。　　The　ascent　took　place　from　Chelsea　Gardens；　and　proved　so　great　an　attraction　that　the　crowd　overflowed　into　the　neighbouring　parts　of　the　town；　choking　up　the　thoroughfares　with　vehicles；　and　covering　the　river　with　boats。　　On　being　liberated；　the　balloon　sped　rapidly　away；　taking　a　course　midway　between　the　river　and　the　main　highway　of　the　Strand；　Fleet　Street；　and　Cheapside；　and　so　passed　from　view　of　the　multitude。　　Such　a　departure　could　hardly　fail　to　lead　to　subsequent　adventures；　and　this　is　pithily　told　in　a　letter　written　by　Garnerin　himself：　　〃I　take　the　earliest　opportunity　of　informing　you　that　after　a　very　pleasant　journey；　but　after　the　most　dangerous　descent　I　ever　made；　on　account　of　the　boisterous　weather　and　the　vicinity　of　the　sea；　we　alighted　at　the　distance　of　four　miles　from　this　place　and　sixty　from　Ranelagh。　　We　were　only　three…quarters　of　an　hour　on　the　way。　　To…night　I　intend　to　be　in　London　with　the　balloon；　which　is　torn　to　pieces。　　We　ourselves　are　all　over　bruises。〃

Only　a　week　after　the　same　aeronaut　ascended　again　from　Marylebone；　when　he　attained　almost　the　same　velocity；　reaching　Chingford；　a　distance　of　seventeen　miles；　in　fifteen　minutes。

The　chief　danger　attending　a　balloon　journey　in　a　high　wind；　supposing　no　injury　has　been　sustained　in　filling　and　launching；　results　not　so　much　from　impact　with　the　ground　on　alighting　as　from　the　subsequent　almost　inevitable　dragging　along　the　ground。　　The　grapnels；　spurning　the　open；　will　often　obtain　no　grip　save　in　a　hedge　or　tree；　and　even　then　large　boughs　will　be　broken　through　or　dragged　away；　releasing　the　balloon　on　a　fresh　career　which　may；　for　a　while；　increase　in　mad　impetuosity　as　the　emptying　silk　offers　a　deeper　hollow　for　the　wind　to　catch。

The　element　of　risk　is　of　another　nature　in　the　case　of　a　night　ascent；　when　the　actual　alighting　ground　cannot　be　duly　chosen　or　foreseen。　　Among　many　record　night　ascents　may　here；　somewhat　by　anticipation　of　events；　be　mentioned　two　embarked　upon　by　the　hero　of　our　last　adventure。　　M。　Garnerin　was　engaged　to　make　a　spectacular　ascent　from　Tivoli　at　Paris；　leaving　the　grounds　at　night　with　attached　lamps　illuminating　his　balloon。　　His　first　essay　was　on　a　night　of　ear＇y　August；　when　he　ascended　at　11　p。m。；　reaching　a　height　of　nearly　three　miles。　　Remaining　aloft　through　the　hours　of　darkness；　he　witnessed　the　sun　rise　at　half…past　two　in　the　morning；　and　eventually　came　to　earth　after　a　journey　of　some　seven　hours；　during　which　time　he　had　covered　considerably　more　than　a　hundred　miles。　　A　like　bold　adventure　carried　out　from　the　same　grounds　the　following　month　was　attended　with　graver　peril。　　A　heavy　thunderstorm　appearing　imminent；　Garnerin　elected　to　ascend　with　great　rapidity；　with　the　result　that　his　balloon；　under　the　diminished　pressure；　quickly　became　distended　to　an　alarming　degree；　and　he　was　reduced　to　the　necessity　of　piercing　a　hole　in　the　silk；　while　for　safety's　sake　he　endeavoured　to　extinguish　all　lamps　within　reach。　　He　now　lost　all　control　over　his　balloon；　which　became　unmanageable　in　the　conflict　of　the　storm。　　Having　exhausted　his　ballast；　he　presently　was　rudely　brought　to　earth　and　then　borne　against　a　mountain　side；　finally　losing　consciousness　until　the　balloon　had　found　anchorage　three　hundred　miles　away　from　Paris。

A　night　ascent；　which　reads　as　yet　more　sensational　and　extraordinary；　is　reported　to　have　been　made　a　year　or　two　previously；　and　when　it　is　considered　that　the　balloon　used　was　of　the　Montgolfier　type　the　account　as　it　is　handed　down　will　be　allowed　to　be　without　parallel。　　It　runs　thus：　　Count　Zambeccari；　Dr。　Grassati　of　Rome；　and　M。　Pascal　Andreoli　of　Antona　ascended　on　a　November　night　from　Bologna；　allowing　their　balloon　to　rise　with　excessive　velocity。　　In　consequence　of　this　rapid　transition　to　an　extreme　altitude　the　Count　and　the　Doctor　became　insensible；　leaving　Andreoli　alone　in　possession　of　his　faculties。　　At　two　o'clock　in　the　morning　they　found　themselves　descending　over　the　Adriatic；　at　which　time　a　lantern　which　they　carried　expired　and　was　with　difficulty　re…lighted。　　Continuing　to　descend；　they　presently　pitched　in　to　the　sea　and　became　drenched　with　salt　water。　　It　may　seem　surprising　that　the　balloon；　which　could　not　be　prevented　falling　in　the　water；　is　yet　enabled　to　ascend　from　the　grip　of　the　waves　by　the　mere　discharge　of　ballast。　　（It　would　be　interesting　to　inquire　what　meanwhile　happened　to　the　fire　which　they　presumably　carried　with　them。）　　They　now　rose　into　regions　of　cloud；　where　they　became　covered　with　hoar　frost　and　also　stone　deaf。　　At　3　a。m。　they　were　off　the　coast　of　Istria；　once　more　battling　with　the　waves　till　picked　up　by　a　shore　boat。　　The　balloon；　relieved　of　their　weight；　then　flew　away　into　Turkey。

However　overdrawn　this　narrative　may　appear；　it　must　be　read　in　the　light　of　another　account；　the　bare；　hard　facts　of　which　can　admit　of　no　question。　　It　is　five　years　later；　and　once　again　Count　Zambeccari　is　ascending　from　Bologna；　this　time　in　company　with　Signor　Bonagna。　　Again　it　is　a　Montgolfier　or　fire　balloon；　and　on　nearing　earth　it　becomes　entangled　in　a　tree　and　catches　fire。　　The　aeronauts　jump　for　their　lives；　and　the　Count　is　killed　on　the　spot。　　Certainly；　when　every　allowance　is　made　for　pardonable　or　unintentional　exaggeration；　it　must　be　conceded　that　there　were　giants　in　those　days。　　Giants　in　the　conception　and　accomplishment　of　deeds　of　lofty　daring。　　Men　who　came　scathless　through　supreme　danger　by　virtue　of　the　calmness　and　courage　with　which　they　withstood　it。

Among　other　appalling　disasters　we　have　an　example　of　a　terrific　descent　from　a　vast　height　in　which　the　adventurers　yet　escape　with　their　lives。　　It　was　the　summer　of　1808；　and　the　aeronauts；　MM。　Andreoli　and　Brioschi；　ascending　from　Padua；　reach　a　height　at　which　a　barometer　sinks　to　eight　inches；　indicating　upwards　of　30；000　feet。　　At　this　point　the　balloon　bursts；　and　falls　precipitately　near　Petrarch's　tomb。　　Commenting　on　this；　Mr。　Glaisher；　the　value　of　whose　opinion　is　second　to　none；　is　not　disposed　to　question　the　general　truth　of　the　narrative。　　In　regard　to　Zambeccari's　escape　fr