the dominion of the air-第12节

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find　that　at　the　date　at　which　we　have　now　arrived　the　estimate　for　filling　a　balloon　of　70；000　cubic　feetno　extraordinary　capacitywith　hydrogen　gas　was　about　L250。　　When；　then；　to　this　great　outlay　was　added　the　difficulty　and　delay　of　producing　a　sufficient　supply　by　what　was　at　best　a　clumsy　process；　as　also　the　positive　failure　and　consequent　disappointment　which　not　infrequently　ensued；　it　is　easy　to　understand　how　through　many　years　balloon　ascents；　no　longer　a　novelty；　had　begun　to　be　regarded　with　distrust；　and　the　profession　of　a　balloonist　was　doomed　to　become　unremunerative。　　A　simpler　and　cheaper　mode　of　inflation　was　not　only　a　desideratum；　but　an　absolute　necessity。　　The　full　truth　of　this　may　be　gathered　from　the　fact　that　we　find　there　were　not　seldom　instances　where　two　or　three　days　of　continuous　and　anxious　labour　were　expended　in　generating　and　passing　hydrogen　into　a　balloon；　through　the　fabric　of　which　the　subtle　gas　would　escape　almost　as　fast　as　it　was　produced。

It　was　at　this　juncture；　then；　that　Charles　Green　conceived　the　happy　idea　of　substituting　for　hydrogen　gas　the　ordinary　household　gas；　which　at　this　time　was　to　be　found　ready　to　hand　and　in　sufficient　quantity　in　all　towns　of　any　consequence；　and　by　the　day　of　the　coronation　all　was　in　readiness　for　a　public　exhibition　of　this　method　of　inflation；　which　was　carried　out　with　complete　success；　though　not　altogether　without　unrehearsed　and　amusing　incident；　as　must　be　told。

The　day；　July　18；　was　one　of　summer　heat；　and　Green　at　the　conclusion　of　his　preparations；　fatigued　with　anxious　labour　and　oppressed　by　the　crowding　of　the　populace；　took　refuge　within　the　car　of　his　balloon；　which　was　by　that　time　already　inflated；　and　only　awaiting　the　gun　signal　that　was　to　announce　the　moment　for　its　departure。　　To　allow　of　his　gaining　the　refreshment　of　somewhat　purer　air　he　begged　his　friends　who　were　holding　the　car　of　his　balloon　in　restraint　to　keep　it　suspended　at　a　few　feet　from　the　earth；　while　he　rested　himself　within；　and；　this　being　done；　it　would　appear　that　he　fell　into　a　doze；　from　which　he　did　not　awake　till　he　found　that　the　balloon；　which　had　slipped　from　his　friends'　hold；　was　already　high　above　the　crowd　and　requiring　his　prompt　attention。　　This　was；　however；　by　no　means　an　untoward　accident；　and　Green's　triumph　was　complete。　　By　this　one　venture　alone　the　success　of　the　new　method　was　entirely　assured。　　The　cost　of　the　inflation　had　been　reduced　ten…fold；　the　labour　and　uncertainty　a　hundred…fold；　and；　over　and　above　all；　the　confidence　of　the　public　was　restored。　　It　is　little　wonder；　then；　that　in　the　years　that　now　follow　we　find　the　balloon　returning　to　all　the　favour　it　had　enjoyed　in　its　palmiest　days。　　But　Green　proved　himself　something　more　than　a　practical　balloonist　of　the　first　rank。　　He　brought　to　the　aid　of　his　profession　ideas　which　were　matured　by　due　thought　and　scientifically　sound。　　It　is　true　he　still　clung　for　a　while　to　the　antiquated　notion　that　mechanical　means　could；　with　advantage；　be　used　to　cause　a　balloon　to　ascend　or　descend；　or　to　alter　its　direction　in　a　tranquil　atmosphere。　　But　he　saw　clearly　that　the　true　method　of　navigating　a　balloon　should　be　by　a　study　of　upper　currents；　and　this　he　was　able　to　put　to　practical　proof　on　a　memorable　occasion；　and　in　a　striking　manner；　as　we　shall　presently　relate。

He　learned　the　lesson　early　in　his　career　while　acquiring　facts　and　experience；　unassisted；　in　a　number　of　solitary　voyages　made　from　different　parts　of　the　country。　　Among　these　he　is　careful　to　record　an　occasion　when；　making　a　day…light　ascent　from　Boston；　Lincolnshire；　he　maintained　a　lofty　course；　which　promised　to　take　him　direct　to　Grantham；　but；　presently　descending　to　a　lower　level；　and　his　balloon　diverging　at　an　angle　of　some　45　degrees；　he　now　headed　for　Newark。　　This　experience　he　stored　away。

A　month　later　we　find　him　making　a　night　voyage　from　Vauxhall　Gardens；　destined　to　be　the　scene　of　many　memorable　ascents　in　the　near　future；　and　on　this　occasion　he　gave　proof　of　his　capability　as　a　close　and　intelligent　observer。　　It　was　a　July　night；　near　11　p。m。；　moonless　and　cloudy；　yet　the　earth　was　visible；　and　under　these　circumstances　his　simple　narrative　becomes　of　scientific　value。　　He　accurately　distinguished　the　reflective　properties　of　the　face　of　the　diversified　country　he　traversed。　　Over　Battersea　and　Wandsworththis　was　in　1826there　were　white　sheets　spread　over　the　land；　which　proved　to　be　corn　crops　ready　for　the　sickle。　　Where　crops　were　not　the　ground　was　darker；　with；　here　and　there；　objects　absolutely　blackin　other　words；　trees　and　houses。　　Then　he　mentions　the　river　in　a　memorandum；　which　reads　strangely　to　the　aeronaut　who　has　made　the　same　night　voyage　in　these　latter　days。　　The　stream　was　crossed　in　places　with　rows　of　lamps　apparently　resting　on　the　water。　　These　were　the　lighted　bridges；　but；　here　and　there；　were　dark　planks；　and　these　too　were　bridgesat　Battersea　and　Putneybut　without　a　light　upon　them！

In　these　and　many　other　simple；　but　graphic；　narratives　Green　draws　his　own　pictures　of　Nature　in　her　quieter　moods。　　But　he　was　not　without　early　experience　of　her　horse　play；　a　highly　instructive　record　of　which　should　not　be　omitted　here；　and　which；　as　coming　from　so　careful　and　conscientious　an　observer；　is　best　gathered　from　his　own　words。　　The　ascent　was　from　Newbury；　and　it　can　have　been　no　mean　feat　to　fill；　under　ordinary　circumstances；　a　balloon　carrying　two　passengers　and　a　considerable　weight　of　ballast　at　the　small　gas…holder　which　served　the　town　eighty…five　years　ago。　　But　the　circumstances　were　not　ordinary；　for　the　wind　was　extremely　squally；　a　tremendous　hail　and　thunderstorm　blew　up；　and　a　hurricane　swept　the　balloon　with　such　force　that　two　tons　weight　of　iron　and　a　hundred　men　scarce　sufficed　to　hold　it　in　check。

Green　on　this　occasion　had　indeed　a　companion；　whose　usefulness　however　at　a　pinch　may　be　doubted　when　we　learn　that　he　was　both　deaf　and　dumb。　　The　rest　of　the　narrative　runs　thus：　　〃Between　4　and　5　p。m。　the　clouds　dispersed；　but　the　wind　continued　to　rage　with　unabated　fury　the　whole　of　the　evening。　　At　6　p。m。　I　stepped　into　the　car　with　Mr。　Simmons　and　gave　the　word　'Away！'　　The　moment　the　machine　was　disencumbered　of　its　weights　it　was　torn　by　the　violence　of　the　wind　from　the　assistants；　bounded　off　with　the　velocity　of　lightning　in　a　southeasterly　direction；　and　in　a　very　short　space　of　time　attained　an　elevation　of　two　miles。　　At　this　altitude　we　perceived　two　immense　bodies　of　clouds　operated　on　by　contrary　currents　of　air　until　at　length　they　became　united；　and　at　that　moment　my　ears　were　assailed　by　the　most　awful　and　longest　continued　peal　of　thunder　I　have　ever　heard。　　These　clouds　were　a　full　mile　beneath　us；　but　perceiving　other　strata　floating　at　the　same　elevation　at　which　we　were　sailing；　which　from　their　appearance　I　judged　to　be　highly　charged　with　electricity；　I　considered　it　prudent　to　discharge　twenty　pounds　of　ballast；　and　we　rose　half　a　mile　above　our　former　elevation；　where　I　considered　we　were　perfectly　safe　and　beyond　their　influence。　　I　observed；　amongst　other　phenomena；　that　at　every　discharge　of　thunder　all　the　detached　pillars　of　clouds　within　the　distance　of　a　mile　around　became　attracted　and　appeared　to　concentrate　their　force　towards　the　first　body　of　clouds　alluded　to；　leaving　the　atmosphere　clear　and　calm　beneath　and　around　us。

〃With　very　trifling　variations　we　continued　the　same　course　until　7。15　p。m。；　when　we　descended　to　within　500　feet　of　the　earth；　but；　perceiving　from　the　disturbed　surface　of　the　rivers　and　lakes　that　a　strong　wind　existed　near　the　earth；　we　again　ascended　and　continued　our　course　till　7。30　p。m。；　when　a　final　descent　was　safely　effected　in　a　meadow　field　in　the　parish　of　Crawley　in　Surrey；　situated　between　Guildford　and　Horsham；　and　fifty…eight　miles　from　Newbury。　　This　stormy　voyage　was　performed　in　one　hour　and　a　half。〃

It　was　after　Green　had　followed　his　profession　for　fifteen　years　that　he　was　called　upon　to　undertake　the　management　of　an　aerial　venture；　which；　all　things　considered；　has　never　been　surpassed　in　genuine　enterprise　and　daring。　　The　conception　of　the　project　was　due　to　Mr。　Robert　Hollond；　and　it　took　shape　in　this　way。　　This　gentleman；　fresh　from　Cambridge；　possessed　of　all　the　ardour　of　early　manhood；　as　also　of　adequate　means；　had　begun　to　devote　himself　with　the　true　zeal　of　the　enthusiast　to　the　pursuit　of　ballooning；　finding　due　opportunity　for　this　in　his　friendship　with　Mr。　Green；　who　enjoyed　the　management　of　the　fine　balloon　made　for　ascents　at　the　then　popular　Vauxhall　Gardens。　　In　the　autumn　of　1836　the　proprietors　of　this　balloon；　contemplating　making　an　exhibition　of　an　ascent　from　Paris；　and　requiring　their　somewhat　fragile　property　to　be　conveyed　to　that　city；　Mr。　Hollond　boldly　came　forward　and　offered　to　transfer　it　thither；　and；　as　nearly　as　this　might　be　possible；　by　passage　through　the　sky。　　The　proposal　was　accepted；　and　Mr。　Holland；　in　conjunction　with　Green；　set　about　the　needful　preparations。　　These；　as　will　appear；　were　on　an　extraordinary　scale；　and　no　blame　is　to　be　imputed　on　that　account；　as　a　little　consideration　will　show。　　For