the dominion of the air-第13节

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ary　scale；　and　no　blame　is　to　be　imputed　on　that　account；　as　a　little　consideration　will　show。　　For　the　venture　proposed　was　not　to　be　that　of　merely　crossing　the　Channel；　which；　as　we　have　seen；　had　been　successfully　effected　no　less　than　fifty　years　before。　　The　voyage　in　contemplation　was　to　be　from　London；　it　was；　moreover；　to　be　pursued　through　a　long；　moonless　winter's　night；　and　under　conditions　of　which　no　living　aeronaut　had　had　actual　experience。

Calculation；　based　on　a　sufficient　knowledge　of　fast　upper　currents；　told　that　their　course；　ere　finished；　might　be　one　of　almost　indefinite　length；　and　it　is　not　too　much　to　say　that　no　one；　with　the　knowledge　of　that　day；　could　predict　within　a　thousand　miles　where　the　dawn　of　the　next　day　might　find　them。　The　equipment；　therefore；　was　commensurate　with　the　possible　task　before　them。　　To　begin　with；　they　limited　their　number　to　three　in　allMr。　Hollond；　as　chief　and　keeper　of　the　log；　Mr。　Green；　as　aeronaut；　and　an　enthusiastic　colleague；　Mr。　Monck　Mason；　as　the　chronicler　of　the　party。　　Next；　they　provided　themselves　with　passports　to　all　parts　of　the　Continent；　and　then　came　the　fitting　out　and　victualling　of　the　aerial　craft　itself；　calculated　to　carry　some　90；000　cubic　feet　of　gas；　and　a　counterpoise　of　a　ton　of　ballast；　which　took　the　form　partly　of　actual　provisions　in　large　quantity；　partly　of　gear　and　apparatus；　and　for　the　rest　of　sand　and　also　lime；　of　which　more　anon。　　Across　the　middle　of　the　car　was　fixed　a　bench　to　serve　as　table；　and　also　as　a　stage　for　the　winding　in　and　out　of　an　enormous　trail　rope　a　thousand　feet　long；　designed　by　Mr。　Green　to　meet　the　special　emergencies　of　the　voyage。　　At　the　bottom　of　the　car　was　spread　a　large　cushion　to　serve　the　purposes　of　rest。　　When　all　was　in　readiness　unfitness　of　weather　baulked　the　travellers　for　some　days；　but　Monday；　the　7th　of　November；　was　judged　a　favourable　day；　so　that　the　inflation　was　rapidly　proceeded　with；　and　at　1。30　p。m。　the　〃Monstre　Balloon；〃　as　it　was　entitled　in　the　〃Ingoldsby　Legends；〃　left　the　earth　on　her　eventful　and　ever　memorable　voyage。　　The　weather　was　fine　and　promising；　and；　rising　with　a　moderate　breeze　from　the　N。W。；　they　began　to　traverse　the　northern　parts　of　Kent；　while　light；　drifting　upper　clouds　gave　indication　of　other　possible　currents。　　Mr。　Hollond　was　precise　in　the　determination　of　times　and　of　all　readings　and　we　learn　that　at　exactly　2。48　p。m。　they　were　crossing　the　Medway；　six　miles　west　of　Rochester；　while　at　4。5　p。m。　the　lofty　towers　of　Canterbury　were　well　in　view；　two　miles　to　the　east；　and　here　a　little　function　was　well　carried　out。　　Green　had　twice　ascended　from　this　city　under　patronage　of　the　authorities；　and　the　idea　occurred　to　the　party　that　it　would　be　a　graceful　compliment　to　drop　a　message　to　the　Mayor　as　they　passed。　　A　suitable　note；　therefore；　quickly　written；　was　dismissed　in　a　parachute；　and　it　may　be　mentioned　that　this；　as　also　a　similar　missive　addressed　later　to　the　Mayor　of　Dover；　were　duly　received　and　acknowledged。

At　a　quarter　past　four　they　sighted　the　sea；　and　here；　the　air　beginning　to　grow　chill；　the　balloon　dropped　earthward；　and　for　some　miles　they　skimmed　the　ground；　disturbing　the　partridges；　scattering　the　rooks；　and　keeping　up　a　running　conversation　the　while　with　labourers　and　passers　below。　　In　this　there　was　exercise　of　perfectly　proper　aerial　seamanship；　such　as　moreover　presently　led　to　an　exhibition　of　true　science。　　To　save　ballast　is；　with　a　balloon；　to　prolong　life；　and　this　may　often　best　be　done　by　flying　low；　which　doubtless　was　Green's　present　intention。　　But　soon　his　trained　eye　saw　that　the　ground　current　which　now　carried　them　was　leading　them　astray。　　They　were　trending　to　the　northward；　and　so　far　out　of　their　course　that　they　would　soon　make　the　North　Foreland；　and　so　be　carried　out　over　the　North　Sea　far　from　their　desired　direction。　　Thereupon　Green　attempted　to　put　in　practice　his　theory；　already　spoken　of；　of　steering　by　upper　currents；　and　the　event　proved　his　judgment　peculiarly　correct。　　〃Nothing；〃　wrote　Mr。　Monck　Mason；　〃could　exceed　the　beauty　of　the　manoeuvre；　to　which　the　balloon　at　once　responded；　regaining　her　due　course；　and；　in　a　matter　of　a　few　minutes　only；　bearing　the　voyagers　almost　vertically　over　the　castle　of　Dover　in　the　exact　line　for　crossing　the　straits　between　that　town　and　Calais。〃

So　far　all　was　well；　and　success　had　been　extraordinary；　but　from　this　moment　they　became　faced　with　new　conditions；　and　with　the　grave　trouble　of　uncertainty。　　Light　was　failing；　the　sea　was　before　them；　andwhat　else　thenceforth？　　4。48　p。m。　was　recorded　as　the　moment　when　the　first　line　of　breaking　waves　was　seen　directly　below　them；　and　then　the　English　coast　line　began　rapidly　to　fade　out　from　their　view。　　But；　ahead；　the　obscurity　was　yet　more　intense；　for　clouds；　banked　up　like　a　solid　wall；　crowned　along　its　frowning　heights；　with　〃parapets　and　turrets　and　batteries　and　bastions；〃　and；　plunging　into　this　opposing　barrier；　they　were　quickly　buried　in　blackness；　losing　at　the　same　time　over　the　sea　all　sound　from　earth　soever。　　So　for　a　short　hour's　space；　when　the　sound　of　waves　once　again　broke　in　upon　them；　and　immediately　afterwards　emerging　from　the　dense　cloud　（a　sea…fog　merely）　they　found　themselves　immediately　over　the　brilliantly　lighted　town　of　Calais。　　Seeing　this；　the　travellers　attempted　to　signal　by　igniting　and　lowering　a　Bengal　Light；　which　was　directly　followed　by　the　beating　of　drums　from　below。

It　adds　a　touch　of　reality；　as　well　as　cheerfulness；　to　the　narrative　to　read　that　at　this　period　of　their　long　journey　the　travellers　apply　themselves　to　a　fair；　square　meal；　the　first　for　twelve　hours；　despite　the　day's　excitement　and　toil。　　We　have　an　entry　among　the　stores　of　the　balloon　of　wine　bottles　and　spirit　flasks；　but　there　is　no　mention　of　these　being　requisitioned　at　this　period。　　The　demand　seems　rather　to　have　been　for　coffeecoffee　hot；　and　this　by　a　novel　device　was　soon　prepared。　　It　goes　without　saying　that　a　fire　or　flame　of　any　kind；　except　with　special　precautions；　is　inadmissable　in　a　balloon；　but　a　cooking　heat；　sufficient　for　the　present　purpose；　was　supplied　from　the　store　of　lime；　a　portion　of　which；　being　placed　in　a　suitably　contrived　vessel　and　slaked　quickly；　procured　the　desired　beverage。

This　meal　now　indulged　in　seems　to　have　been　heartily　and　happily　enjoyed；　and　from　this　point；　for　a　while；　the　narrative　becomes　that　of　enthusiastic　and　delighted　travellers。　In　the　gloom　below；　for　leagues　around；　they　regarded　the　scattered　fires　of　a　watchful　population；　with　here　and　there　the　lights　of　larger　towns；　and　the　contemplation　begot　romantic　reveries。　　〃Were　they　not　amid　the　vast　solitudes　of　the　skies；　in　the　dead　of　night；　unknown　and　unnoticed；　secretly　and　silently　reviewing　kingdoms；　exploring　territories；　and　surveying　cities　all　clothed　in　the　dark　mantle　of　mystery？〃　　Presently　they　identified　the　blazing　city　of　Liege；　with　the　lurid　lights　of　extensive　outlying　iron　works；　and　this　was　the　last　visible　sign　they　caught　of　earth　that　night；　save；　at　least；　when　occasional　glimpses　of　lightning　momentarily　and　dimly　outlined　the　world　in　the　abyss　below。

Ere　long；　they　met　with　their　first　discomfort；　which　they　seem　to　have　regarded　as　a　most　serious　one；　namely；　the　accidental　dropping　overboard　of　their　cherished　coffee…boiling　apparatus。　　With　its　loss　their　store　of　lime　became　useless；　save　as　ballast；　and　for　this　it　was　forthwith　utilised　until　nothing　remained　but　the　empty　lime　barrel　itself；　which；　being　regarded　as　an　objectionable　encumbrance；　it　was　desirable　to　get　rid　of；　were　it　not　for　the　risk　involved　in　rudely　dropping　it　to　earth。　　But　the　difficulty　was　met。　　They　possessed　a　suitable　small　parachute；　and；　attached　to　this；　the　barrel　was　allowed　to　float　earthward。

As　hours　advanced；　the　blackness　of　night　increased；　and　their　impressions　appear　somewhat　strange　to　anyone　familiar　with　ordinary　night　travel　in　the　sky。　　Mr。　Monck　Mason　compares　their　progress　through　the　darkness　to　〃cleaving　their　way　through　an　interminable　mass　of　black　marble。〃　　Then；　presently；　an　unaccountable　object　puzzles　and　absorbs　the　attention　of　all　the　party　for　a　long　period。　　They　were　gazing　open…mouthed　at　a　long　narrow　avenue　of　feeble　light；　which；　though　apparently　belonging　to　earth；　was　too　long　and　regular　for　a　river；　and　too　broad　for　a　canal　or　road；　and　it　was　only　after　many　futile　imaginings　that　they　discovered　they　were　simply　looking　at　a　stay　rope　of　the　balloon　hanging　far　out　over　the　side。

Somewhat　later　still；　there　was　a　more　serious　claim　upon　the　imagination。　　It　was　half…past　three　in　the　morning；　and　the　balloon；　which；　to　escape　from　too　low　an　altitude；　had　been　liberally　lightened；　had　now　at　high　speed　mounted　to　a　vast　height。　　And　then；　amid　the　black　darkness　and　dead　silence　of　that　appalling　region；　suddenly　overhead　came　the　sound　of　an　explosion；　followed　by　the　violent　rustling　of　the　silk；　while　the　car　jerked　violently；　as　though　suddenly　detached　from　its　hold。　　This　was　the　idea；　leading　to　the　belief　that　the　balloon　had　suddenly　exploded；　and　that　they　were　falling　headlong　to　earth。　　The