the dominion of the air-第7节

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e　the　mouth　to　release　the　strain。　　He　also　found　that　the　condensed　moisture　round　the　neck　had　frozen。　　These　two　statements　point　to　his　having　reached　a　considerable　altitude；　which　is　intelligible　enough。　　It　is；　however；　difficult　to　believe　his　further　assertion　that　by　the　use　of　his　single　oar　he　succeeded　in　working　himself　down　to　within　a　few　hundred　feet　of　the　earth。　　The　descent　of　the　balloon　must；　in　point　of　fact；　have　been　due　to　a　copious　outrush　of　gas　at　his　former　altitude。　　Had　his　oar　really　been　effective　in　working　the　balloon　down　it　would　not　have　needed　the　discharge　of　ballast　presently　spoken　of　to　cause　it　to　reascend。　　Anyhow；　he　found　himself　sufficiently　near　the　earth　to　land　a　passenger　who　was　anxious　to　get　out。　　His　cat　had　not　been　comfortable　in　the　cold　upper　regions；　and　now　at　its　urgent　appeal　was　deposited　in　a　corn　field；　which　was　the　point　of　first　contact　with　the　earth。　　It　was　carefully　received　by　a　country…woman；　who　promptly　sold　it　to　a　gentleman　on　the　other　side　of　the　hedge；　who　had　been　pursuing　the　balloon。

The　first　ascent　of　a　balloon　in　England　was　deserving　of　some　record；　and　an　account　alike　circumstantial　and　picturesque　is　forthcoming。　　The　novel　and　astonishing　sight　was　witnessed　by　a　Hertfordshire　farmer；　whose　testimony；　published　by　Lunardi　in　the　same　year；　runs　as　follows：

This　deponent　on　his　oath　sayeth　that；　being　on　Wednesday；　the　15th　day　of　September　instant；　between　the　hours　of　three　and　four　in　the　afternoon；　in　a　certain　field　called　Etna；　in　the　parish　of　North　Mimms　aforesaid；　he　perceived　a　large　machine　sailing　in　the　air；　near　the　place　where　he　was　on　horseback；　that　the　machine　continuing　to　approach　the　earth；　the　part　of　it　in　which　this　deponent　perceived　a　gentleman　standing　came　to　the　ground　and　dragged　a　short　way　on　the　ground　in　a　slanting　direction；　that　the　time　when　this　machine　thus　touched　the　earth　was；　as　near　as　this　deponent　could　judge；　about　a　quarter　before　four　in　the　afternoon。　　That　this　deponent　being　on　horseback；　and　his　horse　restive；　he　could　not　approach　nearer　to　the　machine　than　about　four　poles；　but　that　he　could　plainly　perceive　therein　gentleman　dressed　in　light　coloured　cloaths；　holding　in　his　hand　a　trumpet；　which　had　the　appearance　of　silver　or　bright　tin。　　That　by　this　time　several　harvest　men　coming　up　from　the　other　part　of　the　field；　to　the　number　of　twelve　men　and　thirteen　women；　this　deponent　called　to　them　to　endeavour　to　stop　the　machine；　which　the　men　attempted；　but　the　gentleman　in　the　machine　desiring　them　to　desist；　and　the　machine　moving　with　considerable　rapidity；　and　clearing　the　earth；　went　off　in　a　north　direction　and　continued　in　sight　at　a　very　great　height　for　near　an　hour　afterwards。　　And　this　deponent　further　saith　that　the　part　of　the　machine　in　the　which　the　gentleman　stood　did　not　actually　touch　the　ground　for　more　than　half　a　minute；　during　which　time　the　gentleman　threw　out　a　parcel　of　what　appeared　to　this　deponent　as　dry　sand。　　That　after　the　machine　had　ascended　again　from　the　earth　this　deponent　perceived　a　grapple　with　four　hooks；　which　hung　from　the　bottom　of　the　machine；　dragging　along　the　ground；　which　carried　up　with　it　into　the　air　a　small　parcel　of　loose　oats；　which　the　women　were　raking　in　the　field。　　And　this　deponent　further　on　his　oath　sayeth　that　when　the　machine　had　risen　clear　from　the　ground　about　twenty　yards　the　gentleman　spoke　to　this　deponent　and　to　the　rest　of　the　people　with　his　trumpet；　wishing　them　goodbye　and　saying　that　he　should　soon　go　out　of　sight。　　And　this　deponent　further　on　his　oath　sayeth　that　the　machine　in　which　the　gentleman　came　down　to　earth　appeared　to　consist　of　two　distinct　parts　connected　together　by　ropes；　namely　that　in　which　the　gentleman　appeared　to　be；　a　stage　boarded　at　the　bottom；　and　covered　with　netting　and　ropes　on　the　sides　about　four　feet　and　a　half　high；　and　the　other　part　of　the　machine　appeared　in　the　shape　of　an　urn；　about　thirty　feet　high　and　of　about　the　same　diameter；　made　of　canvas　like　oil　skin；　with　green；　red；　and　yellow　stripes。

NATHANIEL　WHITBREAD。

Sworn　before　me　this　twentieth　day　of　September；　1784；　WILLIAM　BAKER。

It　was　a　curious　fact；　pointed　out　to　the　brave　Italian　by　a　resident；　that　the　field　in　which　the　temporary　descent　had　been　made　was　called　indifferently　Etna　or　Italy；　〃from　the　circumstance　which　attended　the　late　enclosure　of　a　large　quantity　of　roots；　rubbish；　etc。；　having　been　collected　there；　and　having　continued　burning　for　many　days。　　The　common　people　having　heard　of　a　burning　mountain　in　Italy　gave　the　field　that　name。〃

But　the　voyage　did　not　end　at　Etna。　　The；　as　yet；　inexperienced　aeronaut　now　cast　out　all　available　ballast　in　the　shape　of　sand；　as　also　his　provisions；　and　rising　with　great　speed；　soon　reached　a　greater　altitude　than　before；　which　he　sought　to　still　farther　increase　by　throwing　down　his　plates；　knives；　and　forks。　　In　this　somewhat　reckless　expenditure　he　thought　himself　justified　by　the　reliance　he　placed　on　his　oar；　and　it　is　not　surprising　that　in　the　end　he　owns　that　he　owed　his　safety　in　his　final　descent　to　his　good　fortune。　　The　narrative　condensed　concludes　thus：

〃At　twenty　minutes　past　four　I　descended　in　a　meadow　near　Ware。　　Some　labourers　were　at　work　in　it。　　I　requested　their　assistance；　but　they　exclaimed　they　would　have　nothing　to　do　with　one　who　came　on　the　Devil's　Horse；　and　no　entreaties　could　prevail　on　them　to　approach　me。　　I　at　last　owed　my　deliverance　to　a　young　woman　in　the　field　who　took　hold　of　a　cord　I　had　thrown　out；　and；　calling　to　the　men；　they　yielded　that　assistance　at　her　request　which　they　had　refused　to　mine。〃

As　may　be　supposed；　Lunardi's　return　to　London　resembled　a　royal　progress。　　Indeed；　he　was　welcomed　as　a　conqueror　to　whom　the　whole　town　sought　to　do　honour；　and　perhaps　his　greatest　gratification　came　by　way　of　the　accounts　he　gathered　of　incidents　which　occurred　during　his　eventful　voyage。　　At　a　dinner　at　which　he　was　being　entertained　by　the　Lord　Mayor　and　judges　he　learned　that　a　lady　seeing　his　falling　oar；　and　fancying　that　he　himself　was　dashed　to　pieces；　received　a　shock　thereby　which　caused　her　death。　　Commenting　on　this；　one　of　the　judges　bade　him　be　reassured；　inasmuch　as　he　had；　as　if　by　compensation；　saved　the　life　of　a　young　man　who　might　live　to　be　reformed。　　The　young　man　was　a　criminal　whose　condemnation　was　regarded　as　certain　at　the　hands　of　the　jury　before　whom　he　was　being　arraigned；　when　tidings　reached　the　court　that　Lunardi's　balloon　was　in　the　air。　　On　this　so　much　confusion　arose　that　the　jury　were　unable　to　give　due　deliberation　to　the　case；　and；　fearing　to　miss　the　great　sight；　actually　agreed　to　acquit　the　prisoner；　that　they　themselves　might　be　free　to　leave　the　court！

But　he　was　flattered　by　a　compliment　of　a　yet　higher　order。　　He　was　told　that　while　he　hovered　over　London　the　King　was　in　conference　with　his　principal　Ministers；　and　his　Majesty；　learning　that　he　was　in　the　sky；　is　reported　to　have　said　to　his　councillors；　〃We　may　resume　our　own　deliberations　at　pleasure；　but　we　may　never　see　poor　Lunardi　again！〃　　On　this；　it　is　further　stated　that　the　conference　broke　up；　and　the　King；　attended　by　Mr。　Pitt　and　other　chief　officers　of　State；　continued　to　view　Lunardi　through　telescopes　as　long　as　he　remained　in　the　horizon。

The　public　Press；　notably　the　Morning　Post　of　September　16；　paid　a　worthy　tribute　to　the　hero　of　the　hour；　and　one　last　act　of　an　exceptional　character　was　carried　out　in　his　honour；　and　remains　in　evidence　to　this　hour。　　In　a　meadow　in　the　parish　of　Standon；　near　Ware；　there　stands　a　rough　hewn　stone；　now　protected　by　an　iron　rail。　　It　marks　the　spot　where　Lunardi　landed；　and　on　it　is　cut　a　legend　which　runs　thus：

Let　Posterity　know　And　knowing　be　astonished　that　On　the　15th　day　of　September　1784　Vincent　Lunardi　of　Lusca　in　Tuscany　The　first　aerial　traveller　in　Britain　Mounting　from　the　Artillery　Ground　In　London　And　Traversing　the　Regions　of　the　Air　For　Two　Hours　and　Fifteen　Minutes　In　this　Spot　Revisited　the　Earth。　On　this　rude　monument　For　ages　be　recorded　That　Wondrous　Enterprise　Successfully　atchieved　By　the　Powers　of　Chemistry　And　the　Fortitude　of　Man　That　Improvement　in　Science　Which　The　Great　Author　of　all　Knowledge　Patronyzing　by　His　Providence　The　Invention　of　Mankind　Hath　graciously　permitted　To　Their　Benefit　And　His　own　Eternal　Glory。



CHAPTER　IV。　THE　DEVELOPMENT　OF　BALLOON　PHILOSOPHY。


In　less　than　two　years　not　only　had　the　science　of　ballooning　reached　almost　its　highest　development；　but　the　balloon　itself；　as　an　aerostatic　machine；　had　been　brought　to　a　state　of　perfection　which　has　been　but　little　improved　upon　up　to　the　present　t　hour。　　Better　or　cheaper　methods　of　inflation　were　yet　to　be　discovered；　lighter　and　more　suitable　material　remained　to　be　manufactured；　but　the　navigation　of　the　air；　which　hitherto　through　all　time　had　been　beyond　man's　grasp；　had　been　attained；　as　it　were；　at　a　bound；　and　at　the　hands　of　many　different　and　independent　experimentalists　was　being　pursued　with　almost　the　same　degree　of　success　and　safety　as　to…day。

Nor　was　this　all。　　There　was　yet　another　triumph　of　the　aeronautical　art　which