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 assistance 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 shores 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 passed 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 shores 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