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128
Wonderful Balloon Ascents; Or, The Conquest of the Skies
·
Fulgence Marion
126
admiration
and
trust.
On
the
heavy
marches
they
brought
us
prepared
food
and
wine,
which
my
men
were
hardly
able
to
get
for
themselves,
so
closely
did
they
require
to
attend
to
the
ropes.
We
were
encamped
upon
the
banks
of
the
Rhine
at
Manheim
when
our
general
sent
me
to
the
opposite
bank
to
parley.
As
soon
as
the
Austrian
officers
were
made
aware
that
I
commanded
the
balloon,
I
was
overwhelmed
with
questions
and
compliments.
“What
causes
an
impression
which,
till
one
is
accustomed
to
it,
is
very
alarming,
is
the
noise
which
the
balloon
makes
when
it
is
struck
by
successive
gales
of
wind.
When
the
wind
has
passed,
the
balloon,
which
has
been
pressed
into
a
concave
form
by
the
wind,
suddenly
resumes
its
globular
form
with
a
loud
noise
heard
at
a
great
distance.
The
silk
of
the
balloon
would
often
burst
in
a
case
of
this
kind,
were
it
not
for
the
restraining
power
of
the
network.”
After
the
days
of
Coutelle
we
do
not
read
that
balloons
were
made
much
use
of
in
warfare.
The
only
ascent
in
the
Egypt
campaign
was
that
of
a
tricolor
balloon
thrown
up
to
commemorate
a
fete.
That
Napoleon
knew
full
well
the
value
of
the
scientific
discoveries
of
his
time
is
clear
from
the
following
conversation
with
a
learned
Mohammedan,
which
took
place
in
the
great
pyramid
of
Cheops:--
Mussamed.
“Noble
successor
of
Alexander,
honour
to
shine
invincible
arms,
and
to
the
unexpected
lightning
with
which
your
warriors
are
furnished.”
Bonaparte.
“Do
you
believe
that
that
lightning
is
the
work
of
the
children
of
men?
Allah
has
placed
it
in
our
hands
by
means
of
the
genius
of
war.”
Mussamed.
“We
recognised
by
your
arms
that
it
is
Allah
that
has
sent
you--the
Delta
and
all
the
neighbouring
countries
are
full
of
thy
miracles.
But
would
you
be
a
conqueror
if
Allah
did
not
permit
you?”
Bonaparte.
“A
celestial
body
will
point
by
my
orders
to
the
dwelling
of
the
clouds,
and
lightning
will
descend
towards
the
earth,
along
a
rod
of
metal
from
which
I
can
call
it
forth.”
Napoleon
did
not
favour
the
use
of
balloons
in
war.
Perhaps
it
was
because
he
himself
had
such
a
splendid
genius
for
war
that
he
depended
alone
upon
himself,
and
scorned
assistance.
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