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Wonderful Balloon Ascents; Or, The Conquest of the Skies
·
Fulgence Marion
70
“‘We
have
quitted
the
earth,’
said
I
to
my
companion.
“‘I
compliment
you
on
the
fact,’
he
answered;
‘keep
up
the
fire!’
“A
truss
of
hay,
steeped
in
spirits
of
wine
accelerated
the
swiftness
of
our
ascent.
I
cast
my
glance
upon
the
town,
which
seemed
to
flee
rapidly
from
under
our
feet.
Terrestrial
objects
had
already
lost
their
shape
and
size.
The
burning
heat
which
I
felt
at
first
now
gave
place
to
a
temperature
of
the
most
agreeable
kind,
and
the
air
which
we
breathed
seemed
to
contain
healthful
elements
unknown
to
dwellers
on
the
lower
earth.
“‘How
well
I
am!’
I
said
to
Louchet;
‘how
are
you?’
“‘As
well
as
can
be.
Would
that
I
could
dispatch
a
message
to
the
earth!’
“Immediately
I
threw
over
a
roll
of
paper
on
which
I
had
written
the
words,
‘All
well
on
board
the
City
of
Rodez.’
“At
thirty-two
minutes
past
eight
our
elevation
was
at
least
6,000
feet
above
sea
level.
A
flame
from
our
fire,
rising
from
eighteen
to
twenty
feet,
sent
us
up
another
1,000
feet.
It
was
then
that
our
machine
was
seen
by
every
spectator
within
a
circuit
of
nine
miles,
and
it
appeared
to
be
right
over
the
heads
of
all
of
them.
“‘Send
us
up
out
of
sight,’
said
my
adventurous
confrere.
“I
had
to
moderate
his
ardour--a
larger
fire
would
have
burnt
our
balloon.
“From
our
moving
observatory
the
most
splendid
view
developed
itself.
The
boundaries
of
the
horizon
were
vastly
extended.
The
capital
of
the
Rouergue
appeared
to
be
no
more
than
a
group
of
stones,
one
of
which
seemed
to
rise
to
the
height
of
two
or
three
feet.
This
was
no
other
than
the
superb
tower
of
the
cathedral.
Fertile
slopes,
agreeable
valleys,
lofty
precipices,
waste
lands,
ancient
castles
perched
upon
frowning
rocks,
these
form
the
endlessly
varied
spectacle
which
the
Rouergue
and
the
neighbouring
provinces
present
to
the
view
of
those
who
traverse
the
surface
of
the
earth.
But
how
different
is
the
scene
to
the
aerial
voyager!
We
could
perceive
only
a
vast
country,
perfectly
round,
and
seemingly
a
little
elevated
in
the
middle,
irregularly
marked
with
verdure,
but
without
inhabitants,
without
towns,
valleys,
rivers,
or
mountains.
Living
beings
no
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