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128
Wonderful Balloon Ascents; Or, The Conquest of the Skies
·
Fulgence Marion
84
quarter,
appeared
on
a
parallel
line
with
us,
and
looked
red
as
blood.
“After
having
traversed
these
regions
for
half
an
hour,
at
an
immeasurable
elevation,
the
balloon
slowly
began
to
descend,
and
at
last
we
fell
again
into
the
sea,
at
about
four
in
the
morning
I
cannot
determine
at
what
distance
we
were
from
land
when
we
fell
the
second
time.
The
night
was
very
dark,
the
sea
rolling
heavily,
and
we
were
in
no
condition
to
make
observations.
But
it
must
have
been
in
the
middle
of
the
Adriatic
that
we
fell.
Although
we
descended
gently,
the
gallery
was
sunk,
and
we
were
often
entirely
covered
with
water.
The
balloon
being
now
more
than
half
empty,
in
consequence
of
the
vicissitudes
through,
which
we
had
passed,
gave
a
purchase
to
the
wind,
which
pressed
against
it
as
against
a
sail,
so
that
by
means
of
it
we
were
dragged
and
beaten
about
at
the
mercy
of
the
storm
and
the
waves.
At
daybreak
we
looked
out
and
found
ourselves
opposite
Pesaro,
four
miles
from
the
shore.
We
were
comforting
ourselves
with
the
prospect
of
a
safe
landing,
when
a
wind
from
the
land
drove
us
with
violence
away
over
the
open
sea.
It
was
now
full
day,
but
all
we
could
see
were
the
sea,
the
sky,
and
the
death
that
threatened
us.
Certainly
some
boats
happened
to
come
within
sight;
but
no
sooner
did
they
see
the
balloon
floating
and
striping
upon
the
water
than
they
made
all
sail
to
get
away
from
it.
No
hope
was
then
left
to
us
but
the
very
small
one
of
making
the
coasts
of
Dalmatia,
which
were
opposite,
but
at
a
great
distance
from
us.
Without
the
slightest
doubt
we
should
have
been
drowned
if
heaven
had
not
mercifully
directed
towards
us
a
navigator
who,
better
informed
than
those
we
had
seen
before,
recognised
our
machine
to
be
a
balloon
and
quickly
sent
his
long-boat
to
our
rescue.
The
sailors
threw
us
a
stout
cable,
which
we
attached
to
the
gallery,
and
by
means
of
which
they
rescued
us
when
fainting
with
exposure.
The
balloon
thus
lightened,
immediately
rose
into
the
air,
in
spite
of
all
the
efforts
of
the
sailors
who
wished
to
capture
it.
The
long
boat
received
a
severe
shock
from
its
escape,
as
the
rope
was
still
attached
to
it,
and
the
sailors
hastened
to
cut
themselves
free.
At
once
the
balloon
mounted
with
incredible
rapidity,
and
was
lost
in
the
clouds,
where
it
disappeared
for
ever
from
our
view.
It
was
eight
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