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Wonderful Balloon Ascents; Or, The Conquest of the Skies
·
Fulgence Marion
45
course,
and
to
regulate
the
balloon
for
that
purpose.
“We
gave
ourselves
up
to
the
contemplation
of
the
views
which
the
immense
stretch
of
country
beneath
us
presented.
From
that
time,
though
we
had
no
opportunity
of
conversing
with
the
inhabitants,
we
saw
them
running
after
us
from
all
parts;
we
heard
their
cries,
their
exclamations
of
solicitude,
and
knew
their
alarm
and
admiration.
“We
cried,
‘Vive
le
Roi!’
and
the
people
responded.
We
heard,
very
distinctly--‘My
good
friends,
have
you
no
fear?
Are
you
not
sick?
How
beautiful
it
is!
Heaven
preserve
you!
Adieu,
my
friends.’
“I
was
touched
to
tears
by
this
tender
and
true
interest
which
our
appearance
had
called
forth.
“We
continued
to
wave
our
flags
without
cessation,
and
we
perceived
that
these
signals
greatly
increased
the
cheerfulness
and
calmed
the
solicitude
of
the
people
below.
Often
we
descended
sufficiently
low
to
hear
what
they
shouted
to
us.
They
asked
us
where
we
came
from,
and
at
what
hour
we
had
started.
“We
threw
over
successively
frock-coats,
muffs,
and
habits.
Sailing
on
above
the
Ile
d’Adam,
after
having
admired
the
splendid
view,
we
made
signals
with
our
flags,
and
demanded
news
of
the
Prince
of
Conti.
One
cried
up
to
us,
in
a
very
powerful
voice,
that
he
was
at
Paris,
and
that
he
was
ill.
We
regretted
missing
such
an
opportunity
of
paying
our
respects,
for
we
could
have
descended
into
the
prince’s
gardens,
if
we
had
wished,
but
we
preferred
to
pursue
our
course,
and
we
re-ascended.
Finally,
we
arrived
at
the
plain
of
Nesles.
“We
saw
from
the
distance
groups
of
peasants,
who
ran
on
before
us
across
the
fields.
‘Let
us
go,’
I
said,
and
we
descended
towards
a
vast
meadow.
“Some
shrubs
and
trees
stood
round
its
border.
Our
car
advanced
majestically
in
a
long
inclined
plane.
On
arriving
near
the
trees,
I
feared
that
their
branches
might
damage
the
car,
so
I
threw
over
two
pounds
of
ballast,
and
we
rose
again.
We
ran
along
more
than
120
feet,
at
a
distance
of
one
or
two
feet
from
the
ground,
and
had
the
appearance
of
travelling
in
a
sledge.
The
peasants
ran
after
us
without
being
able
to
catch
us,
like
children
pursuing
a
butterfly
in
the
fields.
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