Wonderful Balloon Ascents; Or, The Conquest of the Skies

nearest them, I cried, ‘Passy, St. Germain, St. Denis, Sevres!’ “‘If you look at the river in that fashion you will be likely to bathe in it soon,’ cried Roziers. ‘Some fire, my dear friend, some fire!’ “We travelled on; but instead of crossing the river, as our direction seemed to indicate, we bore towards the Invalides, then returned upon the principal bed of the river, and travelled to above the barrier of La Conference, thus dodging about the river, but not crossing it. “‘That river is very difficult to cross,’ I remarked to my companion. “‘So it seems,’ he answered; ‘but you are doing nothing I suppose it is because you are braver than I, and don’t fear a tumble.’ “I stirred the fire, I seized a truss of straw with my fork; I raised it and threw it in the midst of the flames. An instant afterwards I felt myself lifted as it were into the heavens. “‘For once we move,’ said I. “‘Yes, we move,’ answered my companion. “At the same instant I heard from the top of the balloon a sound which made me believe that it had burst. I watched, yet I saw nothing. My companion had gone into the interior, no doubt to make some observations. As my eyes were fixed on the top of the machine I experienced a shock, and it was the only one I had yet felt. The direction of the movement was from above downwards I then said-- “‘What are you doing? Are you having a dance to yourself?’ “‘I’m not moving.’ “‘So much the better. It is only a new current which I hope will carry us from the river,’ I answered. “I turned to see where we were, and found we were between the Ecole Militaire and the Invalides. “‘We are getting on.’ said Roziers. “‘Yes, we are travelling.’ “‘Let us work, let us work,’ said he. “I now heard another report in the machine, which I believed was produced by the cracking of a cord. This new intimation made me carefully examine the inside of our habitation. I saw