the dominion of the air-第14章

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In　these　and　many　other　simple；　but　graphic；　narratives　Green　draws　his　own　pictures　of　Nature　in　her　quieter　moods。　　But　he　was　not　without　early　experience　of　her　horse　play；　a　highly　instructive　record　of　which　should　not　be　omitted　here；　and　which；　as　coming　from　so　careful　and　conscientious　an　observer；　is　best　gathered　from　his　own　words。　　The　ascent　was　from　Newbury；　and　it　can　have　been　no　mean　feat　to　fill；　under　ordinary　circumstances；　a　balloon　carrying　two　passengers　and　a　considerable　weight　of　ballast　at　the　small　gas…holder　which　served　the　town　eighty…five　years　ago。　　But　the　circumstances　were　not　ordinary；　for　the　wind　was　extremely　squally；　a　tremendous　hail　and　thunderstorm　blew　up；　and　a　hurricane　swept　the　balloon　with　such　force　that　two　tons　weight　of　iron　and　a　hundred　men　scarce　sufficed　to　hold　it　in　check。

Green　on　this　occasion　had　indeed　a　companion；　whose　usefulness　however　at　a　pinch　may　be　doubted　when　we　learn　that　he　was　both　deaf　and　dumb。　　The　rest　of　the　narrative　runs　thus：　　〃Between　4　and　5　p。m。　the　clouds　dispersed；　but　the　wind　continued　to　rage　with　unabated　fury　the　whole　of　the　evening。　　At　6　p。m。　I　stepped　into　the　car　with　Mr。　Simmons　and　gave　the　word　'Away！'　　The　moment　the　machine　was　disencumbered　of　its　weights　it　was　torn　by　the　violence　of　the　wind　from　the　assistants；　bounded　off　with　the　velocity　of　lightning　in　a　southeasterly　direction；　and　in　a　very　short　space　of　time　attained　an　elevation　of　two　miles。　　At　this　altitude　we　perceived　two　immense　bodies　of　clouds　operated　on　by　contrary　currents　of　air　until　at　length　they　became　united；　and　at　that　moment　my　ears　were　assailed　by　the　most　awful　and　longest　continued　peal　of　thunder　I　have　ever　heard。　　These　clouds　were　a　full　mile　beneath　us；　but　perceiving　other　strata　floating　at　the　same　elevation　at　which　we　were　sailing；　which　from　their　appearance　I　judged　to　be　highly　charged　with　electricity；　I　considered　it　prudent　to　discharge　twenty　pounds　of　ballast；　and　we　rose　half　a　mile　above　our　former　elevation；　where　I　considered　we　were　perfectly　safe　and　beyond　their　influence。　　I　observed；　amongst　other　phenomena；　that　at　every　discharge　of　thunder　all　the　detached　pillars　of　clouds　within　the　distance　of　a　mile　around　became　attracted　and　appeared　to　concentrate　their　force　towards　the　first　body　of　clouds　alluded　to；　leaving　the　atmosphere　clear　and　calm　beneath　and　around　us。

〃With　very　trifling　variations　we　continued　the　same　course　until　7。15　p。m。；　when　we　descended　to　within　500　feet　of　the　earth；　but；　perceiving　from　the　disturbed　surface　of　the　rivers　and　lakes　that　a　strong　wind　existed　near　the　earth；　we　again　ascended　and　continued　our　course　till　7。30　p。m。；　when　a　final　descent　was　safely　effected　in　a　meadow　field　in　the　parish　of　Crawley　in　Surrey；　situated　between　Guildford　and　Horsham；　and　fifty…eight　miles　from　Newbury。　　This　stormy　voyage　was　performed　in　one　hour　and　a　half。〃

It　was　after　Green　had　followed　his　profession　for　fifteen　years　that　he　was　called　upon　to　undertake　the　management　of　an　aerial　venture；　which；　all　things　considered；　has　never　been　surpassed　in　genuine　enterprise　and　daring。　　The　conception　of　the　project　was　due　to　Mr。　Robert　Hollond；　and　it　took　shape　in　this　way。　　This　gentleman；　fresh　from　Cambridge；　possessed　of　all　the　ardour　of　early　manhood；　as　also　of　adequate　means；　had　begun　to　devote　himself　with　the　true　zeal　of　the　enthusiast　to　the　pursuit　of　ballooning；　finding　due　opportunity　for　this　in　his　friendship　with　Mr。　Green；　who　enjoyed　the　management　of　the　fine　balloon　made　for　ascents　at　the　then　popular　Vauxhall　Gardens。　　In　the　autumn　of　1836　the　proprietors　of　this　balloon；　contemplating　making　an　exhibition　of　an　ascent　from　Paris；　and　requiring　their　somewhat　fragile　property　to　be　conveyed　to　that　city；　Mr。　Hollond　boldly　came　forward　and　offered　to　transfer　it　thither；　and；　as　nearly　as　this　might　be　possible；　by　passage　through　the　sky。　　The　proposal　was　accepted；　and　Mr。　Holland；　in　conjunction　with　Green；　set　about　the　needful　preparations。　　These；　as　will　appear；　were　on　an　extraordinary　scale；　and　no　blame　is　to　be　imputed　on　that　account；　as　a　little　consideration　will　show。　　For　the　venture　proposed　was　not　to　be　that　of　merely　crossing　the　Channel；　which；　as　we　have　seen；　had　been　successfully　effected　no　less　than　fifty　years　before。　　The　voyage　in　contemplation　was　to　be　from　London；　it　was；　moreover；　to　be　pursued　through　a　long；　moonless　winter's　night；　and　under　conditions　of　which　no　living　aeronaut　had　had　actual　experience。

Calculation；　based　on　a　sufficient　knowledge　of　fast　upper　currents；　told　that　their　course；　ere　finished；　might　be　one　of　almost　indefinite　length；　and　it　is　not　too　much　to　say　that　no　one；　with　the　knowledge　of　that　day；　could　predict　within　a　thousand　miles　where　the　dawn　of　the　next　day　might　find　them。　The　equipment；　therefore；　was　commensurate　with　the　possible　task　before　them。　　To　begin　with；　they　limited　their　number　to　three　in　allMr。　Hollond；　as　chief　and　keeper　of　the　log；　Mr。　Green；　as　aeronaut；　and　an　enthusiastic　colleague；　Mr。　Monck　Mason；　as　the　chronicler　of　the　party。　　Next；　they　provided　themselves　with　passports　to　all　parts　of　the　Continent；　and　then　came　the　fitting　out　and　victualling　of　the　aerial　craft　itself；　calculated　to　carry　some　90；000　cubic　feet　of　gas；　and　a　counterpoise　of　a　ton　of　ballast；　which　took　the　form　partly　of　actual　provisions　in　large　quantity；　partly　of　gear　and　apparatus；　and　for　the　rest　of　sand　and　also　lime；　of　which　more　anon。　　Across　the　middle　of　the　car　was　fixed　a　bench　to　serve　as　table；　and　also　as　a　stage　for　the　winding　in　and　out　of　an　enormous　trail　rope　a　thousand　feet　long；　designed　by　Mr。　Green　to　meet　the　special　emergencies　of　the　voyage。　　At　the　bottom　of　the　car　was　spread　a　large　cushion　to　serve　the　purposes　of　rest。　　When　all　was　in　readiness　unfitness　of　weather　baulked　the　travellers　for　some　days；　but　Monday；　the　7th　of　November；　was　judged　a　favourable　day；　so　that　the　inflation　was　rapidly　proceeded　with；　and　at　1。30　p。m。　the　〃Monstre　Balloon；〃　as　it　was　entitled　in　the　〃Ingoldsby　Legends；〃　left　the　earth　on　her　eventful　and　ever　memorable　voyage。　　The　weather　was　fine　and　promising；　and；　rising　with　a　moderate　breeze　from　the　N。W。；　they　began　to　traverse　the　northern　parts　of　Kent；　while　light；　drifting　upper　clouds　gave　indication　of　other　possible　currents。　　Mr。　Hollond　was　precise　in　the　determination　of　times　and　of　all　readings　and　we　learn　that　at　exactly　2。48　p。m。　they　were　crossing　the　Medway；　six　miles　west　of　Rochester；　while　at　4。5　p。m。　the　lofty　towers　of　Canterbury　were　well　in　view；　two　miles　to　the　east；　and　here　a　little　function　was　well　carried　out。　　Green　had　twice　ascended　from　this　city　under　patronage　of　the　authorities；　and　the　idea　occurred　to　the　party　that　it　would　be　a　graceful　compliment　to　drop　a　message　to　the　Mayor　as　they　passed。　　A　suitable　note；　therefore；　quickly　written；　was　dismissed　in　a　parachute；　and　it　may　be　mentioned　that　this；　as　also　a　similar　missive　addressed　later　to　the　Mayor　of　Dover；　were　duly　received　and　acknowledged。

At　a　quarter　past　four　they　sighted　the　sea；　and　here；　the　air　beginning　to　grow　chill；　the　balloon　dropped　earthward；　and　for　some　miles　they　skimmed　the　ground；　disturbing　the　partridges；　scattering　the　rooks；　and　keeping　up　a　running　conversation　the　while　with　labourers　and　passers　below。　　In　this　there　was　exercise　of　perfectly　proper　aerial　seamanship；　such　as　moreover　presently　led　to　an　exhibition　of　true　science。　　To　save　ballast　is；　with　a　balloon；　to　prolong　life；　and　this　may　often　best　be　done　by　flying　low；　which　doubtless　was　Green's　present　intention。　　But　soon　his　trained　eye　saw　that　the　ground　current　which　now　carried　them　was　leading　them　astray。　　They　were　trending　to　the　northward；　and　so　far　out　of　their　course　that　they　would　soon　make　the　North　Foreland；　and　so　be　carried　out　over　the　North　Sea　far　from　their　desired　direction。　　Thereupon　Green　attempted　to　put　in　practice　his　theory；　already　spoken　of；　of　steering　by　upper　currents；　and　the　event　proved　his　judgment　peculiarly　correct。　　〃Nothing；〃　wrote　Mr。　Monck　Mason；　〃could　exceed