the dominion of the air-第28章

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　the　case。。。　In　less　than　two　minutes　we　entered　the　lower　clouds；　passing　through　them　quickly；　and　noticing　that　their　tops；　which　are　usually　of　white；　rounded　conformation；　were　torn　into　shreds　and　crests　of　vapour。　　Above；　there　was　a　second　wild…looking　stratum　of　another　order。　　We　could　hear；　as　we　hastened　on；　the　hum　of　the　West　End　of　London；　but　we　were　bowling　along；　having　little　time　to　look　about　us；　though　some　extra　sandbags　were　turned　to　good　account　by　making　a　bed　of　them　at　the　bottom　ends　of　the　car；　which　we　occupied　in　anticipation　of　a　rough　landing。〃

As　it　came　on　to　rain　hard　the　voyagers　agreed　to　descend；　and　Coxwell；　choosing　open　ground；　succeeded　in　the　oft…attempted　endeavour　to　drop　his　grapnel　in　front　of　a　bank　or　hedge…row。　　The　balloon　pulled　up　with　such　a　shock　as　inevitably　follows　when　flying　at　sixty　miles　an　hour；　and　Mr。　Coxwell　continues：　〃We　were　at　this　time　suspended　like　a　kite；　and　it　was　not　so　much　the　quantity　of　gas　which　kept　us　up　as　the　hollow　surface　of　loose　silk；　which　acted　like　a　falling　kite；　and　the　obvious　game　of　skill　consisted　in　not　letting　out　too　much　gas　to　make　the　balloon　pitch　heavily　with　a　thud　that　would　have　been　awfully　unpleasant；　but　to　jockey　our　final　touch　in　a　gradual　manner；　and　yet　to　do　it　as　quickly　as　possible　for　fear　of　the　machine　getting　adrift；　since；　under　the　peculiar　circumstances　in　which　we　were　placed；　it　would　have　inevitably　fallen　with　a　crushing　blow；　which　might　have　proved　fatal。　　I　never　remember　to　have　been　in　a　situation　when　more　coolness　and　nicety　were　required　to　overcome　the　peril　which　here　beset　us；　while　on　that　day　the　strong　wind　was；　strange　as　it　may　sound；　helping　us　to　alight　easily；　that　is　to　say　as　long　as　the　grapnel　held　fast　and　the　balloon　did　not　turn　over　like　an　unsteady　kite。〃　Such　peril　as　there　was　soon　terminated　without　injury　to　either　voyager。

The　same　remark　will　apply　to　an　occasion　when　Coxwell　was　caught　in　a　thunderstorm；　which　he　thus　describes　in　brief：〃On　a　second　ascent　from　Chesterfield　we　were　carried　into　the　midst　of　gathering　clouds；　which　began　to　flash　vividly；　and　in　the　end　culminated　in　a　storm。　　There　were　indications；　before　we　left　the　earth；　as　to　what　might　be　expected。　　The　lower　breeze　took　us　in　another　direction　as　we　rose；　but　a　gentle；　whirling　current　higher　up　got　us　into　the　vortex　of　a　highly　charged　cloud。。。。　We　had　to　prove　by　absolute　experience　whether　the　balloon　was　insulated　and　a　non…conductor。　　Beyond　a　drenching；　no　untoward　incident　occurred　during　a　voyage　lasting　in　all　three…quarters　of　an　hour。〃

A　voyage　which　Coxwell　（referring；　doubtless；　to　aerial　travel　over　English　soil　only）　describes　as　〃being　so　very　much　in　excess　of　accustomary　trips　in　balloons〃　will　be　seen　to　fall　short　of　one　memorable　voyage　of　which　the　writer　will　have　to　give　his　own　experiences。　　Some　account；　however；　of　what　the　famous　aeronaut　has　to　tell　will　find　a　fitting　place　here。

It　was　an　ascent　on　a　summer　night　from　North　Woolwich；　and　on　this　occasion　Coxwell　was　accom…　panied　by　two　friends；　one　being　Henry　Youens；　who　subsequently　became　a　professional　balloonist　of　considerable　repute；　and　who　at　this　time　was　an　ardent　amateur。　　It　was　half　an　hour　before　midnight　when　the　party　took　their　places；　and；　getting　smartly　away　from　the　crowd　in　the　gala　grounds；　shot　over　the　river；　and　shortly　were　over　the　town　of　Greenwich　with　the　lights　of　London　well　ahead。　　Then　their　course　took　them　over　Kennington　Oval；　Vauxhall　Bridge；　and　Battersea；　when　they　presently　heard　the　strains　of　a　Scotch　polka。　　This　came　up　from　the　then　famous　Gardens　of　Cremorne；　and；　the　breeze　freshening；　it　was　but　a　few　minutes　later　when　they　stood　over　Kingston；　by　which　time　it　became　a　question　whether；　being　now　clear　of　London；　they　should　descend　or　else　live　out　the　night　and　take　what　thus　might　come　their　way。　　This　course；　as　the　most　prudent；　as　well　as　the　most　fascinating；　was　that　which　commended　itself；　and　at　that　moment　the　hour　of　midnight　was　heard　striking；　showing　that　a　fairly　long　distance　had　been　covered　in　a　short　interval　of　time。

From　this　period　they　would　seem　to　have　lost　their　way；　and　though　scattered　lights　were　sighted　ahead；　they　were　soon　in　doubt　as　to　whether　they　might　not　already　be　nearing　the　sea；　a　doubt　that　was　strengthened　by　their　hearing　the　cry　of　sea…fowl。　　After　a　pause；　lights　were　seen　looming　under　the　haze　to　sea…ward；　which　at　times　resembled　water；　and　a　tail　like　that　of　a　comet　was　discerned；　beyond　which　was　a　black　patch　of　considerable　size。

The　patch　was　the　Isle　of　Wight；　and　the　tail　the　Water　from　Southampton。　　They　were　thus　wearing　more　south　and　towards　danger。　　They　had　no　Davy　lamp　with　which　to　read　their　aneroid；　and　could　only　tell　from　the　upward　flight　of　fragments　of　paper　that　they　were　descending。　　Another　deficiency　in　their　equipment　was　the　lack　of　a　trail　rope　to　break　their　fall；　and　for　some　time　they　were　under　unpleasant　apprehension　of　an　unexpected　and　rude　impact　with　the　ground；　or　collision　with　some　undesirable　object。　　This　induced　them　to　discharge　sand　and　to　risk　the　consequences　of　another　rise　into　space；　and　as　they　mounted　they　were　not　reassured　by　sighting　to　the　south　a　ridge　of　lighter　colour；　which　strongly　suggested　the　coast　line。

But　it　was　midsummer；　and　it　was　not　long　before　bird　life　awakening　was　heard　below；　and　then　a　streak　of　dawn　revealed　their　locality；　which　was　over　the　Exe；　with　Sidmouth　and　Tor　Bay　hard　by　on　their　left。　　Then　from　here；　the　land　jutting　seawards；　they　confidently　traversed　Dartmoor；　and　effected　a　safe；　if　somewhat　unseasonable；　descent　near　Tavistock。　　The　distance　travelled　was　considerable；　but　the　duration；　on　the　aeronaut's　own　showing；　was　less　than　five　hours。

In　the　year　1859　the　Times　commented　on　the　usefulness　of　military　balloons　in　language　that　fully　justified　all　that　Coxwell　had　previously　claimed　for　them。　　A　war　correspondent；　who　had　accompanied　the　Austrian　Army　during　that　year；　asks　pertinently　how　it　had　happened　that　the　French　had　been　ready　at　six　o'clock　to　make　a　combined　attack　against　the　Austrians；　who；　on　their　part；　had　but　just　taken　up　positions　on　the　previous　evening。　　The　correspondent　goes　on　to　supply　the　answer　thus：〃No　sooner　was　the　first　Austrian　battalion　out　of　Vallegio　than　a　balloon　was　observed　to　rise　in　the　air　from　the　vicinity　of　Monsambanoa　signal；　no　doubt；　for　the　French　in　Castiglione。　　I　have　a　full　conviction　that　the　Emperor　of　the　French　knew　overnight　the　exact　position　of　every　Austrian　corps；　while　the　Emperor　of　Austria　was　unable　to　ascertain　the　number　or　distribution　of　the　forces　of　the　allies。〃

It　appears　that　M。　Godard　was　the　aeronaut　employed　to　observe　the　enemy；　and　that　fresh　balloons　for　the　French　Army　were　proceeded　with。

The　date　was　now　near　at　hand　when　Coxwell；　in　partnership　with　Mr。　Glaisher；　was　to　take　part　in　the　classical　work　which　has　rendered　their　names　famous　throughout　the　world。　　Before　proceeding　to　tell　of　that　period；　however；　Mr。　Coxwell　has　done　well　to　record　one　aerial　adventure；　which；　while　but　narrowly　missing　the　most　serious　consequences；　gives　a　very　practical　illustration　of　the　chances　in　favour　of　the　aeronaut　under　extreme　circumstances。

It　was　an　ascent　at　Congleton　in　a　gale　of　wind；　a　and　the　company　of　two　passengersMessrs。　Pearson；　of　Lawton　Hallwas　pressed　upon　him。　　Everything　foretold　a　rough　landing；　and　some　time　after　the　start　was　made　the　outlook　was　not　improved　by　the　fact　that　the　dreaded　county　of　Derbyshire　was　seen　approaching；　and　it　was　presently　apparent　that　the　spot　on　which　they　had　decided　to　descend　was　faced　by　rocks　and　a　formidable　gorge。　　On　this；　Coxwell　attempted　to　drop　his　grapnel　in　front　of　a　stone　wall；　and　so　far　with　success；　but　the　wall　went　down；　as　also　another　and　another；　the　wicker　car　passing；　with　its　great　impetus；　clean　through　the　solid　obstacles；　till　at　last　the　balloon　slit　from　top　to　bottom。　　Very　serious　injuries　to　heads　and　limbs　were　sustained；　but　no　lives　were　lost；　and　Coxwell　himself；　after　being　laid　up　at　Buxton；　got　home　on　crutc