the dominion of the air-第7章

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rence　of　the　English　people　and　philosophers　to　the　brilliant　achievements　in　aeronautics　which　had　been　made　and　so　much　belauded　on　the　Continent。　　He　proclaims　the　rivalry　as　regards　science　and　art　existing　between　France　and　England；　attributing　to　the　latter　an　attitude　of　sullen　jealousy。　　At　the　same　time　he　is　fully　alive　to　the　necessity　of　gaining　English　patronage；　and　sets　about　securing　this　with　tactful　diplomacy。　　First　he　casts　about　for　a　suitable　spot　where　his　enterprise　would　not　fail　to　enlist　general　attention　and　perhaps　powerful　patrons；　and　here　he　is　struck　by　the　attractions　and　facilities　offered　by　Chelsea　Hospital。　　He　therefore　applies　to　Sir　George　Howard；　the　Governor；　asking　for　the　use　of　the　famous　hospital；　to　which；　on　the　occasion　of　his　experiments；　he　desires　that　admittance　should　only　be　granted　to　subscribers；　while　any　profits　should　be　devoted　to　the　pensioners　of　the　hospital。　　His　application　having　been　granted；　he　assures　his　guardian　that　he　〃still　maintains　his　mental　balance；　and　his　sleep　is　not　banished　by　the　magnitude　of　his　enterprise；　which　is　destined　to　lead　him　through　the　path　of　danger　to　glory。〃

This　letter　was　dated　the　15th　of　July；　and　by　the　beginning　of　August　his　advertisement　was　already　before　the　public；　inviting　subscribers　and　announcing　a　private　view　of　his　balloon　at　the　Lyceum；　where　it　was　m　course　of　construction；　and　was　being　fitted　with　contrivances　of　his　own　in　the　shape　of　oars　and　sails。　　He　had　by　this　time　not　only　enlisted　the　interest　of　Sir　George　Howard；　and　of　Sir　Joseph　Banks；　but　had　secured　the　direct　patronage　of　the　King。

But　within　a　fortnight　a　most　unforeseen　mishap　had　occurred；　which　threatened　to　overwhelm　Lunardi　in　disappointment　and　ruin。　　A　Frenchman　of　the　name　of　Moret；　designing　to　turn　to　his　own　advertisement　the　attention　attracted　by　Lunardi's　approaching　trials；　attempted　to　forestall　the　event　by　an　enterprise　of　his　own；　announcing　that　he　would　make　an　ascent　with　a　hot　air　balloon　in　some　gardens　near　Chelsea　Hospital；　and　at　a　date　previous　to　that　fixed　upon　by　Lunardi。　　In　attempting；　however；　to　carry　out　this　unworthy　project　the　adventurer　met　with　the　discomfiture　he　deserved。　　He　failed　to　effect　his　inflation；　and　when　after　fruitless　attempts　continued　for　three　hours；　his　balloon　refused　to　rise；　a　large　crowd；　estimated　at　60；000；　assembled　outside；　broke　into　the　enclosure；　committing　havoc　on　all　sides；　not　unattended　with　acts　of　violence　and　robbery。

The　whole　neighbourhood　became　alarmed；　and　it　followed　as　a　matter　of　course　that　Lunardi　was　peremptorily　ordered　to　discontinue　his　preparations；　and　to　announce　in　the　public　press　that　his　ascent　from　Chelsea　Hospital　was　forbidden。　　Failure　and　ruin　now　stared　the　young　enthusiast　in　the　face；　and　it　was　simply　the　generous　feeling　of　the　British　public；　and　the　desire　to　see　fair　play；　that　gave　him　another　chance。　　As　it　was；　he　became　the　hero　of　the　hour；　thousands　flocked　to　the　show　rooms　at　the　Lyceum；　and　he　shortly　obtained　fresh　grounds；　together　with　needful　protection　for　his　project；　at　the　hands　of　the　Hon。Artillery　Company。　　By　the　15th　of　September　all　incidental　difficulties；　the　mere　enumeration　of　which　would　unduly　swell　these　pages；　had　been　overcome　by　sheer　persistence；　and　Lunardi　stood　in　the　inenclosure　allotted　him；　his　preparations　in　due　order；　with　150；000　souls；　who　had　formed　for　hours　a　dense　mass　of　spectators；　watching　intently　and　now　confidently　the　issue　of　his　bold　endeavour。

But　his　anxieties　were　as　yet　far　from　over；　for　a　London　crowd　had　never　yet　witnessed　a　balloon　ascent；　while　but　a　month　ago　they　had　seen　and　wreaked　their　wrath　upon　the　failure　of　an　adventurer。　　They　were　not　likely　to　be　more　tolerant　now。　　And　when　the　advertised　hour　for　departure　had　arrived；　and　the　balloon　remained　inadequately　inflated；　matters　began　to　take　a　more　serious　turn。　　Half　an　hour　later　they　approached　a　crisis；　when　it　began　to　be　known　that　the　balloon　still　lacked　buoyancy；　and　that　the　supply　of　gas　was　manifestly　insufficient。　　The　impatience　of　the　mob　indeed　was　kept　in　restraint　by　one　man　alone。　　This　man　was　the　Prince　of　Wales　who；　refusing　to　join　the　company　within　the　building　and　careless　of　the　attitude　of　the　crowd；　remained　near　the　balloon　to　check　disorder　and　unfair　treatment。

But　an　hour　after　time　the　balloon　still　rested　inert　and　then；　with　fine　resolution；　Lunardi　tried　one　last　expedient。　　He　bade　his　colleague；　Mr。　Biggen；　who　was　to　have　ascended　with　him；　remain　behind；　and　quietly　substituting　a　smaller　and　lighter　wicker　car；　or　rather　gallery；　took　his　place　within　and　severed　the　cords　just　as　the　last　gun　fired。　　The　Prince　of　Wales　raised　his　hat；　imitated　at　once　by　all　the　bystanders；　and　the　first　balloon　that　ever　quitted　English　soil　rose　into　the　air　amid　the　extravagant　enthusiasm　of　the　multitude。　　The　intrepid　aeronaut；　pardonably　excited；　and　fearful　lest　he　should　not　be　seen　within　the　gallery；　made　frantic　efforts　to　attract　attention　by　waving　his　flag；　and　worked　his　oars　so　vigorously　that　one　of　them　broke　and　fell。　　A　pigeon　also　gained　its　freedom　and　escaped。　　The　voyager；　however；　still　retained　companions　in　his　venturea　dog　and　a　cat。

Following　his　own　account；　Lunardi's　first　act　on　finding　himself　fairly　above　the　town　was　to　fortify　himself　with　some　glasses　of　wine；　and　to　devour　the　leg　of　a　chicken。　　He　describes　the　city　as　a　vast　beehive；　St。　Paul's　and　other　churches　standing　out　prominently；　the　streets　shrunk　to　lines；　and　all　humanity　apparently　transfixed　and　watching　him。　　A　little　later　he　is　equally　struck　with　the　view　of　the　open　country；　and　his　ecstasy　is　pardonable　in　a　novice。　　The　verdant　pastures　eclipsed　the　visions　of　his　own　lands。　　The　precision　of　boundaries　impressed　him　with　a　sense　of　law　and　order；　and　of　good　administration　in　the　country　where　he　was　a　sojourner。

By　this　time　he　found　his　balloon；　which　had　been　only　two…thirds　full　at　starting；　to　be　so　distended　that　he　was　obliged　to　untie　the　mouth　to　release　the　strain。　　He　also　found　that　the　condensed　moisture　round　the　neck　had　frozen。　　These　two　statements　point　to　his　having　reached　a　considerable　altitude；　which　is　intelligible　enough。　　It　is；　however；　difficult　to　believe　his　further　assertion　that　by　the　use　of　his　single　oar　he　succeeded　in　working　himself　down　to　within　a　few　hundred　feet　of　the　earth。　　The　descent　of　the　balloon　must；　in　point　of　fact；　have　been　due　to　a　copious　outrush　of　gas　at　his　former　altitude。　　Had　his　oar　really　been　effective　in　working　the　balloon　down　it　would　not　have　needed　the　discharge　of　ballast　presently　spoken　of　to　cause　it　to　reascend。　　Anyhow；　he　found　himself　sufficiently　near　the　earth　to　land　a　passenger　who　was　anxious　to　get　out。　　His　cat　had　not　been　comfortable　in　the　cold　upper　regions；　and　now　at　its　urgent　appeal　was　deposited　in　a　corn　field；　which　was　the　point　of　first　contact　with　the　earth。　　It　was　carefully　received　by　a　country…woman；　who　promptly　sold　it　to　a　gentleman　on　the　other　side　of　the　hedge；　who　had　been　pursuing　the　balloon。

The　first　ascent　of　a　balloon　in　England　was　deserving　of　some　record；　and　an　account　alike　circumstantial　and　picturesque　is　forthcoming。　　The　novel　and　astonishing　sight　was　witnessed　by　a　Hertfordshire　farmer；　whose　testimony；　published　by　Lunardi　in　the　same　year；　runs　as　follows：

This　deponent　on　his　oath　sayeth　that；　being　on　Wednesday；　the　15th　day　of　September　instant；　between　the　hours　of　three　and　four　in　the　afternoon；　in　a　certain　field　called　Etna；　in　the　parish　of　North　Mimms　aforesaid；　he　perceived　a　large　machine　sailing　in　the　air；　near　the　place　where　he　was　on　horseback；　that　the　machine　continuing　to　approach　the　earth；　the　part　of　it　in　which　this　deponent　perceived　a　gentleman　standing　came　to　the　ground　and　dragged　a　short　way　on　the　ground　in　a　slanting　direction；　that　the　time　when　this　machine　thus　touched　the　earth　was；　as　near　as　this　deponent　could　judge；　about　a　quarter　before　four　in　the　afternoon。　　That　this　deponent　being　on　horseback；　and　his　horse　restive；　he　could　not　approach　nearer　to　the　machine　than　a