The　perfecting　of　his　system　became　then　simply　a　question　of　practice　and　experience；　and　had　young　athletes　only　been　trained　from　early　years　to　the　new　art　it　seems　reasonable　to　suppose　that　some　crude　approach　to　human　flight　would　have　been　effected。　　Modifications　and　improvements　in　construction　would　soon　have　suggested　themselves；　as　was　the　case　with　the　bicycle；　which　in　its　latest　developments　can　scarcely　be　recognised　as　springing　from　the　primitive　〃bone…shaker〃　of　thirty…three　years　ago。　　We　would　suggest　the　idea　to　the　modern　inventor。　　He　will　in　these　days；　of　course；　find　lighter　materials　to　hand。　　Then　he　will　adopt　some　link　motion　for　the　legs　in　place　of　leather　thongs；　and　will　hinge　the　paddle　blades　so　that　they　open　out　with　the　forward　stroke；　but　collapse　with　the　return。　　Then　look　on　another　thirty…three　yearsa　fresh　generationand　our　youth　of　both　sexes　may　find　a　popular　recreation　in　graceful　aerial　exercise。　　The　pace　is　not　likely　to　be　excessive；　and　molestations　from　disguised　policemennot　physically　adapted；　by　the　way；　to　rapid　flightneed　not　be　apprehended。
  One　of　the　best　tests　of　Besnier's　measure　of　success　is　supplied　by　the　fact　that　he　had　pupils　as　well　as　imitators。　First　on　this　list　must　be　mentioned　a　Mr。　Baldwin；　a　name　which；　curiously　enough；　twice　over　in　modern　times　comes　into　the　records　of　bold　aerial　exploits。　　This　individual；　it　appears；　purchased　a　flying　outfit　of　Besnier　himself；　and　surpassed　his　master　in　achievement。　　A　little　later　one　Dante　contrived　some　modification　of　the　same　apparatus；　with　which　he　pursued　the　new　mode　of　progress　till　he　met　with　a　fractured　thigh。
  But　whatever　the　imitators　of　Besnier　may　have　accomplished；　to　the　honest　smith　must　be　accorded　the　full　credit　of　their　success；　and　with　his　simple；　but　brilliant；　record　left　at　flood　mark；　the　tide　of　progress　ebbed　back　again；　while　mankind　ruminated　over　the　great　problem　in　apparent　inactivity。　　But　not　for　long。　　The　air…pump　about　this　period　was　given　to　the　world；　and　chemists　were　already　busy　investigating　the　nature　of　gases。　　Cavallo　was　experimenting　on　kindred　lines；　while　in　our　own　land　the　rival　geniuses　of　Priestley　and　Cavendish　were　clearing　the　way　to　make　with　respect　to　the　atmosphere　the　most　important　discovery　yet　dreamed　of。　　In　recording　this　dawn　of　a　new　era；　however；　we　should　certainly　not　forget　how；　across　the　Atlantic；　had　arisen　a　Rumford　and　a　Franklin；　whose　labours　were　destined　to　throw　an　all…important　sidelight　on　the　pages　of　progress　which　we　have　now　to　chronicle。
  CHAPTER　II。　THE　INVENTION　OF　THE　BALLOON。
  It　was　a　November　night　of　the　year　1782；　in　the　little　town　of　Annonay；　near　Lyons。　　Two　young　men；　Stephen　and　Joseph　Montgolfier；　the　representatives　of　a　firm　of　paper　makers；　were　sitting　together　over　their　parlour　fire。　　While　watching　the　smoke　curling　up　the　chimney　one　propounded　an　idea　by　way　of　a　sudden　inspiration：　　〃Why　shouldn't　smoke　be　made　to　raise　bodies　into　the　air？〃
  The　world　was　waiting　for　this　utterance；　which；　it　would　seem；　was　on　the　tip　of　the　tongue　with　many　others。　Cavendish　had　already　discovered　what　he　designated　〃inflammable　air；〃　though　no　one　had　as　yet　given　it　its　later　title　of　hydrogen　gas。　　Moreover；　in　treating　of　this　gasDr。　Black　of　Edinburgh；　as　much　as　fifteen　years　before　the　date　we　have　now　arrived　at；　had　suggested　that　it　should　be　made　capable　of　raising　a　thin　bladder　in　the　air。　　With　a　shade　more　of　good　fortune；　or　maybe　with　a　modicum　more　of　leisure；　the　learned　Doctor　would　have　won　the　invention　of　the　balloon　for　his　own　country。　　Cavallo　came　almost　nearer；　and　actually　putting　the　same　idea　into　practice；　had　succeeded　in　the　spring　of　1782　in　making　soap　bubbles　blown　with　hydrogen　gas　float　upwards。　　But　he　had　accomplished　no　more　when；　as　related；　in　the　autumn　of　the　same　year　the　brothers　Montgolfier　conceived　the　notion　of　making　bodies　〃levitate〃　by　the　simpler　expedient　of　filling　them　with　smoke。
  This　was　the　crude　idea；　the　application　of　which　in　their　hands　was　soon　marked　with　notable　success。　　Their　own　trade　supplied　ready　and　suitable　materials　for　a　first　experiment；　and；　making　an　oblong　bag　of　thin　paper　a　few　feet　in　length；　they　proceeded　to　introduce　a　cloud　of　smoke　into　it　by　holding　crumpled　paper　kindled　in　a　chafing　dish　beneath　the　open　mouth。　　What　a　subject　is　there　here　for　an　imaginative　painter！　　As　the　smoky　cloud　formed　within；　the　bag　distended　itself；　became　buoyant；　and　presently　floated　to　the　ceiling。　　The　simple　trial　proved　a　complete　success；　due；　as　it　appeared　to　them；　to　the　ascensive　power　of　a　cloud　of　smoke。
  An　interesting　and　more　detailed　version　of　the　story　is　extant。　　While　the　experiment　was　in　progress　a　neighbour；　the　widow　of　a　tradesman　who　had　been　connected　in　business　with　the　firm；　seeing　smoke　escaping　into　the　room；　entered　and　stood　watching　the　proceedings；　which　were　not　unattended　with　difficulties。　　The　bag；　half　inflated；　was　not　easy　to　hold　in　position　over　the　chafing　dish；　and　rapidly　cooled　and　collapsed　on　being　removed　from　it。　　The　widow　noting　this；　as　also　the　perplexity　of　the　young　men；　suggested　that　they　should　try　the　result　of　tying　the　dish　on　at　the　bottom　of　the　bag。　　This　was　the　one　thing　wanted　to　secure　success；　and　that　good　lady；　whose　very　name　is　unhappily　lost；　deserves　an　honoured　place　in　history。　　It　was　unquestionably　the　adoption　of　her　idea　which　launched　the　first　balloon　into　space。
  The　same　experiment　repeated　in　the　open　air　proving　a　yet　more　pronounced　success；　more　elaborate　trials　were　quickly　developed；　and　the　infant　balloon　grew　fast。　　One　worthy　of　the　name；　spherical　in　shape　and　of　some　600　cubic　feet　capacity；　was　now　made　and　treated　as　before；　with　the　result　that　ere　it　was　fully　inflated　it　broke　the　strings　that　held　it　and　sailed　away　hundreds　of　feet　into　the　air。　　The　infant　was　fast　becoming　a　prodigy。　　Encouraged　by　their　fresh　success；　the　inventors　at　once　set　about　preparations　for　the　construction　of　a　much　larger　balloon　some　thirty…five　feet　diameter　（that　is；　of　about　23；000　cubic　feet　capacity）；　to　be　made　of　linen　lined　with　paper　and　this　machine；　launched　on　a　favourable　day　in　the　following　spring；　rose　with　great　swiftness　to　fully　a　thousand　feet；　and　travelled　nearly　a　mile　from　its　starting　ground。
  Enough；　the　time　was　already　ripe　for　a　public　demonstration　of　the　new　invention；　and　accordingly　the　5th　of　the　following　June　witnessed　the　ascent　of　the　same　balloon　with　due　ceremony　and　advertisement。　　Special　pains　were　taken　with　the　inflation；　which　was　conducted　over　a　pit　above　which　the　balloon　envelope　was　slung；　and　in　accordance　with　the　view　that　smoke　was　the　chief　lifting　power；　the　fuel　was　composed　of　straw　largely　mixed　with　wool。　　It　is　recorded　that　the　management　of　the　furnace　needed　the　attention　of　two　men　only；　while　eight　men　could　hardly　hold　the　impatient　balloon　in　restraint。　　The　inflation；　in　spite　of　the　fact　that　the　fuel　chosen　was　scarcely　the　best　for　the　purpose；　was　conducted　remarkable　expedition；　and　on　being　released；　the　　craft　travelled　one　and　a　half　miles　into　the　air；　attaining　a　height　estimated　at　over　6；000　feet。
  From　this　time　the　tide　of　events　in　the　aeronautical　world　rolls　on　in　full　flood；　almost　every　half…year　marking　a　fresh　epoch；　until　a　new　departure　in　the　infant　art　of　ballooning　was　already　on　the　point　of　being　reached。　　It　had　been　erroneously　supposed　that　the　ascent　of　the　Montgolfier　balloon　had　been　due；　not　to　the　rarefaction　of　the　air　within　itwhich　was　its　true　causebut　to　the　evolution　of　some　light　gas　disengaged　by　the　nature　of　the　fuel　used。　　It　followed；　therefore；　almost　as　a　matter　of　course；　that　chemists；　who；　as　stated　in　the　last　chapter；　were　already　acquainted　with　so…called　〃inflammable　air；〃　or　hydrogen　gas；　grasped　the　fact　that　this　gas　would　serve　better　than　any　other　for　the　purposes　of　a　balloon。　　And　no　sooner　had　the　news　of　the　Montgolfiers'　success　reached　Paris　than　a　subscription　was　raised；　and　M。　Charles；　Professor　of　Experimental　Philosophy；　was　appointed；　with　the　assistance　of　M。　Roberts；　to　superintend　the　construction　of　a　suitable　balloon　and　its　inflation　by　the　proposed　new　method。
  The　task　was　one　of　considerable　difficulty；　owing　partly　to　the　necessity　of　procuring　some　material　which　would　prevent　the　escape　of　the　lightest　and　most　subtle　gas　known；　and　no　less　by　reason　of　the　difficulty　of　preparing　under　pressure　a　sufficient　quantity　of　gas　itself。　　The　experiment；　sound　enough　in　theory；　was　eventually　carried　through　after　several　instructive　failures。　　A　suitable　material　was　found　in　〃lustring；〃　a　glossy　silk　cloth　varnished　with　a　solution　of　caoutchouc；　and　this　being　formed　into　a　balloon　only　thirteen　feet　in　diameter　and　fitted　without　other　aperture　than　a　stopcock；　was　after　several　attempts　filled　with　hydrogen　gas　prepared　in　the　usual　way　by　the　action　of　dilute　sulphuric　acid　on　scrap　iron。
  The　preparations　completed；　one　last　and　all…important　mistake　was　made　by　closing　the　stop…cock　before　the　balloon　was　dismissed；　the　disastrous　and　unavoidable　result　of　this