er　what　far　greater　demand　the　former　must　have　made　upon　the　spirit　of　enterprise　and　daring。
  We　can　picture　the　earliest　sea　voyager　taking　his　first　lesson　astride　of　a　log　with　one　foot　on　the　bottom；　and　thus　proceeding　by　sure　stages　till　he　had　built　his　coracle　and　learned　to　paddle　it　in　shoal　water。　　But　the　case　was　wholly　different　when　the　first　frail　air　ship　stood　at　her　moorings　with　straining　gear　and　fiercely　burning　furnace；　and　when　the　sky　sailor　knew　that　no　course　was　left　him　but　to　dive　boldly　up　into　an　element　whence　there　was　no　stepping　back；　and　separated　from　earth　by　a　gulf　which　man　instinctively　dreads　to　look　down　upon。
  Taking　events　in　their　due　sequence；　we　have　now　to　record　a　voyage　which　the　terrors　of　sky　and　sea　together　combined　to　make　memorable。　　Winter　had　comeearly　January　of　1785when；　in　spite　of　short　dark　days　and　frosty　air；　M。　Blanchard；　accompanied　by　an　American；　Dr。　Jeffries；　determined　on　an　attempt　to　cross　the　Channel。　　They　chose　the　English　side；　and　inflating　their　balloon　with　hydrogen　at　Dover；　boldly　cast　off；　and　immediately　drifted　out　to　sea。　　Probably　they　had　not　paid　due　thought　to　the　effect　of　low　sun　and　chilly　atmosphere；　for　their　balloon　rose　sluggishly　and　began　settling　down　ere　little　more　than　a　quarter　of　their　course　was　run。　　Thereupon　they　parted　with　a　large　portion　of　their　ballast；　with　　the　result　that　they　crept　on　as　far　as　mid…　Channel；　when　they　began　descending　again；　and　cast　out　the　residue　of　their　sand；　together　with　some　books；　and　this；　too；　with　the　uncomfortable　feeling　that　even　these　measures　would　not　suffice　to　secure　their　safety。
  This　was　in　reality　the　first　time　that　a　sea　passage　had　been　made　by　sky；　and　the　gravity　of　their　situation　must　not　be　under…estimated。　　We　are　so　accustomed　in　a　sea　passage　to　the　constant　passing　of　other　vessels　that　we　allow　ourselves　to　imagine　that　a　frequented　portion　of　the　ocean；　such　as　the　Channel；　is　thickly　dotted　over　with　shipping　of　some　sort。　　But　in　entertaining　this　idea　we　are　forgetful　of　the　fact　that　we　are　all　the　while　on　a　steamer　track。　　The　truth；　however；　is　that　anywhere　outside　such　a　track；　even　from　the　commanding　point　of　view　of　a　high…flying　balloon；　the　ocean　is　seen　to　be　more　vast　than　we　suppose；　and　bears　exceedingly　little　but　the　restless　waves　upon　its　surface。　　Once　fairly　in　the　water　with　a　fallen　balloon；　there　is　clearly　no　rising　again；　and　the　life　of　the　balloon　in　this　its　wrong　element　is　not　likely　to　be　a　long　one。　　The　globe　of　gas　may　under　favourable　circumstances　continue　to　float　for　some　while；　but　the　open　wicker　car　is　the　worst　possible　boat　for　the　luckless　voyagers；　while　to　leave　it　and　cling　to　the　rigging　is　but　a　forlorn　hope；　owing　to　the　massof　netting　which　surrounds　the　silk；　and　which　would　prove　a　death…trap　in　the　water。　　There　are　many　instances　of　lives　having　been　lost　in　such　a　dilemma；　even　when　help　was　near　at　hand。
  Our　voyagers；　whom　we　left　in　mid…air　and　stream；　were　soon　　descending　again；　and　this　time　they　threw　out　their　tackleanchor；　ropes；　and　other　gear；　still　without　adequately　mending　matters。　　Then　their　case　grew　desperate。　　The　French　coast　was；　indeed；　well　in　sight；　but　there　seemed　but　slender　chance　of　reaching　it；　when　they　began　divesting　themselves　of　clothing　as　a　last　resort。　　The　upshot　of　this　was　remarkable；　and　deserves　a　moment's　consideration。　　When　a　balloon　has　been　lightened　almost　to　the　utmost　the　discharge　of　a　small　weight　sometimes　has　a　magical　effect；　as　is　not　difficult　to　understand。　　Throwing　out　ten　pounds　at　an　early　stage；　when　there　may　be　five　hundred　pounds　more　of　superfluous　weight；　will　tell　but　little；　but　when　those　five　hundred　pounds　are　expended　then　an　extra　ten　pounds　scraped　together　from　somewhere　and　cast　overboard　may　cause　a　balloon　to　make　a　giant　stride　into　space　by　way　of　final　effort；　and　it　was　so　with　M。　Blanchard。　　His　expiring　balloon　shot　up　and　over　the　approaching　land；　and　came　safely　to　earth　near　the　Forest　of　Guiennes。　　A　magnificent　feast　was　held　at　Calais　to　celebrate　the　above　event。　　M。　Blanchard　was　presented　with　the　freedom　of　the　city　in　a　gold　box；　and　application　was　made　to　the　Ministry　to　have　the　balloon　purchased　and　deposited　as　a　memorial　in　the　church。　　On　the　testimony　of　the　grandson　of　Dr。　Jeffries　the　car　of　this　balloon　is　now　in　the　museum　of　the　same　city。
  A　very　noteworthy　example　of　how　a　balloon　may　be　made　to　take　a　fresh　lease　of　life　is　supplied　by　a　voyage　of　M。　Testu　about　this　date；　which　must　find　brief　mention　in　these　pages。　　In　one　aspect　it　is　laughable；　in　another　it　is　sublime。　　From　every　point　of　view　it　is　romantic。
  It　was　four　o'clock　on　a　threatening　day　in　June　when　the　solitary　aeronaut　took　flight　from　Paris　in　a　small　hydrogen　balloon　only　partially　filled；　but　rigged　with　somencontrivance　of　wings　which　were　designed　to　render　it　self…propelling。　　Discovering；　however；　that　this　device　was　inoperative；　M。　Testu；　after　about　an　hour　and　a　half；　allowed　the　balloon　to　descend　to　earth　in　a　corn　field；　when；　without　quitting　hold　of　the　car；　he　commenced　collecting　stones　for　ballast。　　But　as　yet　he　knew　not　the　ways　of　churlish　proprietors　of　land；　and　in　consequence　was　presently　surprised　by　a　troublesome　crowd；　who　proceeded；　as　they　supposed；　to　take　him　prisoner　till　he　should　pay　heavy　compensation；　dragging　him　off　to　the　nearest　village　by　the　trail　rope　of　his　balloon。
  M。　Testu　now　had　leisure　to　consider　his　situation；　and　presently　hit　on　a　stratagem　the　like　of　which　has　often　since　been　adopted　by　aeronauts　in　like　predicament。　　Representing　to　his　captors　that　without　his　wings　he　would　be　powerless；　he　suffered　them　to　remove　these　weighty　appendages；　when　also　dropping　a　heavy　cloak；　he　suddenly　cut　the　cord　by　which　he　was　being　dragged；　and；　regaining　freedom；　soared　away　into　the　sky。　　He　was　quickly　high　aloft；　and　heard　thunder　below　him；　soon　after　which；　the　chill　of　evening　beginning　to　bring　him　earthward；　he　descried　a　hunt　in　full　cry；　and　succeeded　in　coming　down　near　the　huntsmen；　some　of　whom　galloped　up　to　him；　and　for　their　benefit　he　ascended　again；　passing　this　time　into　dense　cloud　with　thunder　and　lightning。　　He　saw　the　sun　go　down　and　the　lightning　gather　round；　yet　with　admirable　courage　he　lived　the　night　out　aloft　till　the　storms　were　spent　and　the　midsummer　sun　rose　once　more。　　With　daylight　restored；　his　journey　ended　at　a　spot　over　sixty　miles　from　Paris。
  We　have；　of　course；　recounted　only　a　few　of　the　more　noteworthy　early　ballooning　ventures。　　In　reality　there　had　up　to　the　present　time　been　scores　of　ascents　made　in　different　localities　and　in　all　conditions　of　wind　and　weather；　yet　not　a　life　had　been　lost。　　We　have　now；　however；　to　record　a　casualty　which　cost　the　first　and　boldest　aeronaut　his　life；　and　which　is　all　the　more　regrettable　as　being　due　to　circumstances　that　should　never　have　occurred。
  M。　Pilatre　de　Rosier；　accompanied　by　M。　Romain；　determined　on　crossing　the　Channel　from　the　French　side；　and；　thinking　to　add　to　their　buoyancy　and　avoid　the　risk　of　falling　in　the　sea；　hit　on　the　extraordinary　idea　of　using　a　fire　balloon　beneath　another　filled　with　hydrogen　gas！　　With　this　deadly　compound　machine　they　actually　ascended　from　Boulogne；　and　had　not　left　the　land　when　the　inevitable　catastrophe　took　place。
  The　balloons　caught　fire　and　blew　up　at　a　height　of　3；000　feet；　while　the　unfortunate　voyagers　were　dashed　to　atoms。
  CHAPTER　III。　THE　FIRST　BALLOON　ASCENT　IN　ENGLAND。
  As　may　be　supposed；　it　was　not　long　before　the　balloon　was　introduced　into　England。　　Indeed；　the　first　successful　ascent　on　record　made　in　our　own　country　took　place　in　the　summer　of　1784；　ten　months　previous　to　the　fatal　venture　narrated　at　the　close　of　the　last　chapter。　　Now；　it　is　a　remarkable　and　equally　regrettable　circumstance　that　though　the　first　ascent　on　British　soil　was　undoubtedly　made　by　one　of　our　own　countrymen；　the　fact　is　almost　universally　forgotten；　or　ignored；　and　the　credit　is　accorded　to　a　foreigner。
  Let　us　in　strict　honesty　examine　into　the　case。　　Vincent　Lunardi；　an　Italian；　Secretary　to　the　Neapolitan　Ambassador；　Prince　Caramanico；　being　in　England　in　the　year　1784；　determined　on　organising　and　personally　executing　an　ascent　from　London；　and　his　splendid　enterprise；　which　was　presently　carried　to　a　successful　issue；　will　form　the　principal　subject　of　the　present　chapter。　　It　will　be　seen　that　remarkable　success　crowned　his　efforts；　and　that　his　first　and　ever　memorable　voyage　was　carried　through　on　September　15th　of　that　year。
  More　than　a　month　previously；　however；　attention　had　been　called　to　the　fact　that　a　Mr。　Tytler　was　preparing　to　make　an　ascent　from　Edinburgh　in　a　hot　air　balloon；　and　in　the　London　Chronicle　of　August　27th　occurs　the　following　circumstantial　and　remarkable　letter　from　a　correspondent　to　that　journal：？
  〃Edinburgh；　Aug。　　27；　1784。
  〃Mr。　Tytler　has　made　several　improvements　upon　his　fire　balloon。　The　reason　of　its　failure　formerly　was　its　being　made　of　porous　linen；　through　which　the　air　made　its　escape。　　To　remedy　this　defect；　Mr。　Tytler　has　got　it　covered　with　a　varnish