k。　　These　were　MM。　Godard　and　Yon；　and　to　them　was　entrusted　the　establishment　of　two　separate　factories　in　spacious　buildings；　which　were　at　once　available　and　admirably　adapted　for　the　purpose。　　These　were　at　the　Orleans　and　the　Northern　Railway　stations　respectively；　where　spacious　roofs　and　abundant　elbow　room；　the　chief　requisites；　were　to　be　found。　　The　first…mentioned　station　was　presided　over　Godard；　the　latter　by　M。　Yon；　assisted　by　M。　Dartois。
  It　was　not　doubted　that　the　resources　of　the　city　would　be　able　to　supply　the　large　demand　that　would　be　made　for　suitable　material；　but　silk　as　a　fabric　was　at　once　barred　on　the　score　of　expense　alone。　　A　single　journey　was　all　that　needed　to　be　calculated　on　for　each　craft；　and　thus　calico　would　serve　the　purpose；　and　would　admit　of　speedy　making　up。　　Slight　differences　in　manufacture　were　adopted　at　the　two　factories。　　At　the　Northern　station　plain　white　calico　was　used；　sewn　with　a　sewing　machine；　whereas　at　the　Orleans　station　the　material　was　coloured　and　entrusted　only　to　hand　stitching。　　The　allimportant　detail　of　varnish　was　supplied　by　a　mixture　of　linseed　oil　and　the　active　principle　of　ordinary　driers；　and　this；　laid　on　with　a　rubber；　rendered　the　material　gas…tight　and　quickly　dry　enough　for　use。　　Hundreds　of　hands；　men　and　women；　were　employed　at　the　two　factories；　at　which　some　sixty　balloons　were　produced　before　the　end　of　the　siege。　　Much　of　the　more　important　work　was　entrusted　to　sailors；　who　showed　special　aptness；　not　only　in　fitting　out　and　rigging　the　balloons；　but　also　in　their　management　when　entrusted　to　the　winds。
  It　must　have　been　an　impressive　sight　for　friend　or　foe　to　witness　the　departure　of　each　aerial　vessel　on　its　venturesome　mission。　　The　bold　plunge　into　space　above　the　roofs　of　the　imprisoned　city；　the　rapid　climb　into　the　sky　and；　later；　the　pearl　drop　high　in　air　floating　away　to　its　uncertain　and　hazardous　haven；　running　the　gauntlet　of　the　enemy's　fire　by　day　or　braving　what　at　first　appeared　to　be　equal　danger；　attending　the　darkness　of　night。　　It　will　be　seen；　however；　that；　of　the　two　evils；　that　of　the　darkness　was　considered　the　less；　even　though；　with　strange　and　unreasonable　excess　of　caution；　the　aeronauts　would　not　suffer　the　use　of　the　perfectly　safe　and　almost　indispensable　Davy　lamp。
  Before　any　free　ascents　were　ventured　on；　two　old　balloons　were　put　to　some　practical　trial　as　stationary　observatories。　　One　of　these　was　moored　at　Montmartre；　the　other　at　Mont…souris。　　From　these　centres　daily；　when　the　weather　permitted；　captive　ascents　were　madefour　by　day　and　two　by　nightto　watch　and　locate　the　movements　of　the　enemy。　　The　system；　as　far　as　it　went；　was　well　planned。　　It　was　safe；　and；　to　favour　expedition；　messages　were　written　in　the　car　of　the　balloon　and　slid　down　the　cable　to　the　attendants　below。　　The　net　result；　however；　from　a　strategic　point　of　view；　does　not　appear　to　have　been　of　great　value。
  Ere　yet　the　balloons　were　ready；　certain　bold　and　eventful　escapes　were　ventured　on。　　M。　Duruof；　already　introduced　in　these　pages；　trusting　himself　to　the　old　craft；　〃Le　Neptune；〃　in　unskyworthy　condition；　made　a　fast　plunge　into　space；　and；　catching　the　upper　winds；　was　borne　away　for　as　long　a　period　as　could　be　maintained　at　the　cost　of　a　prodigal　expenditure　of　ballast。　　The　balloon　is　said　to　have　described　a　visible　parabola；　like　the　trajectory　of　a　projectile；　and　fell　at　Evreux　in　safety　and　beyond　the　range　of　the　enemy's　fire；　though　not　far　from　their　lines。　　This　was　on　the　23rd　of　September。　　Two　days　afterwards　the　first　practical　trial　was　made　with　homing　pigeons；　with　the　idea　of　using　them　in　connection　with　balloons　for　the　establishment　of　an　officially　sanctioned　post。　　MM。　Maugin　and　Grandchamp　conducted　this　voyage　in　the　〃Ville　de　Florence；〃　and　descended　near　Vernouillet；　not　far　beyond　Le　Foret　de　St。　Germain；　and　less　than　twenty　miles　from　Paris。　　The　serviceability　of　the　pigeon；　however；　was　clearly　established；　and　a　note　contributed　by　Mr。　Glaisher；　relating　to　the　breeding　and　choice　of　these　birds；　may　be　considered　of　interest。　　Mr。　R。　W。　Aldridge；　of　Charlton；　as　quoted　by　Mr。　Glaisher；　stated　that　his　experience　went　to　show　that　these　birds　can　be　produced　with　different　powers　of　orientation　to　meet　the　requirements　of　particular　cases。　　〃The　bird　required　to　make　journeys　under　fifty　miles　would　materially　differ　in　its　pedigree　from　one　capable　of　flying　100　or　600　miles。　　Attention；　in　particular；　must　be　given　to　the　colour　of　the　eye；　if　wanted　for　broad　daylight　the　bird　known　as　the　'Pearl　Eye；'　from　its　colour；　should　be　selected；　but　if　for　foggy　weather　or　for　twilight　flying　the　black…　or　blue…eyed　bird　should　receive　the　preference。〃
  Only　a　small　minority；　amounting　to　about　sixty　out　of　360　birds　taken　up；　returned　to　Paris；　but　these　are　calculated　to　have　conveyed　among　them　some　100；000　messages。　　To　reduce　these　pigeon　messages　to　the　smallest　possible　compass　a　method　of　reduction　by　photography　was　employed　with　much　success。　　A　long　letter　might；　in　this　way；　be　faithfully　recorded　on　a　surface　of　thinnest　photographic　paper；　not　exceeding　the　dimensions　of　a　postage　stamp；　and；　when　received；　no　more　was　necessary　than　to　subject　it　to　magnification；　and　then　to　transcribe　it　and　send　a　fair　copy　to　the　addressee。
  The　third　voyage　from　Paris；　on　September　29th　was　undertaken　by　Louis　Godard　in　two　small　balloons；　united　together；　carrying　both　despatches　and　pigeons；　and　a　safe　landing　was　effected　at　Mantes　This　successful　feat　was　rival　led　the　next　day　by　M。　Tissandier；　who　ascended　alone　in　a　balloon　of　only　some　26；000　cubic　feet　capacity　and　reached　earth　at　Dreux；　in　Normandy。
  These　voyages　exhausted　the　store　of　ready…made　balloons；　but　by　a　week　later　the　first　of　those　being　specially　manufactured　was　ready；　and　conveyed　in　safety　from　the　city　no　less　a　personage　than　M。　Gambetta。
  The　courageous　resolve　of　the　great　man　caused　much　sensation　in　Paris；　the　more　so　because；　owing　to　contrary　winds；　the　departure　had　to　be　postponed　from　day　to　day。　　And　when；　at　length；　on　October　7th；　Gambetta　and　his　secretary；　with　the　aeronaut　Trichet；　actually　got　away；　in　company　with　another　balloon；　they　were　vigorously　fired　at　with　shot　and　shell　before　they　had　cleared　St。　Denis。　　Farther　out　over　the　German　posts　they　were　again　under　fire；　and　escaped　by　discharging　ballast；　not；　however；　before　Gambetta　had　been　grazed　by　a　bullet。　　Yet　once　more　they　were　assailed　by　German　volleys　before；　about　3　p。m。；　they　found　a　haven　near　Montdidier。
  The　usual　dimensions　of　the　new　balloons　gave　a　capacity　of　70；000　cubic　feet；　and　each　of　these；　when　inflated　with　coal　gas；　was　calculated　to　convey　a　freight　of　passengers；　ballast；　and　despatches　amounting　to　some　2；000　pounds。　　Their　despatch　became　frequent；　sometimes　two　in　the　same　twenty…four　hours。　In　less　than　a　single　week　in　October　as　many　as　four　balloons　had　fallen　in　Belgium；　and　as　many　more　elsewhere。　　Up　till　now　some　sixteen　ventures　had　ended　well；　but　presently　there　came　trouble。　　On　October　22nd　MM。　Iglesia　and　Jouvencel　fell　at　Meaux；　occupied　by　the　Prussians；　their　despatches；　however；　were　saved　in　a　dung　cart。　　The　twenty…third　　voyage　ended　more　unhappily。　　On　this　occasion　a　sailor　acted　as　aeronaut；　accompanied　by　an　engineer；　Etienne　Antonin；　and　carrying　nearly　1；000　pounds　of　letters。　It　chanced　that　they　descended　near　Orleans　on　the　very　day　when　that　town　was　re…occupied　by　the　enemy；　and　both　voyagers　were　made　prisoners。　The　engineer；　however；　subsequently　escaped。　　Three　days　later　another　sailor；　also　accompanied　by　an　engineer；　fell　at　the　town　of　Ferrieres；　then　occupied　by　the　Prussians；　when　both　were　made　prisoners。　In　this　case；　also；　the　engineer　succeeded　in　making　his　escape；　while　the　despatches　were　rescued　by　a　forester　and　forwarded　in　safety。
  At　about　this　date　W。　de　Fonvielle；　acting　as　aeronaut；　and　taking　passengers；　made　a　successful　escape；　of　which　he　has　given　a　graphic　account。　　He　had　been　baulked　by　more　than　one　serious　contretemps。　　It　had　been　determined　that　the　departure　should　be　by　night；　and　November　19th　being　fixed　upon；　the　balloon　was　in　process　of　inflation　under　a　gentle　wind　that　threatened　a　travel　towards　Prussian　soil；　when；　as　the　moment　of　departure　approached；　a　large　hole　was　accidentally　made　in　the　fabric　by　the　end　of　the　metal　pipe；　and　it　was　then　too　late　to　effect　repairs。　　The　next　and　following　days　the　weather　was　foul；　and　the　departure　was　not　effected　till　the　25th；　when　he　sailed　away　over　the　familiar　but　desolated　country。　　He　and　his　companions　were　fired　at；　but　only　when　they　were　well　beyond　range；　and　in　less　than　two　hours　the　party　reached　Louvain；　beyond　Brussels；　some　180　English　miles　in　a　direct　line　from　their　starting　point。　This　was　the　day　after　the　〃Ville　d'Orleans〃　balloon　had　made　the　record　voyage　and　distance　of　all　the　siege；　falling　in　Norway；　600　miles　north　of　Christiania；　after　a　flight　of　fifteen　hours。
  At　the　end　of　November；　when　over　thirty　escape　voyages　had　been　made；　two　fatal　disasters　occurred。　　A　sailor　of　the　name　of　Prince　ascended　alone　on　a　moonless　night；　a