said; 'throw that out of the window.' He took a blanket and
launched it into the air, through which it floated down slowly, and fell
upon the dome of l'Assomption.

"When the barometer had fallen 26 inches, we ceased to ascend. We were
up at an elevation of 1,800 feet. This was the height to which I had
promised myself to ascend; and, in fact, from this moment to the time
when we disappeared from the eyes of our friends, we always kept a
horizontal course, the barometer registering 26 inches to 26 inches 8
lines.

"We required to throw over ballast in proportion as the almost
insensible escape of the hydrogen gas caused us to descend, in order to
remain as nearly as possible at the same elevation. If circumstances had
permitted us to measure the amount of ballast we threw over, our course
would have been almost absolutely horizontal.

"After remaining for a few moments stationary, our car I changed its
course, and we were carried on at the will of the wind. Soon we passed
the Seine, between St. Ouen and Asnieres. We traversed the river a
second time, leaving Argenteuil upon the left. We passed Sannois,
Franconville, Eau-Bonne, St. Leu-Taverny, Villiers, and finally, Nesles.
This was about twenty-seven miles from Paris, and we had I reached this
distance in two hours, although there was so little wind that the air
scarcely stirred.

"During the whole course of this delightful voyage, not the slightest
apprehension for our fate or that of our machine entered my head for a
moment. The globe did not suffer any alteration beyond the successive
changes of dilatation and compression, which enabled us to mount and
descend at will. The thermometer was, during more than an hour, between
ten and twelve degrees above zero; this being to some extent accounted
for by the fact that the interior of the car was warmed by the rays of
the sun.

"At the end of fifty-six minutes, we heard the report of the cannon
which informed us that we had, at that moment, disappeared from view at
Paris. We rejoiced that we had escaped, as we were no longer obliged
to observe a horizontal course, and to regulate the balloon for that
purpose.

"We gave ourselves up to the contemplation of the views which the
immense stretch of country beneath us presented. From that time, though
we had no opportunity of conversing with the inhabitants, we saw
them running after us from all parts; we heard their cries, their
exclamations of solicitude, and knew th