ed system has been justly blamed. It was simply "putting fire
beside powder," said Professor Charles to Roziers; but the latter would
not listen, and depended for everything on his own intrepidity and
scientific skill of which he had already given so many proofs. There
were, perhaps, other reasons for his unyielding obstinacy. The court
that had furnished him with the funds for the construction of the
balloon pressed him, and he himself was most ambitious to equal the
achievement of Blanchard, who was the first to cross the Channel, on the
7th of January, 1785.

The fact was that at this time the prevailing fear in France was, that
Great Britain should bear off all the honours and profits of aerostation
before any of these had been won by France. It was thus that with an
untried machine, and under conditions the most unfavourable for his
enterprise, Roziers prepared to risk his life in this undertaking, which
was equally dangerous and useless.

The double balloon was alternately inflated and emptied. While under
cover it was assailed by the rats that gnawed holes in it, and when
brought out of its place it was exposed to the tempests, so that the
longer the experiment was delayed, the worse chance there was of
getting through it successfully. At length Roziers went to Boulogne, and
announced the day of his departure; but, as if by a special Providence,
his attempt was delayed by unfavourable weather. For many weeks in
succession the little trial balloons thrown up to show the course of the
wind were driven back upon the shores of France. During all these trials
the impatient Roziers continued to chafe and torment himself.

At last, on the 13th and 14th of June, 1785, the Aero-Montgolfiere
remained inflated, waiting a favourable moment for departure. On the
15th at four in the morning, a little pilot balloon that had been
thrown up fell back on the spot from which it had been thrown free, thus
showing that there was no wind. Seven hours later Roziers, accompanied
by his brother Romain, one of the constructors of the balloon, appeared
in the gallery. A nobleman present threw a purse of 200 louis into the
car, and was preparing to follow it and join in the adventure. Roziers
forbade him to enter, gently but firmly.

"The experiment is too unsafe," he said, "for me to expose to danger the
life of another."

"Finally," says a narrative of the time, "the Aero-Montgolfiere rose in
an imposing manner. The sound of cannon s