ompany Rozier, and the criminals lost their chance. Rozier
and d'Arlandes made a voyage lasting for twenty-five minutes, and, on
landing, the balloon collapsed with such rapidity as almost to suffocate
Rozier, who, however, was dragged out to safety by d'Arlandes. This
first aerostatic journey took place on November 21st, 1783.

Some seven months later, on June 4th, 1784, a Madame Thible ascended in
a free balloon, reaching a height of 9,000 feet, and making a journey
which lasted for forty-five minutes--the great King Gustavus of Sweden
witnessed this ascent. France grew used to balloon ascents in the course
of a few months, in spite of the brewing of such a storm as might
have been calculated to wipe out all but purely political interests.
Meanwhile, interest in the new discovery spread across the Channel,
and on September 15th, 1784, one Vincent Lunardi made the first balloon
voyage in England, starting from the Artillery Ground at Chelsea, with
a cat and dog as passengers, and landing in a field in the parish of
Standon, near Ware. There is a rather rare book which gives a very
detailed account of this first ascent in England, one copy of which
is in the library of the Royal Aeronautical Society; the venturesome
Lunardi won a greater measure of fame through his exploit than did
Cody for his infinitely more courageous and--from a scientific point of
view--valuable first aeroplane ascent in this country.

The Montgolfier type of balloon, depending on hot air for its lifting
power, was soon realised as having dangerous limitations. There was
always a possibility of the balloon catching fire while it was being
filled, and on landing there was further danger from the hot pan which
kept up the supply of hot air on the voyage--the collapsing balloon fell
on the pan, inevitably. The scientist Saussure, observing the filling of
the balloons very carefully, ascertained that it was rarefaction of the
air which was responsible for the lifting power, and not the heat in
itself, and, owing to the rarefaction of the air at normal temperature
at great heights above the earth, the limit of ascent for a balloon of
the Montgolfier type was estimated by him at under 9,000 feet. Moreover,
since the amount of fuel that could be carried for maintaining the
heat of the balloon after inflation was subject to definite limits,
prescribed by the carrying capacity of the balloon, the duration of the
journey was necessarily limited just as stric