large opening in the balloon
and let out all the gas instantaneously. If care in construction had
been all that was necessary to make Herr Andree's journey a success,
then our story would surely have had a happier ending.

Again, as in 1896, the contrary wind delayed the start, but on July 11th
it veered round to the south, and though it was by no means a settled
wind, Herr Andree decided to weigh anchor. All was ready. A hasty note
to the King of Sweden was written by the leader. Farewells were spoken,
and the captain leapt into his car.

'Strindberg! Frankel!'[5] he cried, 'we must be off!'

The next moment his two fellow-travellers stood at his side. Each held a
knife with which to cut loose three bags of ballast that kept the
balloon from rising. It was an impressive moment, and those who stood on
that lonely shore to wish Godspeed to the tiny expedition are not likely
to forget the smallest detail of the scene. The ballast fell, and the
'Ornen' (as the balloon was named) rose a little way, being still held
by three strong ropes. Near each of these a sailor stood with a knife
ready to cut the rope the moment Herr Andree gave the word. A little
more delay, till the great globe swayed to a favourable puff of wind,
and then Herr Andree called, 'One, two! Cut the ropes!'--and the balloon
rose into the air, while the quiet shores of the lonely little island
echoed the hearty cheers of the company left behind.

From the car of the balloon hung a long 'trailing' rope, which it was
Andree's intention to keep always in contact with the earth or water,
and by so doing control the direction of the balloon. Between the car
and the balloon itself was an arrangement of three sails, which could be
trimmed to the wind against the resistance of the trailing rope. The
great difficulty in steering balloons has always been that since they
travel at exactly the same speed as the wind, there is nothing for sails
to react against; but by checking the speed of the balloon (just as the
speed of a ship is checked by the water) this difficulty may be got over
to _some_ extent.

So Herr Andree dropped his trailing rope, and, as he left Dane's Island,
those who had gone to see him off watched the little bubbling wake that
was left behind by the rope. Narrower and narrower it grew in the
distance till it was no more than a silver line, and the vast balloon
above it moved like a grey shadow on the Arctic sky. The three explorers
in the car w