They ascended to a height of about 1500 feet; remained
suspended for a time, and descended some two miles off in perfect
safety--indeed we may say in perfect comfort, for the sheep was
discovered to be quietly feeding when it returned to the earth!

The practicability of ballooning being now fairly established, men soon
began to venture their own persons in the frail cars. A young and
enthusiastic naturalist named Rozier leaped into the car of another of
Montgolfier's balloons soon after this, and ascended in safety to an
elevation of about 300 feet, but on this occasion the balloon was held
down by ropes. The ice, however, was broken, and bolder attempts
quickly followed.

CHAPTER THREE.

EARLY ATTEMPTS AT AERIAL NAVIGATION.

The first free and unfettered balloon voyage was performed very soon
after the event mentioned at the end of the last chapter. It was a
daring attempt, and attended with great danger.

A balloon made by Montgolfier was used. It was 75 feet high, 45 feet
wide, and spheroidal in form--heated air being the motive power. The
bold aeronauts, on this occasion, were the naturalist Rozier and the
Marquis d'Arlandes, a major of infantry. From the gardens of the
Chateau of Muetta they ascended on the 21st November 1783.

In the car there was a quantity of ballast, and a provision of straw to
feed the fire. The balloon mounted at first with a majestic steady
motion, gazed at in breathless wonder by thousands of spectators, who
assembled not only in the neighbourhood of the Chateau, but clustered on
every point of vantage in Paris.

When the daring voyagers reached a considerable height, they took off
their hats and waved them to their friends below, and the multitude--
realising, perhaps, that that which in former ages had been deemed the
dream of visionaries, was at last an accomplished fact--responded with
enthusiastic acclamations until the balloon passed upwards through the
clouds and was lost to view.

It would seem that these first aeronauts were of different temperaments;
for, after they had reached a height of nearly 3000 feet, and the earth
was no longer distinguishable, the Marquis began to think that he had
seen enough of the upper regions, would fain have descended, and
murmured against his companion, who still kept feeding the fire.
Apparently his alarm was justifiable, for Rozier continued recklessly to
heap on fuel, until he almost set the balloon on fire. On hearing some