Aerqfiation, 197 



ened to the bottom of the net, to which the car was fufpend- 

 ed, and lift myfelf up into the net; by which means we faved 

 ourfelves from being dafhed to pieces. The balloon did not 

 reafcend immediately, but dragged us along the ground, with 

 aftonifhing fwiftnefs, for the length of nearly three fields, be- 

 fore the grappling-iron took good hold : and then we thought 

 ourfelves ifare, being clofe to a farm-houfe, from which fe- 

 veral perfons came out to fee us : but though we threw out 

 ropes to them, and called for help, they were fo confternated 

 that neither threats nor entreaties could prevail on them to 

 come to our affiftance; for, as afterwards heard, they took 

 us to be two forcerers, it being rather an unufual thing to fee 

 two men coming down poll hafte from the clouds. We were 

 for about three minutes in that fituation, till another guft of 

 wind broke our cable, and we afcended again nearly 600 feet. 



In the buftle of preparing the ropes for the farmers, 

 M. Garnerin had let the rope belonging to the valve flip out 

 of his hand, by which means the bottom of the balloon was 

 prefled upwards by the wind. M. Garnerin defired me to 

 try to regain it; which I at laft effected by climbing up into 

 the net, though the force of the wind ftruck the tin tubes 

 fattened at the bottom of the balloon, and through which the 

 rope led, with fuch violence againft my face, that it had 

 nearly (tunned me. Having recovered it, we redefcended, 

 but were borne with fuch violence acrofs the country, fomc- 

 times along the ground, fometimes in the air, that I feveral 

 times propofed to M. Garnerin to abandon the balloon, and 

 to fave ourfelves : but he continually objected to it, and re- 

 minded me of my promife not to quit him. In the mean 

 time we were dafhed againft feveral trees, one of which had 

 nearly deftroyed us : being with my back towards it, I re- 

 ceived a blow on the head, which threw me at full length at 

 the bottom of the car. M. Garnerin, in attempting to affift 

 me, was nearly thrown overboard; two of the cords that held 

 the car broke, and at the fame time fome of the branches 

 tore the balloon: upon which M. Garnerin cried out, "The 

 balloon is torn, and we are faved. " Another guft of wind 

 difengaged us from the tree, and we touched the ground 

 once more, with a lefs violent (hock than before. We then 

 both got out, but fo exhaufted with our numerous exertions 

 that we had hardly ftrength to follow the balloon, which fell 

 again about 200 paces Further; when we completely maf- 

 tered it, by throwing ourfelves upon it, and by that means 

 preffing out the remainder of the gas. 



It rained fo very hard, that I propofed to M. Garnerin to 

 leave the balloon in the field, and go in fearch of fome houlc 



2, for 



