afterwards rose to spread its fame around the globe, as the first balloon which had made a voyage in a given direction and had been propelled back to its starting-point.

Having thus served my 'prenticeship, and seen what most other people's balloons were like, I determined upon becoming owner and captain of my own vessel. Accordingly I bought the good balloon "Eclipse," of 28,000 cubic feet, and set to work to fit her up after my own fashion. I engaged Mr Wright to arrange the first start (at Aldershot), and employed some soldiers of my company to assist at the inflation. After an enjoyable voyage we determined to descend, came down with a good bump in one field, and bounding over a large hedge, in which the grapnel took a firm hold, landed softly in a grass field. A pack

of harriers immediately surrounded us, and looked rather surprised at the huge, strong-smelling monster, while some rustics puzzled us with their anxious inquiries. "Had an accident?"-"No." "Lost your way way?" -"No." "Then why did ye come down here?" The balloon was soon packed up by willing hands, not without some merriment; especially after I had requested a small boy to be so good as to get inside, which he willingly endeavoured to do. Those only who have experienced inhaling a good mouthful of gas can appreciate the poor lad's sensations.

Next time I went up I determined to manage the whole thing myself, assisted as before by some of my men. The day was, as my sergeant described it, very "blusterous." Just as we were about to start, my companion's thought

B

ful servant pushed his way to the fore, and with tearful eyes requested that before we went off he might have his book settled up. We shot away at lightning speed, and almost before we could look round we were a mile from our point of departure. But on getting up to about 4000 feet our pace became more moderate. We saw a curious phenomenon.

It is not unusual to

see the shadow of a balloon, with halobedecked car, on solid clouds, but on this occasion it was thrown on a thin mist between us and the ground. The result appeared like a huge shadow on the actual fields and woods below. The hills, generally indistinguishable from a balloon, stood out clearly above the mist.

We had an exciting descent. A "guide-line," about 1000 feet long, with a flag at the bottom, told us