s of straw with my fork; I raised
it and threw it in the midst of the flames. An instant afterwards I felt
myself lifted as it were into the heavens.

"'For once we move,' said I.

"'Yes, we move,' answered my companion.

"At the same instant I heard from the top of the balloon a sound which
made me believe that it had burst. I watched, yet I saw nothing.
My companion had gone into the interior, no doubt to make some
observations. As my eyes were fixed on the top of the machine I
experienced a shock, and it was the only one I had yet felt. The
direction of the movement was from above downwards I then said--

"'What are you doing? Are you having a dance to yourself?'

"'I'm not moving.'

"'So much the better. It is only a new current which I hope will carry
us from the river,' I answered.

"I turned to see where we were, and found we were between the Ecole
Militaire and the Invalides.

"'We are getting on.' said Roziers.

"'Yes, we are travelling.'

"'Let us work, let us work,' said he.

"I now heard another report in the machine, which I believed was
produced by the cracking of a cord. This new intimation made me
carefully examine the inside of our habitation. I saw that the part that
was turned towards the south was full of holes, of which some were of a
considerable size.

"'It must descend,' I then cried.

"'Why?'

"'Look!' I said. At the same time I took my sponge and quietly
extinguished the little fire that was burning some of the holes within
my reach; but at the same moment I perceived that the bottom of the
cloth was coming away from the circle which surrounded it.

"'We must descend,' I repeated to my companion.

"He looked below.

"'We are upon Paris,' he said.

"'It does not matter,' I answered 'Only look! Is there no danger? Are
you holding on well?'

"'Yes.'

"I examined from my side, and saw that we had nothing to fear. I then
tried with my sponge the ropes which were within my reach. All of them
held firm. Only two of the cords had broken.

"I then said, 'We can cross Paris.'

"During this operation we were rapidly getting down to the roofs. We
made more fire, and rose again with the greatest ease. I looked down,
and it seemed to me we were going towards the towers of St. Sulpice;
but, on rising, a new current made us quit this direction and bear more
to the south. I looked to the left, and beheld a wood, which I believed
to be that of Luxembourg. We were traversing the bou