levard, and I cried
all at once--

"'Get to ground!'

"But the intrepid Roziers, who never lost his head, and who judged more
surely than I, prevented me from attempting to descend. I then threw a
bundle of straw on the fire. We rose again, and another current bore us
to were now close to the ground, between two mills. As soon to the
left. We as we came near the earth I raised myself over the gallery,
and leaning there with my two hands, I felt the balloon pressing softly
against my head. I pushed it back, and leaped down to the ground.
Looking round and expecting to see the balloon still distended, I was
astonished to find it quite empty and flattened. On looking for Roziers
I saw him in his shirt-sleeves creeping out from under the mass of
canvas that had fallen over him. Before attempting to descend he had
put off his coat and placed it in the basket. After a deal of trouble we
were at last all right.

"As Roziers was without a coat I besought him to go to the nearest
house. On his way thither he encountered the Duke of Chartres, who
had followed us, as we saw, very closely, for I had had the honour of
conversing with him the moment before we set out."

The following report of this first aerial voyage was drawn up by
scientific observers, among other signatures to it being that of
Benjamin Franklin.

"Today 21st of October, 1783, at the Chateau de la Muette, an experiment
was made with the aerostatic machine of M. Montgolfier. The sky was
clouded in many parts, clear in others--the wind north-west. At mid-day
a signal was given, which announced that the balloon was being filled.
Soon after, in spite of the wind, it was inflated in all its parts, and
the ascent was made. The Marquis d'Arlandes and M. Pilatre des Roziers
were in the gallery. The first intention was to raise the machine and
pull it back with ropes, to test it, to find out the exact weight which
it could carry, and to see if everything was properly arranged before
the actual ascent was attempted. But the machine, driven by the wind,
far from rising vertically, was directed upon one of the walks of
a garden, and the cords which held it shook with so much force that
several rents were made in the balloon. The machine, being brought back
to its place, was repaired in less than two hours. Being again inflated,
it rose once more, bearing the same persons, and when it had risen
to the height of 250 feet, the intrepid voyagers, bowing their heads,
salute