[Illustration: "Charlie snatched up one of the legs of pork."]

[Illustration: "He steered his balloon round the Eiffel Tower."]

CRUISERS IN THE CLOUDS.

XI.--MODERN AERONAUTS AND THEIR AIR-SHIPS.

At an electrical exhibition held at Paris in 1881, most of the sightseers
were very interested in a little model balloon which had been made by
two famous balloonists, Messrs. Gaston and Albert Tissandier. It was
quite unlike any balloon ever seen before. The silk bag for containing
the gas was long and pointed at either end, and floated horizontally in
the air, so that at a little distance it was not unlike a fish without a
tail, though a sheet of canvas, shaped like a fish's tail, was placed
beneath the balloon at the rear end to be used as a rudder. Suspended by
a number of slender ropes, which met under the centre of the gas-bag,
were the car for the sailors and a small electric engine for driving a
powerful screw, the wings of which striking against the air would propel
the 'ship' at the rate of some nine feet a second. The baby balloon may
be said to have set the example for all modern air-ships, though others
something like it had been built before. Two years later Messrs. Tissandier
made a large copy of their model, and ascended on October 8th, 1883. As
the screw succeeded in driving the balloon forward at a greater speed
than that at which the wind was blowing, they were able to steer a
course, just as the steamboats on the St. Lawrence River are able to
shoot the rapids in safety by putting on full steam and over-racing the
current. Messrs. Tissandier repeated their experiment in November, 1883,
and actually drove their balloon against the wind for a short distance.
As night overtook them while on this triumphant journey they did not
attempt to return by balloon to Paris, but descended in the country two
hours after leaving the capital.

Such was the first successful effort to steer a balloon, and it was not
long before many aeronauts were following in their steps. In 1884 the
air-ship 'France,' with Captains Krebs and Renard on board, was watched
by a large crowd as it sailed from Meudon, near Paris, and after a
wonderful flight came back against the wind to the place from which it
started. Five more similar voyages were made, and in each the 'France'
showed great obedience to the rudder and sail. But all these experiments
were very expensive, and involved great danger. It was found, moreover,
that