is went on for some hours, and when darkness
had fallen, and all the world had disappeared, it became clear that the
balloon must descend. They had attained a height of many thousand feet.
It was nearly nine o'clock, and supper on deck was over, when Godard,
finding that the descent was becoming too rapid, called out, 'Hold to
the ropes!'

Every passenger seized some portion of the ropes, so that the shock of
contact with the earth might be somewhat lessened. Down came the Giant,
a great deal more swiftly than it had risen; and the last bags of
ballast were emptied over the side with little effect. The blow was
tremendous, and the wonder is that the passengers escaped with their
lives. An inquiry was held, and the Giant itself was proved blameless.
The valves for allowing the escape of gas had never been properly
closed! Thus, from the very moment when they left Paris, the gas was
pouring out at the top; and it was only through the enormous quantity
used that they succeeded in rising at all.

A fortnight later M. Nadar was ready to sail again. This time the Giant
had nine passengers, who were destined to make an eventful voyage.
Anchor was weighed in the evening, and very soon, at a great height, all
eyes were turned to watch the beautiful sunset. As the shadows of night
gathered round them, however, more than one traveller looked anxiously
at the gigantic ball above. Supposing anything should go wrong with it!
It looked such a tremendous distance down to the earth.

When day dawned again at last, after a night during which no one had
closed his eyes, they found themselves hanging over the fens of Holland,
many miles from Paris. Fearing that the wind might carry them out to
sea, they agreed to descend. But, on reaching the lower air, the huge
balloon was caught in what proved to be almost a hurricane. It drove
them towards the ground at a long angle, until, like a falling kite, the
Giant struck the earth head foremost, dragging the car behind it at a
terrible speed. The travellers hung on for dear life. Again and again
the car struck, and rebounded thirty or forty feet into the air. With
the first blow the valve-rope was jerked beyond reach, so that it became
impossible to let the gas escape.

Mile after mile they tore through the country, crashing into trees, and
scattering herds of cattle right and left. All the anchor-ropes, dropped
one after the other, had been snapped like thread, the last catching in
the roof