"'Where is the compass?'

"'Upset!'

"'Great God! The lantern has gone out!'

"'It cannot burn in this rarefied air,' said Zambecarri.

"The moon had not risen, and the atmosphere was plunged in murky
darkness.

"'I am cold, Andreoli. What shall I do?'

"They slowly descended through a layer of whitish clouds.

"'Sh!' said Andreoli. 'Do you hear?'

"'What?' asked Zambecarri.

"'A strange noise.'

"'You are mistaken.'

"'No.'

"Consider these travellers, in the middle of the night, listening
to that unaccountable noise! Are they going to knock against a
tower? Are they about to be precipitated on the roofs?

"'Do you hear? One would say it was the noise of the sea.'

"'Impossible!'

"'It is the groaning of the waves!'

"'It is true.'

"'Light! light!'

"After five fruitless attempts, Andreoli succeeded in obtaining
light. It was three o'clock.

"The voice of violent waves was heard. They were almost touching
the surface of the sea!

"'We are lost!' cried Zambecarri, seizing a large bag of sand.

"'Help!' cried Andreoli.

"The car touched the water, and the waves came up to their
breasts.

"'Throw out the instruments, clothes, money!'

"The aeronauts completely stripped themselves. The balloon,
relieved, rose with frightful rapidity. Zambecarri was taken with
vomiting. Grossetti bled profusely. The unfortunate men could not
speak, so short was their breathing. They were taken with cold,
and they were soon crusted over with ice. The moon looked as red
as blood.

"After traversing the high regions for a half-hour, the balloon
again fell into the sea. It was four in the morning. They were
half submerged in the water, and the balloon dragged them along,
as if under sail, for several hours.

"At daybreak they found themselves opposite Pesaro, four miles
from the coast. They were about to reach it, when a gale blew
them back into the open sea. They were lost! The frightened boats
fled at their approach. Happily, a more intelligent boatman
accosted them, hoisted them on board, and they landed at Ferrada.

"A frightful journey, was it not? But Zambecarri was a brave and
energetic man. Scarcely recovered from his sufferings, he resumed
his ascensions. During one of them he struck against a tree; his
spirit-lamp was broken on his clothes; he was enveloped in fire,
his balloon began to catch the flames, and he came down half
consumed.

"At last, on the 21st of September, 1812, he made anot