our reverses? At any rate, I am consoled to think they
can no longer laugh at us in Paris. We have kept our promises, and
more."

Making some allowance for the palpable exaggeration of small details,
this excitable Frenchman's description of the ascent is the best that we
have seen, therefore we have given it in full.

The accounts given by other members of the party corroborate most of it,
and correct a few of its errors. For instance, where Monsieur Arnould
represents the anchor as dragging off the _roof_ of a house, another
account states that it tore away one of the rafters; and while he tells
us that large trees were "cut through by the car as clean as if by a
woodman's hatchet," Monsieur Godard says that they were knocked down or
uprooted! But, upon the whole, after comparing the several narratives,
we are of opinion that, with all his tendency to exaggeration and the
use of inflated language, Monsieur Arnould has found it impossible to
convey by means of words an adequate conception of this, perhaps, the
most wonderful and thrilling balloon voyage on record.

Many dangerous voyages of thrilling interest have been undertaken since
this ascent of Monsieur Nadar. We shall just give a brief account of
two of these, which occurred at a comparatively recent date, to show the
reader that men are not to be deterred by the misfortunes of
predecessors from prosecuting inquiries and experiments in this field.

A _fete_ was held some years ago in the park of Mr North, Basford, near
Nottingham. Amongst the amusements, it was arranged that Mr Coxwell
should make a balloon ascent. The balloon was almost new, but not of
very large dimensions. After it had been fully inflated, Mr Coxwell
tried it, and found there would be some difficulty in ascending in it,
owing to its weight. At this juncture, a Mr James Chambers, of
Nottingham, who had previously made many ascents, stepped forward and
offered to go in his stead, saying that he was lighter than Mr Coxwell,
and that he wished to make the ascent. After some conversation, it was
agreed that Chambers should go up, but Mr Coxwell told him not to
attempt an ascent unless he felt quite confident that he could manage
the balloon. Chambers replied that he had no fear about managing it,
and accordingly he was allowed to make the ascent. The balloon rose
steadily, and was carried somewhat rapidly in a north-easterly direction
towards Nottingham. It proceeded as far as Arn