EN BALLON
Thème.
It was on the 25th of May that we left Washington for an aerial trip. Our balloon had been gotten ready for us in Lafayette Parle. Our instruments were hanging on the walls of the car, and a party of friends was there to say "good-bye." The moment of departure is always solemn, and when the aérostat begins to rise in the air, the travellers expérience a singular and unique sensation.
The earth is sinking below us, the group of friends who came to see us off grows smaller and smaller, their cries of good speed are growing weaker and are soon drowned in the noise of the city. We now take in at a single glance the thousands of roofs, the dômes, steeples, parks, and public buildings of the city ; it is indeed a fairy-like sight.
Soon we cross the Potomac, which from that dizzy height looks hardly wider than a creek ; the hills of Virginia seem to level themselves to the ground, the earth présents the appearance of a flat surface. Yet in the midst of such a delightful ascent, one commences to think about the balloon ; doubts corne to the mind on the safety of the conveyance, if the gas should escape too fast ? ... if the net-work that supports the car should break ? ... if we should meet a cyclone ? . . . but one quickly finds out that the chances of accidents are but few, and that a balloon in the air is fully as safe as a boat on the water.
Exercices de Traduction. 217
EN BALLON ! (suite).
Thème.
We left Washington at twenty minutes past five, and ten minutes later we had aseended to a height of six hundred mètres and were going at the rate of twenty-six kilomètres an hour. The température, which was lower at an altitude of four hundred mètres than on the ground, rose two degrees when we reached the height of six hundred mètres.
From our car we could hear the noises below and the one we heard most distinctly was the barking of dogs. At twentyfive minutes past five we passed over the old town of Alexandria (Virginia), and the people greeted us with a hearty hurrah. Soon after we saw in a south-easterly direction, a storni of great proportions ; claps of thunder were heard and lightning was seen. The keen air had given us an appetite and we had then a little lunch. Ail the while we were going, and we soon floated over the woods that surround Mount Vernon, but the storm seemed to attract our balloon and we were approaching each other very rapidly. We hesitated what to do, as we could either ascend high enough to pass over the clouds or descend, if we should do it at once. While we were thinking the matter over, the clouds, some of which were as dark as ink, were crowding one on the other, and after reflecting a few moments we made up our minds to alight.
EN BALLON! (fin).
When we started to corne down, it was high time ; the rain was beginning to beat on our balloon ; we could hear the roaring of the wind, and the top branches of the trees were twisted by the storm. We cast our anchor, and almost at once our
aérostat stopped on the edge of a wood. At that time the storrn was raging, and a pouring rain soon transf ormed the roads into torrents. Thanks to some obliging countrymen, we were, nevertheless, able to pnt nnder shelter our instruments of observation. Our aerial journey liad lasted about thirty minutes. Chance had carried us from the Capital City to the beautif ul country seat where the founder of our country sleeps his last sleep. About half-past six we took the electric car and were back in Washington at a quarter of eight.
It is dimcult to analyze one' s impression after a trip of that kind. It looks like a dream, but I should say to those who are tired of travelling by rail or by boat : " Try an aerial journey ; y ou will bring back from it an impression never felt before ; you will find in it pleasures and sensations heretofore unknown to you, and when the day cornes when m an travels in the air as lie now does on land and water, you will be proud to say to your fellow-men : ail that which is new to you has been known to me for years.
