Here we remained six minutes. My first employment
was to watch with admiration my intelligent companion. His
intelligence, his courage and agility in attending to the fire,
enchanted me. Turning round, I could behold the Boulevards, from
the gate of St. Antoine to that of St. Martin, all covered with
people, who seemed to me a flat band of flowers of various
colours. Glancing at the distance, I beheld the summit of
Montmartre, which seemed to me much below our level. I could
easily distinguish Neuilly, St. Cloud, Sevres, Issy, Ivry,
Charenton, and Choisy. At once I was convinced that this
machine, though a somewhat expensive one, might be very useful in
war to enable one to discover the position of the enemy, his
manoeuvres, and his marches; and to announce these by signals to
one's own army. 1 believe that at sea it is equally possible to
make use of this machine. These prove the usefulness of the
balloon, which time will perfect for us. All that I regret is
that I did not provide myself with a telescope."
Chapter IX. The First Aerial Voyage--Roziers and Arlandes.
These experiments had only one aim--the application of
Montgolfier's discovery to aerial navigation. The knowledge
gained in the Faubourg St.
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