A rope which dragged along the ground seemed to retard
its ascent; but some intelligent person having cut this with a
hatchet, it began to right itself and ascend. At a certain
height it turned to the north east. The wind was feeble, and the
progress was slow, but the imposing effect was indescribable.
The immense machine rose into the air as by some effect of magic.
Nearly 100,000 spectators were present, and they were greatly
excited at the view. They clapped their hands and stretched
their arms towards the sky; women fainted away, or (for some
reasons best known to themselves) found relief for their
excitement in tears; while the men, uttering cries of joy, waved
their handkerchiefs, and threw their hats into the air.
The form of the machine was that of a globe, rising from a
reversed and truncated cone, to which the gallery was attached.
The upper part was white, the lower part grey; and the cone was
composed of strips of stuff of different colours. On the sides
of the balloon were two paintings, one of which represented
History, the other Fame. The flag bore the arms of the director
of the Academy, and above it were inscribed the words "Le
Flesselles."
The voyagers observed that they did not consume a fourth of the
quantity of combustibles after they had risen into the air, which
they consumed when attached to the earth.
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