The passengers endeavoured to pass the night as comfortably as
possible, having first instituted a four hours' watch, as on
board ship.
The aerial vessel glided rapidly through the air. "We
repeatedly," said Nadar, "passed over some manufacturing centre,
whose lights were not yet extinguished. I either hailed them
with my speaking-trumpet or rang our two bells. Sometimes we
received a reply from below, in the shape of a shout, for,
although we still had no moon, the night was occasionally clear
enough for people to distinguish us; and sometimes we heard a
peal of laughter from out of the atmosphere in which we were
travelling. It was another party of aeronauts in a smaller
balloon, who left at the same time as we did, and who would
persist in keeping the 'Geant' company. We are passing over a
small town; we hear the usual shouting and the report of a gun.
Our first thoughts are--Was it loaded with shot or ball? The
inhuman brute who fired will say, 'Certainly not;' but as
balloons have often been damaged in this way, we may be confident
there was more than powder in this one. It would be
satisfactory, at any rate, if the name of the person could be
ascertained who favoured us with this welcome.
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