Five Weeks in a Balloon / Or, Journeys and Discoveries in Africa by Three Englishmen

raphy by Professor Joe.-Concerning the Method of guiding

the Cape of Good Hope, the weather conti

hills, could be distinguished through the ship's glasses, and soon the Resolute cast anchor in the port. But the captain touched there only to replenish his coal bunk

very body liked him for his frankness and good-humor. A considerable share of his master's renown wa

gned supreme on the forecastle, holding forth in his own peculiar manner, and making history to suit

ting the rebellious spirits to believe in it; but, once accepted by them, nothing connected with

many others still more wonderful would be undertaken. In fact, it

e can't get along afterward with any other; so, on our next expedition, instea

e moon!" said one of the cro

o to the moon, that way. Besides, there's no water there, and you have to carry such a

man get a drop of the real stuff ther

o skip round among those little twinklers up there-the stars-and the splendid plane

the ring?" aske

-only no one knows wha

d one of the ship-boys, gaping with wonder.

's too good

en?" was the next inquiry

rs and a half long-a good thing for the lazy fellows-and the years, would you believe it-last twelve o

rs!" ejacul

after your mammy yet, and that old chap yonder, who looks ab

'un!" shouted the who

th!" said J

ep as ignorant as bears. But just come along to Jupiter and you'll see. But they have to

eafaring men get a jovial reception, and Mars, where the military get the best of the sidewalk to such an

fatigable narrator, "they'll decorate us with the Southern

e well earned it!"

e in merry chat, and during the same time the

he means of directing balloons, and th

upied my mind with this subject, which was, necessarily, so interesting to me, but I have not been able to solve the problem with the appliances now known to mechanical science. We would have to discover a motive power of extraordinary force,

esemblance between a balloon and

nitely less dense than water, in which the ship is only half submerged, while the whole bulk of a ballo

aerostatic science ha

he latter become much more uniform and flow more constantly in one direction. They are no longer disturbed by the mountains and valleys that traverse the surface of the globe, and these, you know, are the chief c

reach them, you must keep constantly ascending or

my dear

a difficulty and an obstacle only for long j

so, if yo

ou can descend only after letting off gas, and by these

to overcome. The problem is not how to guide the balloon, but how to take it up and down withou

this problem is not yet solved; this

rdon, it HAS b

wh

y

yo

ave risked this expedition across Africa in a balloon.

othing about th

se in that. I made my preparatory experiments in secret and was sat

it be proper to ask

emen-the simplest

cted to the doctor in the utmost degree as