TVB  "OUKT'* SALLOOII   AXD   THE   " IHPtRIAL      BALLOOK.
 

CHAPTER I.
 

THE   LAST  VOYAGES  OF THE  " GIAXT."
(W.   DB  rOilVIELLK.)

My friend \adar begins his memoirs of tlie Giant with two necro-
logical notices, one on the courageous PilStre de Rozier, aud the
other on the distinguished Dupuis-Delcourt. In spite of myself, I
shall imitate him here, and this account of my first baUoon ascents
will commence in a similar manner, for the glorious Hanoverian
balloon, tlie gigantic Ginnf, is dead I After having .served in the
excursions of which I shall presently relate the painful history, it
was determined to transform this glorious .son of the air into a captive
balloon . . . but he would not allow himself to l)e confined to the air
of the Cr«>niorne Ganlens! Tlie three a.scents of which I am about
to speak may be considered as the three last gasps of the late Giant.

I cannot say how long ago the desire of rising into the air developed
itself in my breast, but I was always one of those who envied swallows
their wings; and whenever I happened to see up alwve the fonn of a
baUoon that had just escaped from some hippodrome or other, I always
felt my heart beat—partly from jileasure and partly from fear of
seeing the aerial navigators come to grief, for I was then ignorant
of the ease with which such ascents can be made, and, all things
considered, with what safety they can be accomplished.