Ainsworth，wasadmittedtoaprivateviewoftheballoon，onSaturdaylast-whenthetwogentlemenmadefinalarrangementstobeincludedintheadventure。Wearenotinformedforwhatreasonthetwoseamenwerealsoincludedintheparty-but，inthecourseofadayortwo，weshallputourreadersinpossessionoftheminutestparticularsrespectingthisextraordinaryvoyage。
　　“Theballooniscomposedofsilk，varnishedwiththeliquidgumcaoutchouc。Itisofvastdimensions，containingmorethan40，000
　　cubicfeetofgas；butascoalgaswasemployedinplaceofthemoreexpensiveandinconvenienthydrogen，thesupportingpowerofthemachine，whenfullyinflated，andimmediatelyafterinflation，isnotmorethanabout2500pounds。Thecoalgasisnotonlymuchlesscostly，butiseasilyprocuredandmanaged。
　　“Foritsintroductionintocommonuseforpurposesofaerostation，weareindebtedtoMr。CharlesGreen。Uptohisdiscovery，theprocessofinflationwasnotonlyexceedinglyexpensive，butuncertain。Two，andeventhreedays，havefrequentlybeenwastedinfutileattemptstoprocureasufficiencyofhydrogentofillaballoon，fromwhichithadgreattendencytoescape，owingtoitsextremesubtlety，anditsaffinityforthesurroundingatmosphere。Inaballoonsufficientlyperfecttoretainitscontentsofcoal-gasunaltered，inquantityoramount，forsixmonths，anequalquantityofhydrogencouldnotbemaintainedinequalpurityforsixweeks。
　　“Thesupportingpowerbeingestimatedat2500pounds，andtheunitedweightsofthepartyamountingonlytoabout1200，therewasleftasurplusof1300，ofwhichagain1200wasexhaustedbyballast，arrangedinbagsofdifferentsizes，withtheirrespectiveweightsmarkeduponthem-bycordage，barometers，telescopes，barrelscontainingprovisionforafortnight，water-casks，cloaks，carpet-bags，andvariousotherindispensablematters，includingacoffee-warmer，contrivedforwarmingcoffeebymeansofslack-lime，soastodispensealtogetherwithfire，ifitshouldbejudgedprudenttodoso。Allthesearticles，withtheexceptionoftheballast，andafewtrifles，weresuspendedfromthehoopoverhead。
　　Thecarismuchsmallerandlighter，inproportion，thantheoneappendedtothemodel。Itisformedofalightwicker，andiswonderfullystrong，forsofraillookingamachine。Itsrimisaboutfourfeetdeep。Therudderisalsoverymuchlarger，inproportion，thanthatofthemodel；andthescrewisconsiderablysmaller。Theballoonisfurnishedbesideswithagrapnel，andaguide-rope；
　　whichlatterisofthemostindispensableimportance。Afewwords，inexplanation，willherebenecessaryforsuchofourreadersasarenotconversantwiththedetailsofaerostation。
　　“Assoonastheballoonquitstheearth，itissubjectedtotheinfluenceofmanycircumstancestendingtocreateadifferenceinitsweight；augmentingordiminishingitsascendingpower。Forexample，theremaybeadepositionofdewuponthesilk，totheextent，even，ofseveralhundredpounds；ballasthasthentobethrownout，orthemachinemaydescend。Thisballastbeingdiscarded，andaclearsunshineevaporatingthedew，andatthesametimeexpandingthegasinthesilk，thewholewillagainrapidlyascend。Tocheckthisascent，theonlyrecourseis，orrather_was_，untilMr。Green’sinventionoftheguide-rope，thepermissionoftheescapeofgasfromthevalve；but，inthelossofgas，isaproportionategenerallossofascendingpower；sothat，inacomparativelybriefperiod，thebest-constructedballoonmustnecessarilyexhaustallitsresources，andcometotheearth。Thiswasthegreatobstacletovoyagesoflength。
　　“Theguide-roperemediesthedifficultyinthesimplestmannerconceivable。Itismerelyaverylongropewhichissufferedtotrailfromthecar，andtheeffectofwhichistopreventtheballoonfromchangingitslevelinanymaterialdegree。If，forexample，thereshouldbeadepositionofmoistureuponthesilk，andthemachinebeginstodescendinconsequence，therewillbenonecessityfordischargingballasttoremedytheincreaseofweight，foritisremedied，orcounteracted，inanexactlyjustproportion，bythedepositonthegroundofjustsomuchoftheendoftheropeasisnecessary。If，ontheotherhand，anycircumstancesshouldcauseunduelevity，andconsequentascent，thislevityisimmediatelycounteractedbytheadditionalweightofropeupraisedfromtheearth。Thus，theballooncanneitherascendordescend，exceptwithinverynarrowlimits，anditsresources，eitheringasorballast，remaincomparativelyunimpaired。Whenpassingoveranexpanseofwater，itbecomesnecessarytoemploysmallkegsofcopperorwood，filledwithliquidballastofalighternaturethanwater。
　　Thesefloat，andserveallthepurposesofamereropeonland。
　　Anothermostimportantofficeoftheguide-rope，istopointoutthe_direction_oftheballoon。Therope_drags_，eitheronlandorsea，whiletheballoonisfree；thelatter，consequently，isalwaysinadvance，whenanyprogresswhateverismade：acomparison，therefore，bymeansofthecompass，oftherelativepositionsofthetwoobjects，willalwaysindicatethe_course_。Inthesameway，theangleformedbytheropewiththeverticalaxisofthemachine，indicatesthe_velocity_。Whenthereis_no_angle-inotherwords，whentheropehangsperpendicularly，thewholeapparatusisstationary；butthelargertheangle，thatistosay，thefarthertheballoonprecedestheendoftherope，thegreaterthevelocity；
　　andtheconverse。
　　“AstheoriginaldesignwastocrosstheBritishChannel，andalightasnearParisaspossible，thevoyagershadtakentheprecautiontopreparethemselveswithpassportsdirectedtoallpartsoftheContinent，specifyingthenatureoftheexpedition，asinthecaseoftheNassauvoyage，andentitlingtheadventurerstoexemptionfromtheusualformalitiesofoffice：unexpectedevents，however，renderedthesepassportssuperfluous。
　　“Theinflationwascommencedveryquietlyatdaybreak，onSaturdaymorning，the6thinstant，intheCourt-YardofWeal-VorHouse，Mr。Osborne’sseat，aboutamilefromPenstruthal，inNorthWales；andat7minutespast11，everythingbeingreadyfordeparture，theballoonwassetfree，risinggentlybutsteadily，inadirectionnearlySouth；nousebeingmade，forthefirsthalfhour，ofeitherthescrewortherudder。Weproceednowwiththejournal，astranscribedbyMr。ForsythfromthejointMSS。OfMr。MonckMason，andMr。Ainsworth。Thebodyofthejournal，asgiven，isinthehand-writingofMr。Mason，andaP。S。isappended，eachday，byMr。Ainsworth，whohasinpreparation，andwillshortlygivethepublicamoreminute，andnodoubt，athrillinglyinterestingaccountofthevoyage。
　　“THEJOURNAL。
　　“_Saturday，Aprilthe6th_-Everypreparationlikelytoembarrassus，havingbeenmadeovernight，wecommencedtheinflationthismorningatdaybreak；butowingtoathickfog，whichencumberedthefoldsofthesilkandrendereditunmanageable，wedidnotgetthroughbeforenearlyeleveno’clock。Cutloose，then，inhighspirits，androsegentlybutsteadily，withalightbreezeatNorth，whichboreusinthedirectionoftheBritishChannel。Foundtheascendingforcegreaterthanwehadexpected；andaswearosehigherandsogotclearofthecliffs，andmoreinthesun’srays，ourascentbecameveryrapid。Ididnotwish，however，tolosegasatsoearlyaperiodoftheadventure，andsoconcludedtoascendforthepresent。Wesoonranoutourguide-rope；butevenwhenwehadraiseditclearoftheearth，westillwentupveryrapidly。Theballoonwasunusuallysteady，andlookedbeautifully。Inabouttenminutesafterstarting，thebarometerindicatedanaltitudeof15，000
　　feet。Theweatherwasremarkablyfine，andtheviewofthesubjacentcountry-amostromanticonewhenseenfromanypoint，-wasnowespeciallysublime。Thenumerousdeepgorgespresentedtheappearanceoflakes，onaccountofthedensevaporswithwhichtheywerefilled，andthepinnaclesandcragstotheSouthEast，piledininextricableconfusion，resemblingnothingsomuchasthegiantcitiesofeasternfable。WewererapidlyapproachingthemountainsintheSouth；butourelevationwasmorethansufficienttoenableustopasstheminsafety。Inafewminuteswesoaredovertheminfinestyle；andMr。Ainsworth，withtheseamen，wassurprisedattheirapparentwantofaltitudewhenviewedfromthecar，thetendencyofgreatelevationinaballoonbeingtoreduceinequalitiesofthesurfacebelow，tonearlyadeadlevel。Athalf-pastelevenstillproceedingnearlySouth，weobtainedourfirstviewoftheBristolChannel；and，infifteenminutesafterward，thelineofbreakersonthecoastappearedimmediatelybeneathus，andwewerefairlyoutatsea。Wenowresolvedtoletoffenoughgastobringourguide-rope，withthebuoysaffixed，intothewater。Thiswasimmediatelydone，andwecommencedagradualdescent。Inabouttwentyminutesourfirstbuoydipped，andatthetouchofthesecondsoonafterwards，weremainedstationaryastoelevation。Wewereallnowanxioustotesttheefficiencyoftherudderandscrew，andweputthembothintorequisitionforthwith，forthepurposeofalteringourdirectionmoretotheeastward，andinalineforParis。Bymeansoftherudderweinstantlyeffectedthenecessarychangeofdirection，andourcoursewasbroughtnearlyatrightanglestothatofthewind；whenwesetinmotionthespringofthescrew，andwererejoicedtofinditpropelusreadilyasdesired。Uponthiswegavenineheartycheers，anddroppedintheseaabottle，enclosingaslipofparchmentwithabriefaccountoftheprincipleoftheinvention。Hardly，however，hadwedonewithourrejoicings，whenanunforeseenaccidentoccurredwhichdiscouragedusinnolittledegree。Thesteelrodconnectingthespringwiththepropellerwassuddenlyjerkedoutofplace，atthecarend，byaswayingofthecarthroughsomemovementofoneofthetwoseamenwehadtakenup，andinaninstanthungdanglingoutofreach，fromthepivotoftheaxisofthescrew。Whilewewereendeavoringtoregainit，ourattentionbeingcompletelyabsorbed，webecameinvolvedinastrongcurrentofwindfromtheEast，whichboreus，withrapidlyincreasingforce，towardstheAtlantic。Wesoonfoundourselvesdrivingouttoseaattherateofnotless，certainly，thanfiftyorsixtymilesanhour，sothatwecameupwithCapeClear，atsomefortymilestoourNorth，beforewehadsecuredtherod，andhadtimetothinkwhatwewereabout。ItwasnowthatMr。Ainsworthmadeanextraordinary，buttomyfancy，abynomeansunreasonableorchimericalproposition，inwhichhewasinstantlysecondedbyMr。Holland-viz。：thatweshouldtakeadvantageofthestronggalewhichboreuson，andinplaceofbeatingbacktoParis，makeanattempttoreachthecoastofNorthAmerica。AfterslightreflectionIgaveawillingassenttothisboldproposition，whichstrangetosaymetwithobjectionfromthetwoseamenonly。Asthestrongerparty，however，weoverruledtheirfears，andkeptresolutelyuponourcourse。WesteereddueWest；butasthetrailingofthebuoysmateriallyimpededourprogress，andwehadtheballoonabundantlyatcommand，eitherforascentordescent，wefirstthrewoutfiftypoundsofballast，andthenwoundupbymeansofawindlasssomuchoftheropeasbroughtitquiteclearofthesea。
　　Weperceivedtheeffectofthisman渦vreimmediately，inavastlyincreasedrateofprogress；and，asthegalefreshened，weflewwithavelocitynearlyinconceivable；theguide-ropeflyingoutbehindthecar，likeastreamerfromavessel。Itisneedlesstosaythataveryshorttimesufficedustolosesightofthecoast。Wepassedoverinnumerablevesselsofallkinds，afewofwhichwereendeavoringtobeatup，butthemostofthemlyingto。Weoccasionedthegreatestexcitementonboardall-anexcitementgreatlyrelishedbyourselves，andespeciallybyourtwomen，who，nowundertheinfluenceofadramofGeneva，seemedresolvedtogiveallscruple，orfear，tothewind。Manyofthevesselsfiredsignalguns；andinallweweresalutedwithloudcheerswhichweheardwithsurprisingdistinctnessandthewavingofcapsandhandkerchiefs。Wekeptoninthismannerthroughouttheday，withnomaterialincident，and，astheshadesofnightclosedaroundus，wemadearoughestimateofthedistancetraversed。Itcouldnothavebeenlessthanfivehundredmiles，andwasprobablymuchmore。Thepropellerwaskeptinconstantoperation，and，nodoubt，aidedourprogressmaterially。Asthesunwentdown，thegalefreshenedintoanabsolutehurricane，andtheoceanbeneathwasclearlyvisibleonaccountofitsphosphorescence。ThewindwasfromtheEastallnight，andgaveusthebrightestomenofsuccess。Wesufferednolittlefromcold，andthedampnessoftheatmospherewasmostunpleasant；buttheamplespaceinthecarenabledustoliedown，andbymeansofcloaksandafewblankets，wedidsufficientlywell。