Five Weeks in a Balloon by Jules Verne (audio ebook reader TXT) đ
- Author: Jules Verne
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Ten tons of sulphuric acid and ten tons of iron filings, were put on board for the future production of the hydrogen gas. The quantity was more than enough, but it was well to be provided against accident. The apparatus to be employed in manufacturing the gas, including some thirty empty casks, was also stowed away in the hold.
These various preparations were terminated on the 18th of February, in the evening. Two state-rooms, comfortably fitted up, were ready for the reception of Dr. Ferguson and his friend Kennedy. The latter, all the while swearing that he would not go, went on board with a regular arsenal of hunting weapons, among which were two double-barrelled breech-loading fowling-pieces, and a rifle that had withstood every test, of the make of Purdey, Moore & Dickson, at Edinburgh. With such a weapon a marksman would find no difficulty in lodging a bullet in the eye of a chamois at the distance of two thousand paces. Along with these implements, he had two of Coltâs six-shooters, for unforeseen emergencies. His powder-case, his cartridge-pouch, his lead, and his bullets, did not exceed a certain weight prescribed by the doctor.
The three travellers got themselves to rights on board during the working-hours of February 19th. They were received with much distinction by the captain and his officers, the doctor continuing as reserved as ever, and thinking of nothing but his expedition. Dick seemed a good deal moved, but was unwilling to betray it; while Joe was fairly dancing and breaking out in laughable remarks. The worthy fellow soon became the jester and merry-andrew of the boatswainâs mess, where a berth had been kept for him.
On the 20th, a grand farewell dinner was given to Dr. Ferguson and Kennedy by the Royal Geographical Society. Commander Bennet and his officers were present at the entertainment, which was signalized by copious libations and numerous toasts. Healths were drunk, in sufficient abundance to guarantee all the guests a lifetime of centuries. Sir Francis Mâ- presided, with restrained but dignified feeling.
To his own supreme confusion, Dick Kennedy came in for a large share in the jovial felicitations of the night. After having drunk to the âintrepid Ferguson, the glory of England,â they had to drink to âthe no less courageous Kennedy, his daring companion.â
Dick blushed a good deal, and that passed for modesty; whereupon the applause redoubled, and Dick blushed again.
A message from the Queen arrived while they were at dessert. Her Majesty offered her compliments to the two travellers, and expressed her wishes for their safe and successful journey. This, of course, rendered imperative fresh toasts to âHer most gracious Majesty.â
At midnight, after touching farewells and warm shaking of hands, the guests separated.
The boats of the Resolute were in waiting at the stairs of Westminster Bridge. The captain leaped in, accompanied by his officers and passengers, and the rapid current of the Thames, aiding the strong arms of the rowers, bore them swiftly to Greenwich. In an hourâs time all were asleep on board.
The next morning, February 21st, at three oâclock, the furnaces began to roar; at five, the anchors were weighed, and the Resolute, powerfully driven by her screw, began to plough the water toward the mouth of the Thames.
It is needless to say that the topic of conversation with every one on board was Dr. Fergusonâs enterprise. Seeing and hearing the doctor soon inspired everybody with such confidence that, in a very short time, there was no one, excepting the incredulous Scotchman, on the steamer who had the least doubt of the perfect feasibility and success of the expedition.
During the long, unoccupied hours of the voyage, the doctor held regular sittings, with lectures on geographical science, in the officersâ mess-room. These young men felt an intense interest in the discoveries made during the last forty years in Africa; and the doctor related to them the explorations of Barth, Burton, Speke, and Grant, and depicted the wonders of this vast, mysterious country, now thrown open on all sides to the investigations of science. On the north, the young Duveyrier was exploring Sahara, and bringing the chiefs of the Touaregs to Paris. Under the inspiration of the French Government, two expeditions were preparing, which, descending from the north, and coming from the west, would cross each other at Timbuctoo. In the south, the indefatigable Livingstone was still advancing toward the equator; and, since March, 1862, he had, in company with Mackenzie, ascended the river Rovoonia. The nineteenth century would, assuredly, not pass, contended the doctor, without Africa having been compelled to surrender the secrets she has kept locked up in her bosom for six thousand years.
But the interest of Dr. Fergusonâs hearers was excited to the highest pitch when he made known to them, in detail, the preparations for his own journey. They took pleasure in verifying his calculations; they discussed them; and the doctor frankly took part in the discussion.
As a general thing, they were surprised at the limited quantity of provision that he took with him; and one day one of the officers questioned him on that subject.
âThat peculiar point astonishes you, does it?â said Ferguson.
âIt does, indeed.â
âBut how long do you think my trip is going to last? Whole months? If so, you are greatly mistaken. Were it to be a long one, we should be lost; we should never get back. But you must know that the distance from Zanzibar to the coast of Senegal is only thirty-five hundredâsay four thousand miles. Well, at the rate of two hundred and forty miles every twelve hours, which does not come near the rapidity of our railroad trains, by travelling day and night, it would take only seven days to cross Africa!â
âBut then you could see nothing, make no geographical observations, or reconnoitre the face of the country.â
âAh!â replied the doctor, âif I am master of my balloonâif I can ascend and descend at will, I shall stop when I please, especially when too violent currents of air threaten to carry me out of my way with them.â
âAnd you will encounter such,â said Captain Bennet. âThere are tornadoes that sweep at the rate of more than two hundred and forty miles per hour.â
âYou see, then, that with such speed as that, we could cross Africa in twelve hours. One would rise at Zanzibar, and go to bed at St. Louis!â
âBut,â rejoined the officer, âcould any balloon withstand the wear and tear of such velocity?â
âIt has happened before,â replied Ferguson.
âAnd the balloon withstood it?â
âPerfectly well. It was at the time of the coronation of Napoleon, in 1804. The aeronaut, Gernerin, sent up a balloon at Paris, about eleven oâclock in the evening. It bore the following inscription, in letters of gold: âParis, 25 Frimaire; year XIII; Coronation of the Emperor Napoleon by his Holiness, Pius VII.â On the next morning, the inhabitants of Rome saw the same balloon soaring above the Vatican, whence it crossed the Campagna, and finally fluttered down into the lake of Bracciano. So you see, gentlemen, that a balloon can resist such velocities.â
âA balloonâthat might be; but a man?â insinuated Kennedy.
âYes, a man, too!âfor the balloon is always motionless with reference to the air that surrounds it. What moves is the mass of the atmosphere itself: for instance, one may light a taper in the car, and the flame will not even waver. An aeronaut in Garnerinâs balloon would not have suffered in the least from the speed. But then I have no occasion to attempt such velocity; and if I can anchor to some tree, or some favorable inequality of the ground, at night, I shall not fail to do so. Besides, we take provision for two months with us, after all; and there is nothing to prevent our skilful huntsman here from furnishing game in abundance when we come to alight.â
âAh! Mr. Kennedy,â said a young midshipman, with envious eyes, âwhat splendid shots youâll have!â
âWithout counting,â said another, âthat youâll have the glory as well as the sport!â
âGentlemen,â replied the hunter, stammering with confusion, âI greatlyâappreciateâyour complimentsâ but theyâdonâtâbelong to me.â
âYou!â exclaimed every body, âdonât you intend to go?â
âI am not going!â
âYou wonât accompany Dr. Ferguson?â
âNot only shall I not accompany him, but I am here so as to be present at the last moment to prevent his going.â
Every eye was now turned to the doctor.
âNever mind him!â said the latter, calmly. âThis is a matter that we canât argue with him. At heart he knows perfectly well that he IS going.â
âBy Saint Andrew!â said Kennedy, âI swearââ
âSwear to nothing, friend Dick; you have been ganged and weighedâyou and your powder, your guns, and your bullets; so donât let us say anything more about it.â
And, in fact, from that day until the arrival at Zanzibar, Dick never opened his mouth. He talked neither about that nor about anything else. He kept absolutely silent.
CHAPTER NINTH.
They double the Cape.âThe Forecastle.âA Course of Cosmography by Professor Joe.âConcerning the Method of guiding Balloons.âHow to seek out Atmospheric Currents.âEureka.
The Resolute plunged along rapidly toward the Cape of Good Hope, the weather continuing fine, although the sea ran heavier.
On the 30th of March, twenty-seven days after the departure from London, the Table Mountain loomed up on the horizon. Cape City lying at the foot of an amphitheatre of hills, could be distinguished through the shipâs glasses, and soon the Resolute cast anchor in the port. But the captain touched there only to replenish his coal bunkers, and that was but a dayâs job. On the morrow, he steered away to the southâard, so as to double the southernmost point of Africa, and enter the Mozambique Channel.
This was not Joeâs first sea-voyage, and so, for his part, he soon found himself at home on board; every body liked him for his frankness and good-humor. A considerable share of his masterâs renown was reflected upon him. He was listened to as an oracle, and he made no more mistakes than the next one.
So, while the doctor was pursuing his descriptive course of lecturing in the officersâ mess, Joe reigned supreme on the forecastle, holding forth in his own peculiar manner, and making history to suit himselfâa style of procedure pursued, by the way, by the greatest historians of all ages and nations.
The topic of discourse was, naturally, the aerial voyage. Joe had experienced some trouble in getting the rebellious spirits to believe in it; but, once accepted by them, nothing connected with it was any longer an impossibility to the imaginations of the seamen stimulated by Joeâs harangues.
Our dazzling narrator persuaded his hearers that, after this trip, many others still more wonderful would be undertaken. In fact, it was to be but the first of a long series of superhuman expeditions.
âYou see, my friends, when a man has had a taste of that kind of travelling, he canât get along afterward with any other; so, on our next expedition, instead of going off to one side, weâll go right ahead, going up, too, all the time.â
âHumph! then youâll go to the moon!â said one of the crowd, with a stare of amazement.
âTo the moon!â exclaimed Joe, âTo the moon! pooh! thatâs too common. Every body might go to the moon, that way. Besides, thereâs no water there, and you have to carry such a lot of it along with
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