The car to carry the passengers—or boat, as it is sometimes styled: since, for reasons easily understood, it is usually a boat—was quite another affair; and had it been designed for more than a mere6 temporary use, would have taken a considerable time in the making; but for what they wanted almost anything would serve; and all that they intended employing was a sort of wicker basket, or deep hamper7, suspended by stout8 ropes. This had been already prepared; and only needed to be attached to the bottom of the air-bag.
In the present case, the “bottom of the bag” is quite a figure of speech—lucus a non lucendo. Strictly9 speaking, it had no bottom; but, where this should have been, there was a round aperture10, formed by a stout hoop11 of ringall bamboo, to which the skin covering was lashed12, and to which, also, the cords intended to sustain the afore-mentioned basket, as also the stay-ropes, were to be attached.
The object of this aperture will be easily understood. It was by it that the hot air was to be admitted inside the balloon, for the purpose of inflating it.
And how was this hot air to be obtained? That was a question which Karl alone could answer. Of course, fire was to be the agent for producing it: but how was it to be got into the bag? Karl could tell that, and Karl only; and, now that the time had arrived for trying the experiment, he condescended13 to explain to his coadjutors how he meant to proceed.
The bag was to be propped14 up between tall stakes set in the ground; its bottomless bottom turned towards the earth, so that the aperture would be below. Under this a fire was to be kindled—not, however, until everything else should be ready; and the hot air rising up into the aperture would enter the balloon, and cause it to swell15 out to its full globular dimensions. More hot air being admitted, the cooler atmosphere within would be expelled, the balloon would become lighter16 than the surrounding air, and by the simple principle of atmospheric17 pressure it would ascend18 into the air. It was expected it would do so—it was hoped it would.
To say the truth, the hopes of the engineer were far from being high—his expectations anything but sanguine19. He had observed all along, that, notwithstanding the process employed for lightening the eel-skins, they were still far heavier than silk; and perhaps, after all, the experiment might not succeed. There was another circumstance that had as much weight on the mind of Karl as the eel-skins; and that was quite as likely to have a bearing upon the balloon. He had not overlooked the fact, that the spot, from which they proposed making the ascent, was nearly ten thousand feet above the level of the sea. He knew that the atmosphere in such a situation would be extremely rarefied, and that a balloon, which might easily ascend many thousand feet into the air starting from the level of the sea, would not stir from the ground if carried to the top of a mountain ten thousand feet high. This was the circumstance which preyed20 upon the spirit of the young philosopher, and hindered him from entertaining any very sanguine hopes of success in the experiment they were making.
The philosophical21 truth had been before his mind from the first, and at times had almost determined22 him to abandon the project. But as he was not sufficiently23 acquainted with the laws of aerostation as to be certain of failure, he had worked on with the determination to seek success, though it must be acknowledged with but faint hopes of finding it.
Thus stood matters on the morning when it was finally arranged to launch their great aerial ship, and ascertain24 whether it would swim.
All things were made ready at an early hour. The huge bag was set up between the supporting stakes the car was attached to it, as also several ropes to keep the balloon from being carried away; and these were fastened at their other ends to stout pegs25, driven firmly into the ground; while a little furnace of stones was built underneath26 to hold the fire, whose ascending27 caloric was to expand the balloon, and raise it into the air.
The fuel out of which this fire was to be made had been already collected near the spot. It was not wood, nor faggots of any kind; for although these might have served after a fashion, Karl was acquainted with a better material. He remembered that the Montgolfiers, and other early aerostats—previous to the introduction of the inflammable gas—had used chopped straw and wool, and regarded these materials to be the best substances for inflating their balloons. Karl had adopted their idea; and had provided chopped grass as a substitute for the chopped straw, and in lieu of sheep’s wool he had procured28 a quantity of the poshm of the ibex, and other animals, that had been killed—the rich shawl-wool of Cashmere!
The car, which has already been described as a sort of deep hamper, was not over three feet in diameter. It was evidently not equal to the holding of three persons—to say nothing of a large dog—for it is hardly necessary to say that Fritz was not going to be left behind. The faithful creature had too long followed the fortunes of our adventurers to be abandoned by them now.
But there was not the slightest danger of that. The dimensions of the car were large enough for what the “vehicle” was intended to carry, which was only one.
Karl believed that there would be little chance of the balloon having sufficient power to take up all three of them, their united weight being over four hundred pounds. He would be but too contented29 if one should be carried aloft; and if that one should succeed in effecting a landing on the summit of the cliff, it was of no importance what afterwards became of the aerial ship. Having completed that one voyage, it might make another on its own account—either south to Calcutta or eastward30 to Hong Kong, if it liked China better.
Of course, if any one of them should succeed in surmounting31 the cliff, it would be an easy matter to get over the mountain; and as they had passed native villages on their way upward, these could be reached in a day or two, and a party of men, with a proper rope-ladder, brought to the rescue of the others.
Even had there been no prospect32 of assistance from any one outside, it would not matter very much. If only one of them could get to the top of the cliffs, they could construct a rope-ladder of themselves—by which the other two would be able to make the ascent.
It is hardly necessary to say who was to make the attempt—Ossaroo was to be the aeronaut. Ossaroo had voluntarily offered himself for this perilous33 performance; and his offer had been accepted.
Not that either of the others were at all afraid to have run the risk. It was from no desire to shirk the danger that they had appointed Ossaroo to undertake it; but simply because, once outside, the shikaree would be far better able to find his way down the mountains: and in his native language could readily communicate with the villagers, and give a correct account of their situation.
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1
inflating
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| v.使充气（于轮胎、气球等）( inflate的现在分词 )；（使）膨胀；（使）通货膨胀；物价上涨 | |
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2
navigating
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| v.给（船舶、飞机等）引航，导航( navigate的现在分词 )；（从海上、空中等）横越；横渡；飞跃 | |
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3
apparatus
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| n.装置，器械；器具，设备 | |
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4
contrived
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| adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的 | |
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5
ascent
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| n.(声望或地位)提高；上升，升高；登高 | |
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6
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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7
hamper
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| vt.妨碍，束缚，限制；n.(有盖的)大篮子 | |
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strictly
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| adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地 | |
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aperture
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| n.孔，隙，窄的缺口 | |
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11
hoop
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| n.（篮球）篮圈，篮 | |
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12
lashed
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| adj.具睫毛的v.鞭打( lash的过去式和过去分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥 | |
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13
condescended
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| 屈尊，俯就( condescend的过去式和过去分词 )； 故意表示和蔼可亲 | |
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14
propped
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| 支撑，支持，维持( prop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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15
swell
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| vi.膨胀，肿胀；增长，增强 | |
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16
lighter
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| n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级 | |
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17
atmospheric
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| adj.大气的，空气的；大气层的；大气所引起的 | |
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18
ascend
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| vi.渐渐上升，升高；vt.攀登，登上 | |
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19
sanguine
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| adj.充满希望的，乐观的，血红色的 | |
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20
preyed
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| v.掠食( prey的过去式和过去分词 )；掠食；折磨；（人）靠欺诈为生 | |
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21
philosophical
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| adj.哲学家的，哲学上的，达观的 | |
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22
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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23
sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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24
ascertain
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| vt.发现，确定，查明，弄清 | |
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25
pegs
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| n.衣夹( peg的名词复数 )；挂钉；系帐篷的桩；弦钮v.用夹子或钉子固定( peg的第三人称单数 )；使固定在某水平 | |
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26
underneath
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| adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面 | |
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27
ascending
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| adj.上升的，向上的 | |
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28
procured
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| v.（努力）取得， （设法）获得( procure的过去式和过去分词 )；拉皮条 | |
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29
contented
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| adj.满意的，安心的，知足的 | |
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30
eastward
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| adv.向东；adj.向东的；n.东方，东部 | |
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31
surmounting
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| 战胜( surmount的现在分词 )； 克服（困难）； 居于…之上； 在…顶上 | |
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32
prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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33
perilous
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| adj.危险的，冒险的 | |
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