The credit of the first aerial voyage made in Great Britain has usually been given to Vincenzo Lunardi, an Italian. There is ground for believing, however, that the first balloon voyage was performed by a Scotchman, as the following extract from Chamber’s Book of Days will show:—
“It is generally supposed that Lunardi was the first person who ascended3 by means of a balloon in Great Britain, but he certainly was not. A very poor man, named James Tytler, who then lived in Edinburgh, supporting himself and family in the humblest style of garret or cottage life by the exercise of his pen, had this honour. He had effected an ascent2 at Edinburgh on the 27th of August 1784, just nineteen days previous to Lunardi. Tytler’s ascent, however, was almost a failure, by his employing the dangerous and unmanageable Montgolfier principle. After several ineffectual attempts, Tytler, finding that he could not carry up his fire-stove with him, determined5, in the maddening desperation of disappointment, to go without this his sole sustaining power. Jumping into his car, which was no other than a common crate6 used for packing earthenware7, he and the balloon ascended from Comely9 Garden, and immediately afterwards fell in the Restalrig Road. For a wonder, Tytler was uninjured; and though he did not reach a greater altitude than 300 feet, nor traverse a greater distance than half a mile, yet his name must ever be mentioned as that of the first Briton who ascended with a balloon, and the first man who ascended in Britain.
“Tytler was the son of a clergyman of the Church of Scotland, and had been educated as a surgeon; but being of an eccentric and erratic10 genius, he adopted literature as a profession, and was the principal editor of the first edition of the Encyclopaedia11 Britannica. Becoming embroiled12 in politics, he published a handbill of a seditious tendency, and consequently was compelled to seek a refuge in America, where he died in 1805, after conducting a newspaper at Salem, in New England, for several years.”
The voyage of Vincenzo Lunardi was made in September 1784. His letters to a friend, in which he comments on the manners and customs of the English, are very amusing. His balloon was of the ordinary spherical13 shape, made of the best oiled silk, about 520 yards of which were used in its construction. It was filled with hydrogen gas, and provided with car, oars14, and wings. The car consisted simply of a wooden platform surrounded by a breast high railing, and the oars and wings were intended, the one to check, by a vertical15 motion, the rapidity of descent, and the other to act as sails when becalmed in the upper regions of cloudland. He requested permission to make Chelsea Hospital the scene of his first aerial exploit, and the Governor, Sir George Howard, with the full approval of His Majesty16 King George the Third, gave his consent. He accordingly made all necessary arrangements for an ascent, and his fondest expectations seemed about to be realised. He was, however, doomed17 to disappointment, owing to the failure of a rival balloon. Writing to a friend at this time he says, “The events of this extraordinary island are as variable as its climate. It was but lately everything relating to my undertaking18 wore a favourable19 and pleasing appearance, but I am at this moment overwhelmed with anxiety, vexation, and despair.”
This rival balloon was constructed by a Frenchman named De Moret, who, having succeeded in attracting a concourse of fifty or sixty thousand people to see his ascent, failed in the primary part of his undertaking,—that of filling his balloon. The people, after waiting patiently for three hours, and supposing “the whole affair an imposture20, rushed in and tore it to pieces.” In consequence of this failure, and the riots with which it was followed, the Governor forbade Signor Lunardi to make his ascent from Chelsea Hospital grounds. He writes again to his friend, “The national prejudice of the English against France is supposed to have its full effect on a subject from which the literati of England expect to derive21 but little honour. An unsuccessful attempt has been made by a Frenchman, and my name being that of a foreigner, a very excusable ignorance in the people may place me among the adventurers of that nation, who are said to have sometimes distinguished22 themselves here by ingenious impositions.” In vain did he try to obtain another place to launch his aerial ship; he was laughed at and ridiculed23 as an impostor, and the colleague of De Moret. At length, after much exertion24, he obtained leave to ascend4 from the ground of the Honourable25 Artillery26 Company. By twelve o’clock on the day fixed27 for the ascension, an immense mass of people had assembled, including the Prince of Wales. The filling of the balloon caused some delay, but, in order to keep the patience of the populace within control, it was only partially28 filled. At five minutes past two the balloon ascended amid the loud acclamations of the assembled multitudes, and Signor Lunardi had proved himself no impostor. He writes to his friend, “The stillness, extent, and magnificence of the scene rendered it highly awful. My horizon seemed a perfect circle, the terminating line several hundred miles in circumference29; this I conjectured30 from the view of London, the extreme points of which formed an angle only a few degrees. It was so reduced on the great scale before me that I can find no simile31 to convey an idea of it. I could distinguish Saint Paul’s and other churches from the houses; I saw the streets as lines, all animated32 with beings whom I knew to be men and women, but which otherwise I should have had a difficulty in describing. It was an enormous bee-hive, but the industry of it was suspended. All the moving mass seemed to have no object but myself, and the transition from the suspicion, perhaps contempt, of the preceding hour, to the affectionate transport, admiration33, and glory of the present moment, was not without its effect on my mind. It seemed as if I had left below all the cares and passions that molest34 mankind. I had not the slightest sense of motion in the machine; I knew not whether it went swiftly or slowly, whether it ascended or descended35, whether it was agitated36 or tranquil37, but by the appearance or disappearance38 of objects on the earth. The height had not the effect which a much less degree of it has near the earth, that of producing giddiness. The gradual diminution39 of objects, and the masses of light and shade, are intelligible40 in oblique41 and common prospects42, but here everything wore a new appearance and had a new effect. The face of the country had a mild and permanent verdure to which Italy is a stranger. The variety of cultivation43 and the accuracy with which property is divided give the idea, ever present to the stranger in England, of good civil laws and an equitable44 administration. The rivulets45 meandering46; the immense districts beneath me spotted47 with cities, towns, villages, and houses, pouring out their inhabitants to hail my appearance. You will allow me some merit in not having been exceedingly intoxicated48 with my situation.” He descended at North Mimms about half-past three-o’clock, but wishing to obtain a second triumph, he threw out the remainder of his ballast and provisions, landed a cat which he had taken up with him, and which had suffered severely49 from the cold, and again ascended to the regions above. This time his ascent was more rapid, the thermometer quickly fell to 29 degrees, and icicles were soon formed all round his machine. He descended at twenty minutes past four near Ware8 in Hertfordshire, and the balloon being properly secured, the gas was let out and “nearly poisoned the whole neighbourhood by the disagreeable stench emitted.” The success and triumph of this first attempt in aerial navigation in English air exceeded Signor Lunardi’s utmost expectations. Everywhere he was received with marks of approbation50, and treated as a hero. “My fame,” he writes, “has not been sparingly diffused51 by the newspapers (which in England are the barometers52 of public opinion; often erroneous, as other instruments are, in their particular information, but yielding the best that can be obtained). You will imagine the importance of these vehicles of knowledge when you learn that in London alone there are printed no less than 160,000 papers weekly, which, by a stamp on each paper, and a duty on advertisements, brings into the treasury53 of the nation upwards54 of 80,000 pounds a year. They are to the English constitution what the Censors55 were to those of ancient Rome. Ministers of State are checked and kept in awe56 by them, and they freely, and often judiciously57, expose the pretensions58 of those who would harass59 Government merely to be taken into its service.”
There were many other aeronauts who distinguished themselves after this period.
In 1785, Monsieur Blanchard, with Dr J. Jeffries, an American, crossed the channel between England and France in a balloon—starting from Dover, and descending60 in safety in the Forest of Guiennes. They had, however, a narrow escape, having been compelled to throw out all their ballast, and everything they could dispense61 with, to prevent their balloon from falling into the sea.
The first ascents for scientific purposes were made about the beginning of the present century. In 1803, Mr Robertson ascended from Saint Petersburg, for the purpose of making electrical, magnetical, and physiological62 experiments. Messieurs Gay-Lussac and Biot followed his example from Paris, in 1804. Gay-Lussac was an enthusiastic and celebrated63 aeronaut. He made several interesting ascents.
Two years afterwards, Brioschi, the Astronomer-Royal at Naples, endeavoured to ascend to a higher elevation64 than had been reached by Monsieur Gay-Lussac—namely, 22,977 feet. He was accompanied by Signor Andreani, the first Italian aeronaut. The balloon burst when at a great height, but the remnants were sufficient to check the descent so much that both gentlemen escaped with their lives. Brioschi, however, received injuries which afterwards resulted in his death.
In England one of the most famous aeronauts was Mr Green, who introduced coal gas for balloons, and made many hundreds of ascents. In the year 1836 he ascended from London in a coal-gas balloon, and with two other gentlemen made an aerial voyage to Weilburg in the grand Duchy of Nassau. It lasted eighteen hours, and extended over 500 miles.
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1
ascents
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| n.上升( ascent的名词复数 )；（身份、地位等的）提高；上坡路；攀登 | |
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ascent
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| n.(声望或地位)提高；上升，升高；登高 | |
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ascended
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| v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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ascend
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| vi.渐渐上升，升高；vt.攀登，登上 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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crate
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| vt.(up)把…装入箱中；n.板条箱，装货箱 | |
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earthenware
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| n.土器，陶器 | |
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ware
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| n.(常用复数)商品，货物 | |
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comely
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| adj.漂亮的，合宜的 | |
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erratic
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| adj.古怪的，反复无常的，不稳定的 | |
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encyclopaedia
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| n.百科全书 | |
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embroiled
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| adj.卷入的；纠缠不清的 | |
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spherical
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| adj.球形的；球面的 | |
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oars
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| n.桨，橹( oar的名词复数 )；划手v.划（行）( oar的第三人称单数 ) | |
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vertical
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| adj.垂直的，顶点的，纵向的；n.垂直物，垂直的位置 | |
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majesty
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| n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权 | |
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doomed
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| 命定的 | |
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undertaking
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| n.保证，许诺，事业 | |
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favourable
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| adj.赞成的，称赞的，有利的，良好的，顺利的 | |
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imposture
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| n.冒名顶替，欺骗 | |
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derive
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| v.取得；导出；引申；来自；源自；出自 | |
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distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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ridiculed
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| v.嘲笑，嘲弄，奚落( ridicule的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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exertion
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| n.尽力，努力 | |
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honourable
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| adj.可敬的；荣誉的，光荣的 | |
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artillery
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| n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队) | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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partially
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| adv.部分地，从某些方面讲 | |
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circumference
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| n.圆周，周长，圆周线 | |
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conjectured
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| 推测，猜测，猜想( conjecture的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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simile
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| n.直喻，明喻 | |
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animated
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| adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的 | |
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admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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molest
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| vt.骚扰，干扰，调戏 | |
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descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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agitated
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| adj.被鼓动的，不安的 | |
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tranquil
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| adj. 安静的, 宁静的, 稳定的, 不变的 | |
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disappearance
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| n.消失，消散，失踪 | |
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diminution
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| n.减少；变小 | |
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intelligible
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| adj.可理解的，明白易懂的，清楚的 | |
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oblique
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| adj.斜的，倾斜的，无诚意的，不坦率的 | |
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42
prospects
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| n.希望，前途(恒为复数) | |
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43
cultivation
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| n.耕作，培养，栽培（法），养成 | |
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44
equitable
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| adj.公平的；公正的 | |
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45
rivulets
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| n.小河，小溪( rivulet的名词复数 ) | |
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46
meandering
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| 蜿蜒的河流，漫步，聊天 | |
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spotted
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| adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的 | |
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48
intoxicated
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| 喝醉的，极其兴奋的 | |
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49
severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
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50
approbation
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| n.称赞；认可 | |
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51
diffused
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| 散布的，普及的，扩散的 | |
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52
barometers
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| 气压计，晴雨表( barometer的名词复数 ) | |
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53
treasury
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| n.宝库；国库，金库；文库 | |
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upwards
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| adv.向上，在更高处...以上 | |
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censors
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| 删剪（书籍、电影等中被认为犯忌、违反道德或政治上危险的内容）( censor的第三人称单数 ) | |
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56
awe
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| n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧 | |
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judiciously
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| adv.明断地，明智而审慎地 | |
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pretensions
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| 自称( pretension的名词复数 )； 自命不凡； 要求； 权力 | |
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harass
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| vt.使烦恼，折磨，骚扰 | |
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60
descending
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| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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61
dispense
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| vt.分配，分发；配(药)，发(药)；实施 | |
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physiological
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| adj.生理学的，生理学上的 | |
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celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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elevation
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| n.高度；海拔；高地；上升；提高 | |
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