The Sun.
London, England, 1863-10-24 00:00:00

The Late Balloon Journey.

M. Eugene Arnoult, one of the passengers in M.
i`dadar'e balloon, writes as follows to the Paris Na-

tion :

" Hanover, Tuesday, Oct. 20.
"My dear Editor,—You saw us leave the Champ
de Mars on Sunday. You were a witness of the
majestic ascent of the Geant rising into the air
amid the applause of the crowd. They cried to us
from below, 'Bon voyage P Alas
"At nine o'clock at night we were at Erquelines ;
we passed over Malines, and towards midnight we
were in Holland. We rose up very high, but it was
❑ecessary to come down to see where we were.
Ignorant of that, our position was a critical one.
Below, as far as we could see, were marshes, and in
the distance we could hear the roar of the sea. We
threw out ballast, and, mounting again, soon lost
sight of the earth. What a night ! Nobody slept,
as you may suppose, for the idea of falling into the
sea had nothing pleasant about it, and it was neces-
sary to keep a look out in order to effect, if necessary,
a descent. My compass showed that we were going
towards the east—that is to say, towards Germany.
In the morning, after a frugal breakfast made in
the clouds, we re-descended. An immense plain was
beneath us ; the villages appeared to us like chil-
dren's toys—rivers seemed like little rivulets —it
was magical. The sun shoce splendidly over all.
Towards 8 o'clock we arrived near a great lake;
there I found out our bearings, and announced that
we were at the end of Holland, near the sea. We were
compelled to think of landing in order to take in a
little ballast. Unhappily the heavens had made us
forget the earth, over which blew a wind so violent
that in a few minutes our anchors, enormous ful-
crums of iron, were broken. The valve was shut,
and the balloon, which could carry us no longer,
began a giddy career. We rose from 20 to 30
metres, and fell with incredible force. Little by
little the balloon ceased to rise, and the car fell upon
its side. Then began a furious, disordered race; all
disappeared before us—trees, thickets, walls, all
broken or burst through by the shock ; it was fright-
ful. Sometimes it was a lake, in which we plunged ;
a bog, the thick mud of which entered our mouths
and our eyes. It was maddening. Stop, stop !
we shouted, enraged with the monster who was
dragging us along. A railway was before us—a
train passing ; it stopped at our cries, but we carried
away the telegraphic posts and wires. An instant
afterwards we perceived in the distance a red house
—I see it now—the wind bore us straight for this
house. It was death for all, for weshould be dashed to
pieces. N) one spoke. Strange to say, of those nine
persons, one of whom was a lady, who were clinging
to a slender screen of osier, for whom every second
seemed counted, not one had any fear. All tongues
were mute, all faces were calm. Nadar held his
wife, covering her with his body. Poor woman !
Every shock seemed to break tier:to pieces.
"Jules Godard then tried and accomplished an
act of sublime heroism. He clambered up into the
netting, the shocks of which were so terrible that
three times he fell on my head. At length he
reached the cord of the valve, opened it, and the
gas having a way of escape the monster ceased
to rise, but it still shot along in a horizontal
line with prodigious rapidity. There were we
squatting down upon the frail osier car.
Take care!' we cried, when a tree was in
the way. We turned from it, and the tree was
broken, but the balloon was discharging its gas, and
if the immense plain we were crossing had yet a
few leagues, we were saved. But suddenly a

'orest appeared in the horizon ; we must leap out a

, ..
whatever risk, for the car would be dashed to pieces
at the first collision with those trees. I know not.
how, for I suffered from a wound in my knees, my

trousers were torn. I jumped, and made I know
❑ot how many revolutions, and fell upon my head.
After a minute's dizziness I rose. The car was

then far off. By the aid of a stick I dragged my-
self to the forest, and having gone a few steps I
heard some groans. S tint Felix was stretched
on the soil frightfully disfigured ; his body was
one wound ; he had an arm broken, the chest

torn, and an ancle dislocated. The car had disap-
peared. After crossing a river I heard a cry. Nadar
was stretched on the ground with a dislocated
thigh; his wife had fallen into the river. Another
companion was shattered. We occupied ourselves
with St. Felix and Nadar and his wife. In trying
to assist the latter I was nearly drowned, for I fell
into the water and sank. They picked me up again,
and I found the bath had done me good. By the
assistance of the inhabitants the salvage was got
together. Vehicles were brought; they placed us
upon straw. My knees bled; my loins and head
seemed to be like mincemeat ; but I did not lose my
presence of mind an instant, and for a second I felt

humiliated at looking from the truss of straw at
those clouds which in the night I had had under my
feet. It was in this way we reached Ruthem, in
Hanover.

"In 17 hours we had made nearly 250 leagues.
Our course internale had covered a space of three

leagues. Now that it is over I have some shudder-

ings. It does not signify; we have made a good
journey, and I marvel to see with what indifference
we way regard the most frightful death, for besides
• ' • "

the prospect of being dashed about on our way, we
had that of gaining the sea; and how long should
we have lived then ? lam glad to have seen this

—happier yet at having to narrate it to you. These
Germans who surround us are brave people, and we
have been as well cared for as the resources of the

little spot will allow.

~ P.S. I have just reached Hanover with my com-
panions, and re-open my letter to tell you se. The
__. .

King has sent an aide•de.eamp to us. Are we at the

end of our reverses ? At any rate, lam consoled
to think they can no longer laugh at us in Paris.
We have kept our promises, and more."

Vacancies, Promotions, and Appointments

in the Civil Service.

(From the Civil Service Gazette.)

FOREIGN-OPFICE.—The consulship at llankow, China,
has become vacant by the death of Mr William Raymond
Gingell ; salary, £1,300.

COLONIAL-OFFICE.—Mr Humphrey Evatt has been ap
pointed colonial surveyor for the colony of Sierra Leone.

sset J. e
vx.
rooers
ata:cjtJordan,Lo-cradlofficers,
onordensoceed,rt,s collection,
:kdelcin:e
oMrenansir:
T.
MrCi
Joseph
sTi
egoph's
hrt
have
EvMel rableeSe appointednAdnludrrewc sur out-door Ai
tis
been
eea
ervnaeo
INLANDaubpe,
appointed
ctr,
eeordt too Uxbridget!
idiitro k bwal REVENUE—Exciselexamining
d2ed,
(preventive)
pa rni
ede
vdoheffil
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district. Mr Alexander Innes, officer Kirkwall 2d (pre
ventive) ride, Orkney district, has be •
been appointed to Ux-
bridge ride, Middlesex collection.
THE EAST IND t C
lEs. len olonel W. Maxwell, R.A.,
has been appointed to officiate as secretary, Public Works
Department, and chief engineer to the Government of
Bengal. Mr F. R. Hogg has been confirmed in the ap-
pointment of Postmaster-General of the Pusjaub and
Sindh. Major Stewart, R.E., has been appointed to act
as deputy secretary to the Government of Madras in the
Department of Public Works. Captain Ryves, R.E., has
been appointed to act as deputy-secretary to Government
in the Public Works Department, during the absence of
Major S. Stewart. Mr G. A. Harris has been appointed to
be civil and sessions judge of the zillah of Ootaoamund.
Mr T. Onslow has been appointed to be civil and sessions
judge of the zillah of Chittoor, in succession to Mr Harris.
Mr H. G. Smith has been appointed to be civil and sessions
judge of the zillah of Nundial, in succession to Mr Onslow.
Mr H. S. Thomas has been appointed to b© sub-collector
and joint magistrate of Salem, in succession to Mr Smith.
Mr G. V. Agnew has been appointed to be sub-collector'
and joint magistrate of Madura, in succession to Mr
Thomas. Mr J. H. Blair has been appointed to be sub-
collector and joint magistrate of Tinnevelly, in succession
to Mr Vans Agnew. Mr R. H. Clifford, third-class de-
puty commissioner, ' Oude, has been promoted to be second-
class deputy commissioner. Mr It. M. King, first .eiass
assistant commissioner, Oude, has been promoted to be
deputy commissioner of thd third class, Mr G. Ii M.
Ricketts, •
C B collector sad magistrate at Jounpore, has
been appointed to officiate as collector and magistrate of
Allahabad. Mr C. Grant, sen., joint magistrate and de-
puty collector of Futtehpore, has been appointed to officiate
as collector and magistrate of Jounpore. Mr A. J. Law-
rence, assistant magistrate and collector at Saharunpore,
has been appointed to officiate as joint
magistrate and
deputy collector of the second grade.

PRICE OF NEGROES.—A Richmond paper states
that slaves are bringing extremely high prices in that city,
At an auction one negro man sold for .3,350 dais., and a
girl for 3,250 dols. At a private sale a girl brought 4,600
dols., and a cook woman 3,800 dols. These are said to be
the highest prices ever obtained in this market,