Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1855-06-08

tude OF 10000 feet-an announce
ment we never could have believed
but by the illiputian appearance Of the
race-course. An expansion Of gas
and escape of quantity down
through the neck Of the balloon caus-
ed US to descend. Nearing the lake,
we came down to two thousand feet.
Finding every thing favorable for a
splendid trip, GODDARD announced his
intention of crossing the lake, and
offered TO land any of us who might
not wish TO go farther. The party
was of course unanimously in favor
of the biggest kind Of a ride so
out went some ballast and away we
sailed. Crossing the lake we hailed
fishermen in pigmY smacks played
with echo till he made US hoarse adj
mred the balloon over our heads,
the setting sun, and the rising moon;
held our breath TO listen to the roar
of the million while-crested waves
beneath us, understanding and SOL
emn, like a tong OF eternity ; and
eat our suppei Of roast turkey, bread,
cake, pate, ard wine at an elevation
Of ten thousand feet, with coquel-
,ish little cloud lowering around us,
as if they wished to approach and
partake Of our good things. We
that is 10 say ourself--iasted of the
wine very sparhgly and only in ce-
remony, being determined TO indulge
only in the intellectual nectar OF the
ride-a drauglt more exquisite, moro
eShilaratlug tIan any that ever came
from a terrestrial vintage.
We lief, eLake Pontchartrain to
the west of Pass Manchac, and,
crossing the latter, passed to the east
OF Lake Mauepas, in a Northwestern
ly direction. We crossed an i'm
mcnse Wilderness, ntersected by
bayous clearing in the moonlight
and musical with the song Of the
whippoorwills. owls, katydids, and
frogs, which We were able TO hear
plainly at an Indefinite height. A
gain we played with echo, who was
not SO slarp-iongued as on the lake,
but more mellow and musical des-
cended low enough 10 distinguish cy-
press swamps and pine highlands !;
and dropped bottles at ten thousand
feet for the establishment of the
sound of their reaching the earth and
The length OF time eIapsing before
the sound would reach US.
AT length we neared symptoms OF
civilization A man in the forest
beneath hailed US with a bugle and
played us tune, which seemed
strain belonging to heaven rather
than earth. We passed over fires in
the woods; at length farms came in
s'sh' I"ll cray patches on the sombre
green OF the rolling panorama: oo.iu
hear the shouts and excitement Of
the people, and the dogs barking as
though they would bark their heads
off, At some distance to the left a
cluste' of twinkIing lights indicated
towa. Descending, we could dis
Germ handsome mansions embosomed
IN groves on the margins Of the
farms, with the gardens, hedges,
roads, and fences. In due time a
large cluster Of lights to the right in
dictated anolher town, and one OF
considerable size. We had chart
and compass, and knew our course,
but, having no idea of our rate of
progression, were unable 10 hazard
guess as to our whereabouts. We
descended repeatedly within hailing
disiapce, but our shouts were answer
ed by words which we could not un-
dersiand, mingled with the baying
of the dogs. Between nine and ten
O'Clock we descended for imforna-
lion, and were told by a man that we
were in Jefferson county, MISSISSIPPI
pi. This was a great astonishment,
none OF us believing that we were
yet past the State line. The first
town we passed TO the left must have
been Clinton, Louisiana, and the 9th
err, TO the right, Liberty, Mississippi.
Our course had vcered round to the
north, and GODDARD made calculations
to land at or near Vicksburg. We
were now passing over a magnificent
cotton country; al one turn Of the
head we were able to count from
twenty TO fifty plantations.
Descending several times low
enough TO exercise our lungs, and
finding that the country people had
gone 10 bed, Capt. GODDARD prepared
TO treat us TO a series of aerial ia
Ll~-~.-, f~ss, "a suipIIsvs anu ue-
ser, of grandeur. AT twelve thous-
and feet we were amid the lower
clouds, sometimes in the moonlight
and sometimes in the shade f; for, as
the currents Of air varied in speed
at different attitudes, the clouds were
continually oyerlaking us or chang
ing their shapes and positions about
us. After brief stay up there the
gas expands and streams down
through the neck, sending US towards
terra frma with slight nausea
GODDARD, on his knees before the bar
ometer, with bag OF sand resting
on the edge OF the car, lis mouth
grasped in his hand, takes us up at
will to any desired height. Up we
go again 10 fourteen thousand feet
right into the middle OF large
cloud a dense fog surrounding US,
moistening our garments, and shut
ting out ali view OF the earth, but
\ A.