The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1859-10-20

we had entered this last lake. We
had gone about mile when we heard
the sound OF gun quickly followed
by second report. No sound was
over so sweet to me as that. We hall
loed as loud as we could a good many
times, but could get no response. We
kept our poles going, and had gone
about half mile when called La
Mountains attention to what I thought
was smoke curling up among the
trees on the side of hill. My own eye
sight had begun to fail me to an extent
that could not depend upon it, when
long, steady gaze was necessary. He
said it as smoke, and that be thought
just below it, on the bank, was bark
canoe. In a few moments the. blue
smoke rose gently, yet unmistakable
above the tree tops. and we felt that
we were seved. Such a revulsion of
feeling was almost too much for us.
We could hardly believe our senses,
and credit anything favorable to our
condition with the utmost caution.
Our bitter disappointment had taught
us this lesson.
We padded the RATS with the ends
of our poles directly across the lake,
near, perhaps, three-fourths of mile
wide, and made for the canoe. 1t
proved to be large one, evidently an
Indians. Up the bank I pressed lcav-
ing La Mountain at the canoe, to cut
off retreat by the Indian in case he
was timid and wished to avoid US. ]
came at once upon the shanties of q
numbering wood, and from the Chin
ney of the farthest building broad
volume of smoke was rising. l hal
loed-a noise was heard inside, and a
noble looking Indian came to the door.
4" Yo,ts parley Francias ?" was my ca
ger inquiry as l grasped his outstretch-
ed hand. eyes, strand English,
too"
He drew me into the cabin, and
there was the head of the party, a
neble-hearted Scotchman, named An
gus Cameron. l Immediately told my
story-tbat we came in with balloon,
were lost, and had been four days with
out food-asking where we were. I'm
agine my surprise when he said we
were one hundred and fifty miles a,ss
north of Otta,oa-in the dense unin-
habited forest, whose only limit wat
the Artic circle. In word, we were
nearly 500 miles in due north course
from Watertown, in latitude AZ.
Dinner was all ready. The party
consisted of four persons-Mr. Game
ron and his assistants, who was also
named Cameron, La Nab, acDougal|
"a halfbreed-and his son Beaucril.
I dispatched the young Indian for La
Mountain, who came in after momeut
the absolute picture of wretchedneys.
All that the cabin contained was ten.
dered to us, and ace began to eat. Ian
guage is inadequate to express oul
sensation while doing so. The clouds
had all lifted from our somber features,
and the "silver lining" shone all the
brighter for the deep darkness which
we had passed. f
After many troubles and delays, Mr.
Hoddock finally reached Watertown
having been absent about ten days
His account of the voyage conclude;
with the following remarks: a
Several general conclusions and re-
marks shall terminate this narrative
already too long. "Why did you per
NIT yourselves to go SO far ?" will nat
urally be asked. To which we car
only reply, that the wind was exceed
ingly light when we ascended; tha
we were very soon among the clouds
and consequently unable to take cog
nizance of our course, or to Judge how
fast we were. travelling.
Perhaps it is well here to remarl
that when you are sailing in a balloon
you are utterly unconcious of motion
unless you can see the earth. Nor car
you tell by compass in which direc
ttion you are travelling, unless sufficien
of an astronomer to Judge from tn
shifting angles formed by certain stars
In word, if you cannot see the earth
you cannot tell how fast, nor in whicl
direction you move. This will, per
haps, explain to you how We uncon
ciously drifted off to attitudes so re
mote. When we rose above the thicl
masses of clouds, before sundown, w
un doubtedly struck rapid curren
which carried us northeast. 1t is m,
opinion that, after we had travelled il
this current about one hour, we strucl
another current, from variation Q
our altitude, which bore us off to tn
northwest. When we descended nea
the earth the first time we ought t
have come down. But we were un
willing to land at night in deep wood
even though we knew we were no
/ far from habitations, and we though
it best to pick out better place. Thi
was our error, and it came very nca
being q fatal one to us-it certainl
was 80 to the Atlantic. In trying t
find our "better place" to land, W
were unconsciously up longer than W
supposed, and we were travelling In
current which swept us off to tn
northward at the rate of 100 miles a
hour, we soon reached country nc
! pleasant and profitable to land ba
loon in.
~ At last accounts there wer
not less than one hundred and fift
boats engaged in dredging on. the new
t ly discovered oyster bed in Long Ii