Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1874-01-21

which Issued river runBlng IN ulrec-
iion little south of west. AS | sailed
onward, still always southerIy, passed
a cuUstunt succession of other lakes all of
which, however, appeared to communicate
with Lake Trochu The solution of the
secret of Africa lay before me. The
Nile. which saw flowing northward from
the Albert Lake ana the Copgo-for it
could hardly have beeu any other river,
the Renrwc having been passed and rec.
ognized by me some hours before.-which
| saw flowing westward from Lake Trochu,
drain one and the same system oflakes, for
l am justified in assuming the few lesser
lakes wlose outlets could no, perceive
belong to the same system as the larger
Lodies of water.
The country south of the equator
for knowing that the equator ran through
the Albert Lake | could tel. when had
certainly passed it covered by a
luxurant forest. Here and there we're
small cleared Tlaces in which we're straw
villages. The inhabitants were SO abund.
ant in those cleared places that am jus.
tiled in drawing the conclusion that a
population Of millions were concealed
from my view BY the spreading tree'tops.
"As night came on had reached n
point which had estimated to be- in tn"
ncighborhood of the tenth parallel Of
south latitude. So excited had | been
by the events Of the day that | had lost
all fear as to the. result of my voyage,
and had become inexcusably careless in
the lavish use of ballast A careful ex-
animation showed me that | had but 400
pounds of sand.bags left. and the balloon
had ! ST half its gas. 1t was evident
;nat | could not attempt to remain sta
tienary during the night, but that must
continue my journey soutbward without
any unnecessary delay. Of course | had
long since abandoned the hope OF reach
ing a colony on the west coast, and my
only chance now lay in keeping the bal
loon q6oat until it could reach the English
settlement at the Cape.
1T was with great reluctance that L
abandoned the opportunity Of seeing Lake
Nyas,a, or of watching the panorama OF
Zambezi region. However, Frenchman
does moi mourn over the inevitable. |
hastenad to throw ont one of my fifty
pound sand.bags. Of which hut seven or
eight were now left. and now rose again
until The full force of the current which
had done me so much service was reach.
ed At this height the suns rays still
warmed the balloon, aud kept me from
sinking. On swept until darkness clos
cd arouud me me. aud nothing but the
stars were visible. Dung that night |
tancied | heard the grand music Of the
African niagara discovered by the brave
Livingstone but it may have been no'h-
ing more than the nuise ct the wind IN
the forrest below. Fearful that the bal
loon would sink unknown TO me and wreck
inc among the iree-'ors. | discharged tif-
" pounds of ballast every two hours until
three O'Clock in the morning. Suddenly
something dark shot out Of the impenc-
,rahc gloom that clutched my basket,
with hold that instantly checked The
halon. 1t was tree.top; but he
could decide what to do. the machine tore
itself loose. With the loss Of all the re,
mining ballast and everything portable
in the car except the dispatches, which
we're too firmly lashed to BE- lost BY the
fitting Of the car.
The balloon must have shot up ia an
Immense height after this sudden tighten.
ing. for it grew iftcnsey cold, and the
gas flowed downward, out Of the mouth ef
the sack. watched With intense anxiety
for daylight, and, when it came. found
nysef over the most dcsolate and arid
region which had ever seen, with the
solitary exception of Sahara.
IL was now over South Africa. and
would have had strong hopes of reaching
Cape Colony had no, the loss Of ascenslve
power on the part of the balloon become
very alarming found myself at day
break ouly three hundred feet above the
earth, and the balloon was sinking steadily
There was nothing IN the car which |
could throw out except the dispatches.
These had been committed 10 my honor,
and ii would be my duty to throw myself
out sooner than the dispatches. The dan
ger rendered me obvious Of the fact that
had Dothing to eat or drink and my
whole energies were occupied with the
problem how to keep the balloon afoai.
! Gradually it sank so low that | could cas-
lily have leaped out, aud it was plain that
unless my voyage was to come to an immc-
date end an heroic course of treatment
must be adopted. hesitated no longer,
bat, lashing the dispatches to the netwoI k
of the balloon, climbed up to the concen-
trated-ring and cut away the car. | rose
at once to. presume, 1000 though
the barometer being lost with the car.
could only guess the height The heat Of
rhe sun also helped me. and. had the wind
held | might have reached Cape Town in
safety.
But the wind died away or l could
not ascend to meet it. | again began tc
sink and at four O'Clock in the Afternoon
quietly slipped from the balloon, and
f committed it aud tho dispatches to the
guardianship of the blessed saints.
81 landed near camp OF Bechuauas
who made prisoner of me few moments
after my landing They were not uAkint
to me in their way. but refused to guide
me TO any se' i pent, asserting that ther,
was none within years march. | re
/. signed myself to my fate. trusting tina
, fortune would yet turn in NY favor. Ii
company with my captors | wondered 70