Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-10-09

tOOhcu uOWu Ou many CId1t uuAAhb buo
day, and were consoled by the thought
that in case Of accident we were pret-
ty sure to be picked up. When night
came We added 500 feet to our alti-
tude, as an offset to the dew, and as
the weather was fine We both lay down
to sleep. awoke twice during the
night, but to find all quiet, and when
| tuned out just at sunrise it was to
find the Arabian coast almost under
our feet. Had the wind held steadily
during the night We should have
reached the coast at or near Mirbat,
but it had changed two or three
points and drifted us higher up As
soon as the sun had dried the dew we
descended until not more than l,00e
feet above the land, and then We made
out a very bleak and sterile. country
under our feet. We sere on the
northeastern edge of the Arabian des-
ert, and it was a good hour before we
saw any signs of civilization. Mean
while, both of us knowing what sort
of people we had to deal with, we had
loaded all the fireams and made pile
of such baggage as could be thrown
away in case we wanted higher alti-
tude. ~suE Hrtt s.s7sf
If our air ship had lost any great
amount of gas up to this time we could
not perceive It, Here and there was
wrinkle in the silk to prove that the
safety valve had been opened to give
us drop, but it did not seem as if an
ounce had escaped by any other
means. We had no sooner left the
water than the breeze began to sub
side, and our pace was reduced to five
or six miles an hour. We knew that
q counter current would soon be met
with, and both were looking over the
edge of the basket at the moving
panorama below, when we suddenly
espied native village. 1t was, rath-
er, the camp of some wandering tribe.
all the shelters being of canvass or
or skin. Wesaw camels, asses, goats
and horses, with many people moving
about, and we had only got sight of
them when they saw us. Some fell
down and others ran away, and we
were laughing at their fright when we
heard the sing of a bullet and the re-
port of gun. 5aiI .'.t.' s'''-
'0ver with the ballastr shouted
Mazam, and next instant we were so
far above them that their horses ap-
peared to be mere specks on the
earth. .a-. #o5f ri3a &,
we have lost the breeze and are
standing still, said my companion, as
/ went over to him. i don't know
what those fellows take us for, but
they seem bound to bring us down
There were four or five of the Arabs
shooting at us at this time, and now
and then we could catch the noise of
thar bullets. If we went higher
there was fear of meeting with a
current of air that might set us off
over the sea again; and as the Arabs
continued to blaze away, we then
hanging right above the camp, Mazam
opened the safety valve with the re-
mark: .t Fa-h
Lets show them that two can play
at this game. We don't want to kill,
but let's give 'em a good scare
AS we dropped down we began fir
ing over the edge of the basket down
among the focks, and In two minutes
there was rumpus which set us both
The entire village made a
rush and abandoned everything. Some
Of the men leaped upon their horses
and galloped away, while others fed
on foot, and women and children fled
for grove near by and reached it to
throw themselves PROSTATE on the
earth. For an hour longer we hung
above the place as if anchored there,
and then gentle current carried us
70 the nortward into the province of
Muscat. About mid. d.afternoon, while
sailing along thousand feet above
The earth at a slow rate, we came to
10 open county which seemed to be
destitute of human life, and Mazam
that we should descend and
.eplenish our stock of water and see
what was to be seen. After the anchor
had trailed along the ground for a
yards it caugh in the limbs
# 9 PROSTATE tree, and we soon hurl.
ID our craft down and secured her. |
We were within ten rods of small |
water course, and while I was filling |
,ur keg Mazam shot a couple Of fat |
birds, and we built a fire and cooked !
md ate them on the spot. We then
gave the balloon a careful inspection,
md were considerably cast down at
he result of our investigations. 1t
was full Of folds and wrinkles, and |
after we had thrown out the regular
ballast left, which was not above ten
pounds, articles Of value or necessity
would have to follow to keep the
balloon above the earth. There was
lot breath of air stirring below, and
" watching the clouds we saw that
he set of the upper current was to-
yard the sea. 1t was therefore deem
ID best to wait q more favorable hour,
'ut the afternoon wore away and no