The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1893-12-21
FIVE WEEKS IN A BALLOON.

not guarantesthe authenticity OF the
following remarkable adventures |
merely repeat them here. cOntiding in
the good faith Of one NJ Jules Berne.
The F'renchmen, who, it is notorious.
are much better up in aeronautics
than ourselves, modestly leave the
merit Of the five weeks balloon trip
+ across Africa to the English.
On January ID, 1862, then, so II.
Berne tells, but we have not been able
to verify the fact, the following an
nouncement appeared in the Daily
Telegraph:
That enterprising traveller, DR.
Samuel Ferguson, has formed the
resolution Of undertaking a journey
Of discovery across Africa. from east
to west, but in balloon. The start
ing point Of the expedition viii be the
island Of Zanzibar, on the east coast.
The plan Of the journey was yesterday
officially approved by the Royal Geo
graphical Society, which has made a
grant Of $3.50 towards it."
This announcement naturally pro-
duced a great excitement. 1t was at
/ first supposed to be all humbug, but
people gradually convinced them
selJes that the undertaking was ser
iOusly meant.
Who is DR.. Ferguson?
He j. the son Of captain in the
English navy, accustomed to the perils
Of sea voyages when quite a boy At
the age Of nineteen he joined the en-
gineer corps Of the Bengal army.
resigned his commission at the end Of
three years, and travelled through
Northern India, partly for amusement,
partly to study botany. He then went
10 Australia, and in 1915 joined the
expedition Of Captain Sturt, which in
vestigated the interior Of New Holland
La 1888 he accompanied Captain Ma
clure IN his voyage of Arctic eXplOra
ton. From 1855 to 1897 he traversed
Thibet with the brothers Schiagint-
welt, and has published ethnographi-
cal notices Of great interest about this
journey.
We see then, that he had plenty of
preparatory study for the bold euter-
prise on which he had resolved; still
the public could not grow used to the
idea Of balloon trip lasting several
weeks; and 1t was not till DIR. Peter
mann, Of Gotha, declared the Journey
quite feasable III his ''GeOgraphische
AlittheilUngen," published at Gotha,
and DIR. Ferguson Just the man to
carry it out. that considerable sums
poured III from all sides to support
the undertaking.
The arrangements were made IN
London. the balloon and car got ready,
and all the requisite Instruments pur-
chased. The British government sup
Piled a transport Several adyehtur-
Gus gentlemen proposed to join the
expedition, but they were refused; and
Ferguson requested friend, an ex
cellent natu alist and most courageous
man. Scotchman, of the name Of
Dick Kennedy, to join him. THIS
friend consented; and, accompanied
by first rate man servant, who was
not terrified by the impending danger,
the two discoverers left England on
February q, and landed at Zanzibar
on April ;.
The English consul there, who had
been previously advised Of their in
tentiOn, was expecting them, and aid
ed them In every way The car of
the balloon was filled with everything
necessary materials for gas-making,
provisions. water, arms, powder, as
Economical and physical apparatus,
charts and books, and they were pre-
pairing to make their ascent at a fine
open spot, when an unexpected oh
stacle presented itself. The news had
spread like wild fire among the black
populations that some intidels had ar
rived. who intended to rise into the air
As the negroes adored the sun and
moon, the Gerial trip appeared to them
an attack on these two deities. The
hostile act against their religioun
aroused them, and they resolved to
prevent the undertaking. They con
sequentIy assembled at the starting
ground. and declared that they would
stop the ascent of the unbelieving dogs
by force Of arms The consul offered
band of armed men: the commander
Of the English vessel, his marines; but
Ferguson wished to avoid any tumult.
a single stone hurled at the balloon
may delay our whole enterprise for
months" The party, consequently
sailed across to one OF the nelghbOr
ing uniphabited islands. repacked the
car and on the morning of the 18th
bade adieu to the consul and ships
crew. The guns Of the steamer salut
ed, the ropes 10y which the balloon
was held were pulled in, and the Vie
toria, Ferguson had given this name
to the balloon, in gratitude for the
royal munihcence) rose instantly to a
height of fifteen hundred feet in the
pure. slightly agitated atmosphere.
At this elevation, which showed a fall
of the barometer one inch ten line, the
wind was blowing from the northeast;
the island OF Zanzibar lay in the deep
est silence directly under the travel
ers the fields resembling flower beds,
the forest strawberries, and the men
/ insects In two hours the "NictOria"
reached the coast of the main land.
/ Ferguson resolved to draw closer to
| land. He reduced the flame which
kept the hydrogen in the balloon in a
state Of expansion, and they sank to
about three hundred feet from the
ground They passed over a town
which Ferguson recognized by his
chart, as kaola, and the whole popu
lation was aroused. All tiocked to a
large square, yelling and bowling
/ through fear or anger Stones We're
thrown at the aerial monster. and even
several guns we're fired, but the bal
/ loon rose slightly. and hoated majestic
ally over the heads of the impotent
mob. The scenery was fine and fer
tile, and tobacco and maize were in
splendid growth. At every village the
scene of kaola was repeated The
people assembled, howled, threw stones
!. and fired. About midday the country
became well watered. They sailed
over the unhealthy swamps in which