PresentlyIheardanoiseintheupperpartoftheballoon，whichgaveashockasthoughithadburst。Icalledtomycompanion，’Areyoudancing？’Theballoonbynowhadmanyholesburnedinit，andusingmyspongeIcriedthatwemustdescend。
Mycompanion，however，explainedthatwewereoverParis，andmustnowcrossit。Therefore，raisingthefireoncemore，weturnedsouthtillwepassedtheLuxemburg，when，extinguishingtheflame，theballooncamedownspentandempty。\"
Daringaswasthisascent，itwasinachievementeclipsedtwomonthslateratLyons，whenamammothballoon，130feetinheightandlifting18tons，wasinflatedinseventeenminutes，andascendedwithnolessthansevenpassengers。Whenmorethanhalfamilealoftthismachine，whichwasmadeoftooslendermaterialforitshugesize，suddenlydevelopedarentofhalfitslength，causingittodescendwithimmensevelocity;butwithoutthesmallestinjurytoanyofthepassengers。Thiswasamemorableperformance，andtheaccount，sensationalasitmayread，isbynomeansunworthyofcredit;for，aswillbeseenhereafter，aballoonevenwhenburstorbadlytorninmidairmay，ontheprincipleoftheparachute，effectitsownsalvation。
Inthemeanwhile，therivalballoonofhydrogengas——theCharliere，asithasbeencalled——hadhaditsfirstinnings。
BeforethecloseoftheyearMM。RobertsandCharlesconstructedandinflatedahydrogenballoon，thistimefittedwithapracticablevalve，andinpartnershipaccomplishedanascentbeatingallpreviousrecords。Theday，December17，wasoneofwintertemperature;yettheaeronautsquicklyreached6，000feet，andwhen，afterremainingaloftforoneandahalfhours，theydescended，Robertsgotout，leavingCharlesinsolepossession。Lefttohimself，thisyoungrecruitseemstohavemetwithexperienceswhicharecertainlyunusual，andwhichmustbeattributedlargelytothenoveltyofhissituation。Hedeclaredthatat9，000feet，orlessthantwomiles，allobjectsontheearthhaddisappearedfromview，astatementwhichcanonlybetakentomeanthathehadenteredcloud。