But\"notsoincomprehensible，afterall，\"willbetheverdictofallwhocomparetheabovenarrativewiththeascentsgiveninaforegoingaccountofhowWisehadfaredmorethanoncewhenhisballoonhadburst。For，aswillbereadilyguessed，theballoonhadinthiscasealsoburst，owingtothereleaseoftheuppervalvebeingdelayedtoolong，andtheballoonhadinthenaturalwaytransformeditselfintoatrueparachute。
Moreover，thefall，which，byAlbertSmith’sownshowing，wasthatofaboutamileintwominutes，wasnotmoreexcessivethanonewhichwillpresentlyberecordedofMr。Glaisher，whoescapedwithnomaterialinjurybeyondafewbruises。
Onefacthastillnowbeenomittedwithregardtotheabovesensationalvoyage，namely，thenameofthepassengerwho，sittinginthering，wasthefirsttopointouttheimminentdangeroftheballoon。ThisindividualwasnoneotherthanMr。
HenryCoxwell，thesecond，indeed，ofthetwowhowerementionedintheopeningparagraphofthischapterasmarkingtheroadofprogresswhichitisthescopeofthesepagestotrace，andtowhomwemustnowformallyintroduceourreaders。
Thisjustlyfamousskypilot，whosepracticalacquaintancewithballooningextendsovermorethanfortyyears，wasthesonofanavalofficerresidingnearChatham，andinhisautobiographyhedescribesenthusiasticallyhow，aladofnineyearsold，hewatchedthroughaseatelescopeaballoon，pilotedbyCharlesGreen，ascendfromRochesterand，crossingtheThames，disappearindistanceovertheEssexflats。Hegoesontodescribehowtheincidentstartedhiminthoseearlydaysonboyishendeavourstoconstructfireballoonsandpaperparachutes。Someyearslaterhishome，onthedeathofhisfather，beingtransferredtoEltham，hecamewithinfrequentviewofsuchballoonsas，startingfromtheneighbourhoodofLondon，willthroughthesummerdriftwiththeprevailingwindsoverthatpartofKent。Anditwasherethat，erelong，hecameinatthedeathofanotherballoonofwhichGreenwasincharge。