Impressions of America | Page 4

no idea a balloon could be brought up, all standing, by so small a cable.
I observed Mr. Durant devoted no small attention to the disposition of a little fellow-passenger he purposed giving a lift to,--a rabbit, muzzled and netted within a small basket, which, being appended to a parachute, was destined to come from aloft with the latest lunar intelligence. Chance, however, robbed the rabbit of the honour of performing this desperate service; for as the balloon was about to mount, the pipe bound within the neck of the valve was by some unlucky pull withdrawn, and, before this could be re-inserted, so much gas had escaped it became necessary to make a proportionate diminution in the freight. The rabbit was at once detached from the car, evidently chagrined at the disappointment, judging by the resistance it made; and several bags of ballast, together with such stores as might be best spared, were also discharged.
During all this time, and the bustle consequent upon the accident, Mr. Durant preserved the most admirable coolness; and, having stopped the leak, next set about repairing his fractured netting with infinite quickness and dexterity.
On a second attempt he rose in good style, loudly cheered by the spectators within the Amphitheatre; but no sooner had he cleared its wall than the shout of the people arose. Making a stoop almost to their heads, he discharged the greater part of the remaining ballast, and mounting again, was borne away to the eastward with great rapidity. The crowd dispersed immediately, but the whole afternoon was filled by the accounts constantly arriving of his route, and the probable result. Report was at an early hour brought that the machine had been seen to alight in the ocean, about sixteen miles north-east of Nahant, where it sank in sight of several schooners, taking its pilot down with it. Soon after it was affirmed that a Portland steamer had rescued the man, and that the balloon alone was drowned.
In this state of uncertainty the public continued until about nine o'clock next morning, at which hour Mr. Durant walked into the hall of the Tremont, where numbers of persons were arguing his probable fate. After the greeting of his friends was over, he gave a very particular and interesting account of the peril he had been rescued from. It appeared that the a?rial part of his voyage had terminated, as was reported, in the Atlantic, some miles off Nahant. Sustained by an inflated girdle, he hung on to the balloon, and was dragged after it at no small rate for some time, until a schooner falling in with this strange sail, gave chase, and overhauled the queer craft.
As soon as the schooner got alongside, a line was flung to the a?ronaut, which he, solicitous to save his machine as well as himself, made fast to the car, and bade them hoist away: the first hearty pull lifted the balloon from the waves, when, the wind catching it, up it mounted. The line to which it was fastened chanced to be the topsail halliards; and whisk! before a belay could be passed, up flew poor Mr. Durant high over the vessel's mast; after hanging on for a moment, his strength failed, and down he plumped from an elevation of some hundred and fifty feet back into the sea. How deep he dived, or for what length of time he remained below amongst the codling, he did not say, not having calculated "the sum of his sensation to a second:" but he readily "guessed" he would no-how admire such another tumble. His resolution, however, was nothing abated; for he immediately began to repair his balloon, and make ready for a new "sail i' the air."
The day following the return of the adventurous balloonist, I left Boston, accompanied by my friend Captain B----n, taking the land route for Newport, Rhode Island. Our vehicle was a Jersey waggon, with a couple of capital ponies; we started early, breakfasted at a good road-side inn, and reached the town of Taunton about mid-day, where we halted to let the heat of the sun pass over, and dine.
We took a stroll about the little town, which is famous for its cotton manufactures; and were pleased to observe every symptom of prosperity that might be outwardly exhibited,--a well-dressed population, houses remarkably clean and neat, with much bustle in the streets. The military mania, which pervades the whole country, we also saw here exhibited in a way really quite amusing, and by a class to whom it would be well were it confined, since the display was more becoming in them than in any less precocious corps of volunteers I remember to have seen.
Whilst standing in the shade of our hotel, the rattle of drums gave note of some display of