Impressions of America | Page 4

covered by the netting commonly used;
and about this a number of volunteer assistants clung, restraining the
balloon whilst the aëronaut made all his little arrangements.
The car was a small wicker basket; its cargo consisted of a few bags of
sand for ballast, a barometer, and a couple of small kedges with lines to
match. I had 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withdrawn, and, before this could be re-inserted, so much gas had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 aërial 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 aëronaut,
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