The sky is literally on fire, and the
crashes of thunder are continuous.
The wind burst forth with frightful violence in this
burning atmosphere; it twisted the blazing clouds; one
might have compared it to the breath of some gigantic
bellows, fanning all this conflagration.
Dr. Ferguson kept his cylinder at full heat, and the
balloon dilated and went up, while Kennedy, on his knees,
held together the curtains of the awning. The balloon
whirled round wildly enough to make their heads turn,
and the aeronauts got some very alarming jolts, indeed, as
their machine swung and swayed in all directions. Huge
cavities would form in the silk of the balloon as the wind
fiercely bent it in, and the stuff fairly cracked like a pistol
as it flew back from the pressure. A sort of hail, preceded
by a rumbling noise, hissed through the air and
rattled on the covering of the Victoria. The latter, however,
continued to ascend, while the lightning described
tangents to the convexity of her circumference; but she
bore on, right through the midst of the fire.
"God protect us!" said Dr. Ferguson, solemnly, "we
are in His hands; He alone can save us--but let us be
ready for every event, even for fire--our fall could not be
very rapid.
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