Five Weeks in a Balloon by Jules Verne (ereader android .txt) 📕

[*] The etext, when displayed, is clearly readable, and does not contain characters other than those intended by the author of the work, although tilde (~), asterisk (*) and underline (_) characters may be used to convey punctuation intended by the author, and additional characters may be used to indicate hypertext links; OR

[*] The etext may be readily converted by the reader at no expense into plain ASCII, EBCDIC or equivalent form by the program that displays the etext (as is the case, for instance, with most word processors); OR

[*] You provide, or agree to also provide on request at no additional cost, fee or expense, a copy of the etext in its original plain ASCII form (or in EBCDIC or other equivalent proprietary form).

[2] Honor the etext refund and replacement provisions of this “Small Print!” statement.

[3] Pay a trademark license fee to the Foundation of 20% of the gross profits you derive calculated using the method you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. If you don’t derive profits, no royalty is due. Royalties are payable to “Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation” the 60 days following each date you prepare (or were legally required to prepare) your annual (or equivalent periodic) tax return. Please contact us beforehand to let us know your plans and to work out the details.

WHAT IF YOU WANT TO SEND MONEY EVEN IF YOU DON’T HAVE TO? Project Gutenberg is dedicated to increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be freely distributed in machine readable form.

The Project gratefully accepts contributions of money, time, public domain materials, or royalty free copyright licenses. Money should be paid to the: “Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.”

If you are interested in contributing scanning equipment or software or other items, please contact Michael Hart at: [email protected]

**END THE SMALL PRINT! FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN ETEXTS*Ver.04.08.01*END** [Portions of this header are copyright (C) 2001 by Michael S. Hart and may be reprinted only when these Etexts are free of all fees.] [Project Gutenberg is a TradeMark and may not be used in any sales of Project Gutenberg Etexts or other materials be they hardware or software or any other related product without express permission.]

This etext was produced by Judy Boss.

FIVE WEEKS IN A BALLOON;

OR,

JOURNEYS AND DISCOVERIES IN AFRICA BY THREE ENGLISHMEN.

COMPILED IN FRENCH

BY JULES VERNE,

FROM THE ORIGINAL NOTES OF DR. FERGUSON.

AND DONE INTO ENGLISH BY

“WILLIAM LACKLAND.”

PUBLISHERS’ NOTE.

“Five Weeks in a Balloon” is, in a measure, a satire on modern books of African travel. So far as the geography, the inhabitants, the animals, and the features of the countries the travellers pass over are described, it is entirely accurate. It gives, in some particulars, a survey of nearly the whole field of African discovery, and in this way will often serve to refresh the memory of the reader. The mode of locomotion is, of course, purely imaginary, and the incidents and adventures fictitious. The latter are abundantly amusing, and, in view of the wonderful “travellers’ tales” with which we have been entertained by African explorers, they can scarcely be considered extravagant; while the ingenuity and invention of the author will be sure to excite the surprise and the admiration of the reader, who will find M. VERNE as much at home in voyaging through the air as in journeying “Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Seas.”

CONTENTS.

–—

CHAPTER FIRST.

The End of a much-applauded Speech.—The Presentation of Dr. Samuel Ferguson. —Excelsior.—Full-length Portrait of the Doctor.—A Fatalist convinced. —A Dinner at the Travellers’ Club.—Several Toasts for the Occasion

CHAPTER SECOND.

The Article in the Daily Telegraph.—War between the Scientific Journals.— Mr. Petermann backs his Friend Dr. Ferguson.—Reply of the Savant Koner. —Bets made.—Sundry Propositions offered to the Doctor

CHAPTER THIRD.

The Doctor’s Friend.—The Origin of their Friendship.—Dick Kennedy at London. —An unexpected but not very consoling Proposal.—A Proverb by no means cheering.—A few Names from the African Martyrology.—The Advantages of a Balloon.—Dr. Ferguson’s Secret

CHAPTER FOURTH.

African Explorations.—Barth, Richardson, Overweg, Werne, Brun-Rollet, Penney, Andrea, Debono, Miani, Guillaume Lejean, Brace, Krapf and Rebmann, Maizan, Roscher, Burton and Speke

CHAPTER FIFTH.

Kennedy’s Dreams.—Articles and Pronouns in the Plural.—Dick’s Insinuations. —A Promenade over the Map of Africa.—What is contained between two Points of the Compass.—Expeditions now on foot.—Speke and Grant.—Krapf, De Decken, and De Heuglin

CHAPTER SIXTH.

A Servant—match him!—He can see the Satellites of Jupiter.—Dick and Joe hard at it.—Doubt and Faith.—The Weighing Ceremony.—Joe and Wellington. —He gets a Half-crown

CHAPTER SEVENTH.

Geometrical Details.—Calculation of the Capacity of the Balloon.—The Double Receptacle.—The Covering.—The Car.—The Mysterious Apparatus.—The Provisions and Stores.—The Final Summing up

CHAPTER EIGHTH.

Joe’s Importance.—The Commander of the Resolute.—Kennedy’s Arsenal. —Mutual Amenities.—The Farewell Dinner.—Departure on the 21st of February.— The Doctor’s Scientific Sessions.—Duveyrier.—Livingstone.—Details of the Aerial Voyage.—Kennedy silenced

CHAPTER NINTH.

They double the Cape.—The Forecastle.—A Course of Cosmography by Professor Joe.—Concerning the Method of guiding Balloons.—How to seek out Atmospheric Currents.—Eureka

CHAPTER TENTH.

Former Experiments.—The Doctor’s Five Receptacles.—The Gas Cylinder.— The Calorifere.—The System of Manoeuvring.—Success certain

CHAPTER ELEVENTH.

The Arrival at Zanzibar.—The English Consul.—Ill-will of the Inhabitants.—The Island of Koumbeni.—The Rain-Makers.—Inflation of the Balloon.—Departure on the 18th of April.—The last Good-by.—The Victoria

CHAPTER TWELFTH.

Crossing the Strait.—The Mrima.—Dick’s Remark and Joe’s Proposition.—A Recipe for Coffee-making.—The Uzaramo.—The Unfortunate Maizan.— Mount Duthumi.—The Doctor’s Cards.—Night under a Nopal

CHAPTER THIRTEENTH.

Change of Weather.—Kennedy has the Fever.—The Doctor’s Medicine.—Travels on Land.—The Basin of Imenge.—Mount Rubeho.—Six Thousand Feet Elevation.—A Halt in the Daytime

CHAPTER FOURTEENTH.

The Forest of Gum-Trees.—The Blue Antelope.—The Rallying-Signal.—An Unexpected Attack.—The Kanyeme.—A Night in the Open Air.—The Mabunguru.—Jihoue-la-Mkoa.—A Supply of Water.—Arrival at Kazeh

CHAPTER FIFTEENTH.

Kazeh.—The Noisy Market-place.—The Appearance of the Balloon.—The Wangaga. —The Sons of the Moon.—The Doctor’s Walk.—The Population of the Place.—The Royal Tembe.—The Sultan’s Wives.—A Royal Drunken-Bout.— Joe an Object of Worship.—How they Dance in the Moon.—A Reaction.— Two Moons in one Sky.—The Instability of Divine Honors

CHAPTER SIXTEENTH.

Symptoms of a Storm.—The Country of the Moon.—The Future of the African Continent.—The Last Machine of all.—A View of the Country at Sunset.— Flora and Fauna.—The Tempest.—The Zone of Fire.—The Starry Heavens.

CHAPTER SEVENTEENTH.

The Mountains of the Moon.—An Ocean of Venture.—They cast Anchor.—The Towing Elephant.—A Running Fire.—Death of the Monster.—The Field Oven.—A Meal on the Grass.—A Night on the Ground

CHAPTER EIGHTEENTH.

The Karagwah.—Lake Ukereoue.—A Night on an Island.—The Equator. —Crossing the Lake.—The Cascades.—A View of the Country.—The Sources of the Nile.—The Island of Benga.—The Signature of Andrea Debono.—The Flag with the Arms of England

CHAPTER NINETEENTH.

The Nile.—The Trembling Mountain.—A Remembrance of the Country.—The Narratives of the Arabs.—The Nyam-Nyams.—Joe’s Shrewd Cogitations.— The Balloon runs the Gantlet.—Aerostatic Ascensions.—Madame Blanchard.

CHAPTER TWENTIETH.

The Celestial Bottle.—The Fig-Palms.—The Mammoth Trees.—The Tree of War. —The Winged Team.—Two Native Tribes in Battle.—A Massacre.—An Intervention from above

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIRST.

Strange Sounds.—A Night Attack.—Kennedy and Joe in the Tree.—Two Shots. —“Help! help!”—Reply in French.—The Morning.—The Missionary.—The Plan of Rescue

CHAPTER TWENTY-SECOND.

The Jet of Light.—The Missionary.—The Rescue in a Ray of Electricity.—A Lazarist Priest.—But little Hope.—The Doctor’s Care.—A Life of Self-Denial. —Passing a Volcano

CHAPTER TWENTY-THIRD.

Joe in a Fit of Rage.—The Death of a Good Man.—The Night of watching by the Body.—Barrenness and Drought.—The Burial.—The Quartz Rocks.—Joe’s Hallucinations.—A Precious Ballast.—A Survey of the Gold-bearing Mountains. —The Beginning of Joe’s Despair

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOURTH.

The Wind dies away.—The Vicinity of the Desert.—The Mistake in the WaterSupply.—The Nights of the Equator.—Dr. Ferguson’s Anxieties. —The Situation flatly stated.—Energetic Replies of Kennedy and Joe. —One Night more

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIFTH.

A Little Philosophy.—A Cloud on the Horizon.—In the Midst of a Fog.—The Strange Balloon.—An Exact View of the Victoria.—The Palm-Trees.—Traces of a Caravan.—The Well in the Midst of the Desert

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIXTH.

One Hundred and Thirteen Degrees.—The Doctor’s Reflections.—A Desperate Search.—The Cylinder goes out.—One Hundred and Twenty-two Degrees.— Contemplation of the Desert.—A Night Walk.—Solitude.—Debility.—Joe’s Prospects.—He gives himself One Day more

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVENTH.

Terrific Heat.—Hallucinations.—The Last Drops of Water.—Nights of Despair. —An Attempt at Suicide.—The Simoom.—The Oasis.—The Lion and Lioness.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHTH.

An Evening of Delight.—Joe’s Culinary Performances.—A Dissertation on Raw Meat.—The Narrative of James Bruce.—Camping out.—Joe’s Dreams.—The Barometer begins to fall.—The Barometer rises again.—Preparations for Departure.—The Tempest

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINTH.

Signs of Vegetation.—The Fantastic Notion of a French Author.—A Magnificent Country.—The Kingdom of Adamova.—The Explorations of Speke and Burton connected with those of Dr. Barth.—The Atlantika Mountains.—The River Benoue.—The City of Yola.—The Bagele.—Mount Mendif

CHAPTER THIRTIETH.

Mosfeia.—The Sheik.—Denham, Clapperton, and Oudney.—Vogel.—The Capital of Loggoum.—Toole.—Becalmed above Kernak.—The Governor and his Court. —The Attack.—The Incendiary Pigeons

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIRST.

Departure in the Night-time.—All Three.—Kennedy’s Instincts.—Precautions.— The Course of the Shari River.—Lake Tchad.—The Water of the Lake.—The Hippopotamus.—One Bullet thrown away

CHAPTER THIRTY-SECOND.

The Capital of Bornou.—The Islands of the Biddiomahs.—The Condors.—The Doctor’s Anxieties.—His Precautions.—An Attack in Mid-air.—The Balloon Covering torn.—The Fall.—Sublime Self-Sacrifice.—The Northern Coast of the Lake

CHAPTER THIRTY-THIRD.

Conjectures.—Reestablishment of the Victoria’s Equilibrium.—Dr. Ferguson’s New Calculations.—Kennedy’s Hunt.—A Complete Exploration of Lake Tchad.—Tangalia.—The Return.—Lari

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOURTH.

The Hurricane.—A Forced Departure.—Loss of an Anchor.—Melancholy Reflections.—The Resolution adopted.—The Sand-Storm.—The Buried Caravan.— A Contrary yet Favorable Wind.—The Return southward.—Kennedy at his Post

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIFTH.

What happened to Joe.—The Island of the Biddiomahs.—The Adoration shown him.—The Island that sank.—The Shores of the Lake.—The Tree of the Serpents.—The Foot-Tramp.—Terrible Suffering.—Mosquitoes and Ants.— Hunger.—The Victoria seen.—She disappears.—The Swamp.—One Last Despairing Cry

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIXTH.

A Throng of People on the Horizon.—A Troop of Arabs.—The Pursuit.—It is He.—Fall from Horseback.—The Strangled Arab.—A Ball from Kennedy.— Adroit Manoeuvres.—Caught up flying.—Joe saved at last

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVENTH.

The Western Route.—Joe wakes up.—His Obstinacy.—End of Joe’s Narrative. —Tagelei.—Kennedy’s Anxieties.—The Route to the North.—A Night near Aghades

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHTH.

A Rapid Passage.—Prudent Resolves.—Caravans in Sight.—Incessant Rains.— Goa.—The Niger.—Golberry, Geoffroy, and Gray.—Mungo Park.—Laing.— Rene Caillie.—Clapperton.—John and Richard Lander

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINTH.

The Country in the Elbow of the Niger.—A Fantastic View of the Hombori Mountains.—Kabra.—Timbuctoo.—The Chart of Dr. Barth.—A Decaying City.— Whither Heaven wills

CHAPTER FORTIETH.

Dr. Ferguson’s Anxieties.—Persistent Movement southward.—A Cloud of Grasshoppers.—A View of Jenne.—A View of Sego.—Change of the Wind.— Joe’s Regrets

CHAPTER FORTY-FIRST.

The Approaches to Senegal.—The Balloon sinks lower and lower.—They keep throwing out, throwing out.—The Marabout Al-Hadji.—Messrs. Pascal, Vincent, and Lambert.—A Rival of Mohammed.—The Difficult Mountains. —Kennedy’s Weapons.—One of Joe’s Manoeuvres.—A Halt over a Forest

CHAPTER FORTY-SECOND.

A Struggle of Generosity.—The Last Sacrifice.—The Dilating Apparatus.—Joe’s Adroitness.—Midnight.—The Doctor’s Watch.—Kennedy’s Watch.—The Latter falls asleep at his Post.—The Fire.—The Howlings of the Natives.—Out of Range

CHAPTER FORTY-THIRD.

The Talabas.—The Pursuit.—A Devastated Country.—The Wind begins to fall.—The Victoria sinks.—The last of the Provisions.—The Leaps of the Balloon.—A Defence with Fire-arms.—The Wind freshens.—The Senegal River.—The Cataracts of Gouina.—The Hot Air.—The Passage of the River

CHAPTER FORTY-FOURTH.

Conclusion.—The Certificate.—The French Settlements.—The Post of Medina.— The Battle.—Saint Louis.—The English Frigate.—The Return to London.

FIVE WEEKS IN A BALLOON.

––

CHAPTER FIRST.

The End of a much-applauded Speech.—The Presentation of Dr. Samuel Ferguson.—Excelsior.—Full-length Portrait of the Doctor.—A Fatalist convinced.—A Dinner at the Travellers’ Club.—Several Toasts for the Occasion.

There was a large audience assembled on the 14th of January, 1862, at the session of the Royal Geographical Society, No. 3 Waterloo Place, London. The president, Sir Francis M–-, made an important communication to his colleagues, in an address that was frequently interrupted by applause.

This rare specimen of eloquence terminated with the following sonorous phrases bubbling over with patriotism:

“England has always marched at the head of nations” (for, the reader will observe, the nations always march at the head of each other), “by the intrepidity of her explorers in the line of geographical discovery.” (General assent). “Dr. Samuel Ferguson, one of her most glorious sons, will not reflect discredit on his origin.” (“No, indeed!” from all parts of the hall.)

“This attempt, should it succeed” (“It will succeed!”), “will complete and link together the notions, as yet disjointed, which the world entertains of African cartology” (vehement applause); “and, should it fail, it will, at least, remain on record as one of the most daring conceptions of human genius!” (Tremendous