Cinq semaines en ballon. English

by Jules Verne

  CHAPTER ELEVENTH.

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

  An invariably favorable wind had accelerated the progress of theResolute toward the place of her destination. The navigation of theMozambique Channel was especially calm and pleasant. The agreeablecharacter of the trip by sea was regarded as a good omen of the probableissue of the trip through the air. Every one looked forward to thehour of arrival, and sought to give the last touch to the doctor'spreparations.

  At length the vessel hove in sight of the town of Zanzibar, upon theisland of the same name, and, on the 15th of April, at 11 o'clock in themorning, she anchored in the port.

  The island of Zanzibar belongs to the Imaum of Muscat, an ally of Franceand England, and is, undoubtedly, his finest settlement. The port isfrequented by a great many vessels from the neighboring countries.

  The island is separated from the African coast only by a channel, thegreatest width of which is but thirty miles.

  It has a large trade in gums, ivory, and, above all, in "ebony," forZanzibar is the great slave-market. Thither converges all the bootycaptured in the battles which the chiefs of the interior are continuallyfighting. This traffic extends along the whole eastern coast, and as faras the Nile latitudes. Mr. G. Lejean even reports that he has seen itcarried on, openly, under the French flag.

  Upon the arrival of the Resolute, the English consul at Zanzibar cameon board to offer his services to the doctor, of whose projects theEuropean newspapers had made him aware for a month past. But, up to thatmoment, he had remained with the numerous phalanx of the incredulous.

  "I doubted," said he, holding out his hand to Dr. Ferguson, "but now Idoubt no longer."

  He invited the doctor, Kennedy, and the faithful Joe, of course, tohis own dwelling. Through his courtesy, the doctor was enabled to haveknowledge of the various letters that he had received from CaptainSpeke. The captain and his companions had suffered dreadfully fromhunger and bad weather before reaching the Ugogo country. They couldadvance only with extreme difficulty, and did not expect to be able tocommunicate again for a long time.

  "Those are perils and privations which we shall manage to avoid," saidthe doctor.

  The baggage of the three travellers was conveyed to the consul'sresidence. Arrangements were made for disembarking the balloon upon thebeach at Zanzibar. There was a convenient spot, near the signal-mast,close by an immense building, that would serve to shelter it from theeast winds. This huge tower, resembling a tun standing on one end,beside which the famous Heidelberg tun would have seemed but a veryordinary barrel, served as a fortification, and on its platform werestationed Belootchees, armed with lances. These Belootchees are a kindof brawling, good-for-nothing Janizaries.

  But, when about to land the balloon, the consul was informed that thepopulation of the island would oppose their doing so by force.Nothing is so blind as fanatical passion. The news of the arrival of aChristian, who was to ascend into the air, was received with rage. Thenegroes, more exasperated than the Arabs, saw in this project an attackupon their religion. They took it into their heads that some mischiefwas meant to the sun and the moon. Now, these two luminaries are objectsof veneration to the African tribes, and they determined to oppose sosacrilegious an enterprise.

  The consul, informed of their intentions, conferred with Dr. Fergusonand Captain Bennet on the subject. The latter was unwilling to yieldto threats, but his friend dissuaded him from any idea of violentretaliation.

  "We shall certainly come out winners," he said. "Even the imaum'ssoldiers will lend us a hand, if we need it. But, my dear captain, anaccident may happen in a moment, and it would require but one unluckyblow to do the balloon an irreparable injury, so that the trip would betotally defeated; therefore we must act with the greatest caution."

  "But what are we to do? If we land on the coast of Africa, we shallencounter the same difficulties. What are we to do?"

  "Nothing is more simple," replied the consul. "You observe those smallislands outside of the port; land your balloon on one of them; surroundit with a guard of sailors, and you will have no risk to run."

  "Just the thing!" said the doctor, "and we shall be entirely at our easein completing our preparations."

  The captain yielded to these suggestions, and the Resolute was headedfor the island of Koumbeni. During the morning of the 16th April, theballoon was placed in safety in the middle of a clearing in the greatwoods, with which the soil is studded.

  Two masts, eighty feet in height, were raised at the same distance fromeach other. Blocks and tackle, placed at their extremities, afforded themeans of elevating the balloon, by the aid of a transverse rope. Itwas then entirely uninflated. The interior balloon was fastened to theexterior one, in such manner as to be lifted up in the same way. To thelower end of each balloon were fixed the pipes that served to introducethe hydrogen gas.

  The whole day, on the 17th, was spent in arranging the apparatusdestined to produce the gas; it consisted of some thirty casks, in whichthe decomposition of water was effected by means of iron-filings andsulphuric acid placed together in a large quantity of the first-namedfluid. The hydrogen passed into a huge central cask, after having beenwashed on the way, and thence into each balloon by the conduit-pipes.In this manner each of them received a certain accurately-ascertainedquantity of gas. For this purpose, there had to be employed eighteenhundred and sixty-six pounds of sulphuric acid, sixteen thousand andfifty pounds of iron, and nine thousand one hundred and sixty-sixgallons of water. This operation commenced on the following night, aboutthree A.M., and lasted nearly eight hours. The next day, the balloon,covered with its network, undulated gracefully above its car, which washeld to the ground by numerous sacks of earth. The inflating apparatuswas put together with extreme care, and the pipes issuing from theballoon were securely fitted to the cylindrical case.

  The anchors, the cordage, the instruments, the travelling-wraps, theawning, the provisions, and the arms, were put in the place assigned tothem in the car. The supply of water was procured at Zanzibar. The twohundred pounds of ballast were distributed in fifty bags placed at thebottom of the car, but within arm's-reach.

  These preparations were concluded about five o'clock in the evening,while sentinels kept close watch around the island, and the boats of theResolute patrolled the channel.

  The blacks continued to show their displeasure by grimaces andcontortions. Their obi-men, or wizards, went up and down among the angrythrongs, pouring fuel on the flame of their fanaticism; and some of theexcited wretches, more furious and daring than the rest, attempted toget to the island by swimming, but they were easily driven off.

  Thereupon the sorceries and incantations commenced; the "rain-makers,"who pretend to have control over the clouds, invoked the storms and the"stone-showers," as the blacks call hail, to their aid. To compel themto do so, they plucked leaves of all the different trees that grow inthat country, and boiled them over a slow fire, while, at the same time,a sheep was killed by thrusting a long needle into its heart. But, inspite of all their ceremonies, the sky remained clear and beautiful,and they profited nothing by their slaughtered sheep and their uglygrimaces.

  The blacks then abandoned themselves to the most furious orgies, andgot fearfully drunk on "tembo," a kind of ardent spirits drawn fromthe cocoa-nut tree, and an extremely heady sort of beer called "togwa."Their chants, which were destitute of all melody, but were sung inexcellent time, continued until far into the night.

  About six o'clock in the evening, the captain assembled the travellersand the officers of the ship at a farewell repast in his cabin. Kennedy,whom nobody ventured to question now, sat with his eyes riveted on Dr.Ferguson, murmuring indistinguishable words. In other respects, thedinner was a gloomy one. The approach of the final moment filledeverybody with the most serious reflections. What had fate in store forthese da
ring adventurers? Should they ever again find themselves in themidst of their friends, or seated at the domestic hearth? Were theirtravelling apparatus to fail, what would become of them, among thoseferocious savage tribes, in regions that had never been explored, and inthe midst of boundless deserts?

  Such thoughts as these, which had been dim and vague until then, or butslightly regarded when they came up, returned upon their excited fancieswith intense force at this parting moment. Dr. Ferguson, still cold andimpassible, talked of this, that, and the other; but he strove in vainto overcome this infectious gloominess. He utterly failed.

  As some demonstration against the personal safety of the doctor and hiscompanions was feared, all three slept that night on board the Resolute.At six o'clock in the morning they left their cabin, and landed on theisland of Koumbeni.

  The balloon was swaying gently to and fro in the morning breeze;the sand-bags that had held it down were now replaced by some twentystrong-armed sailors, and Captain Bennet and his officers were presentto witness the solemn departure of their friends.

  At this moment Kennedy went right up to the doctor, grasped his hand,and said:

  "Samuel, have you absolutely determined to go?"

  "Solemnly determined, my dear Dick."

  "I have done every thing that I could to prevent this expedition, have Inot?"

  "Every thing!"

  "Well, then, my conscience is clear on that score, and I will go withyou."

  "I was sure you would!" said the doctor, betraying in his features swifttraces of emotion.

  At last the moment of final leave-taking arrived. The captain andhis officers embraced their dauntless friends with great feeling, notexcepting even Joe, who, worthy fellow, was as proud and happy as aprince. Every one in the party insisted upon having a final shake of thedoctor's hand.

  At nine o'clock the three travellers got into their car. The doctor litthe combustible in his cylinder and turned the flame so as to produce arapid heat, and the balloon, which had rested on the ground in perfectequipoise, began to rise in a few minutes, so that the seamen had toslacken the ropes they held it by. The car then rose about twenty feetabove their heads.

  "My friends!" exclaimed the doctor, standing up between his twocompanions, and taking off his hat, "let us give our aerial ship a namethat will bring her good luck! let us christen her Victoria!"

  This speech was answered with stentorian cheers of "Huzza for the Queen!Huzza for Old England!"

  At this moment the ascensional force of the balloon increasedprodigiously, and Ferguson, Kennedy, and Joe, waved a last good-by totheir friends.

  "Let go all!" shouted the doctor, and at the word the Victoria shotrapidly up into the sky, while the four carronades on board the Resolutethundered forth a parting salute in her honor.