The Cloud King, Or, Up in the Air, and Down in the Sea: Being a History Fo the Wonderful Adventures of Victor Volans /by W. Stephens HaywardDarton & Hodge, 1865 - 356 страници "Science fiction/fantastic novel involving balloon travel across the Pacific and USA. Lands at one stage in Australia ... Includes brief description of how hero learnt the natives' language and his wandering around Sydney before flying to San Francisco" -- Bookseller's catalogue. |
Често срещани думи и фрази
adventure Amarantha ascend Atlantic Ocean ballast balloon barrel beasts began beneath boat breath breeze brig calabash camp cannon canoes caused chief chief mate close clouds cold commenced dark dashed dead calm descend discovered distance dragged dreadful drifting earth elephants ENCHANTED VALLEY escape eyes face fear feeling feet fell felt fire floating forest gave gaze Girardin glorious grapnels ground gub'nor half hand hauled head heard hippopotamus horror hour king knew land leaped light looked man-jumper miles minutes monster night ocean once Pacific Ocean parachute passed phosphorescent platform Rambobranda Ramjamroc Ramoon resolved rhinoceros rifle river roar rope rushed sail San Francisco savage seemed sharks shot shouted side sight slowly soon stood stove strange stream suddenly surface Taranta terrible terror thing thought took valve vast warriors White Spirit wild wind wonder words wreck yards
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Страница 143 - ... towards a given object. During this frightful operation the gas was rushing in torrents from the upper and lower valves, but more particularly from the latter, as the density of the atmosphere through which we were forcing our progress pressed so heavily on the valve at the top of the balloon, as to admit of comparatively but a small escape by that aperture.
Страница 143 - The immense machine which suspended us between ' heaven and earth,' whilst it appeared to be forced upwards with terrific violence and rapidity through unknown and untravelled regions, amidst the...
Страница 143 - ... ignorance. It at length, as if somewhat fatigued by its exertions, gradually assumed the motions of a snake working its way with astonishing speed towards a given object. During this frightful operation the gas was rushing in torrents from the upper and lower valves, but more particularly from the latter, as the density of the atmosphere through which we were forcing our...
Страница 144 - Spencer, as well as myself, placed either of them in our mouths. By this simple contrivance we preserved ourselves from instantaneous suffocation — a result which must have ensued from the apparently endless volume of gas with which the car was enveloped. The gas, notwithstanding all our precautions, from the violence of its operation on the human frame, almost immediately deprived us of sight, and we were both, as far as our visionary powers were concerned, in a state of total darkness for between...
Страница 144 - ... plunged, our first attention was directed to the barometer. I soon discovered that my powers had not sufficiently returned to enable me to see the mercury ; but Mr. Spencer found that it stood at 13'20, giving an elevation of 23,384 feet, or about four miles and a quarter. " I do not conceive, from the length of time I had been liberating the gas, that this was anything like our greatest altitude, for we were evidently effecting a rapid descent.
Страница 145 - When we had accomplised this matter, finding ourselves suffering severely from cold, we referred to the thermometer, which stood at 28, four degrees below the freezing point. We were at this period apparently about two miles and a half above a dense mountain of clouds, which presented the appearance of impenetrable masses of dark marble, whilst all around us were shed the brilliant rays of the setting sun.
Страница 144 - Prior to our ascent the bag was inflated, with the assistance of a pair of bellows, with fifty gallons of air, so allowing for any expansion which might be produced in the upper regions. Into one end of this bag were introduced two flexible tubes, and the moment we felt ourselves to be going up in the manner just described, Mr. Spencer, as well as myself, placed either of them in our mouths.
Страница 144 - By this simple contrivance we preserved ourselves from instantaneous suffocation, a result which must have ensued from the apparently endless volume of gas with which the car was enveloped. The gas, notwithstanding all our precautions, from the violence of its operation on the human frame, almost immediately deprived us of sight, and we were both, as far as our visionary powers were concerned, in a state of total darkness for between four and five minutes.
Страница 278 - ... to me a sight, at once terrible and strange. He seemed to have lost his senses, for he made no attempt to revenge himself, venting all his rage and strength upon the ground. There was no knowing what might be the termination of this scene, if we suffered him to come too; and being both loaded again, our second discharge stretched him lifeless.
Страница 160 - ... equally inaudible, whereupon the female warder and Mr. Jonas, the governor, stepped towards the unhappy woman, and asked her what she had said. She muttered to them that she was pregnant. This announcement created considerable excitement in the court. The prisoner was relegated to her seat in the dock, and in the course of ten minutes or a quarter of an hour a number of ladies, some of whom had been in the court during the trial, were assembled, and were requested to go into the jurybox, which...