The Paris papers announce that an attempt is to be
made by two French aeronauts to reach the North Pole by means of balloons. The whole story reads like the first chapter of a romance by Jules Verne, but apparently M. Besancon and M. Hermite are in earnest. They intend to construct a balloon "of lined silk, 30 metres in diameter, and having a cubic capacity of 14,121 metres. The balloon will be covered with a special varnish, which will ensure its absolute imperviousness. It will be filled with pure hydrogen, and its car will be con- structed on a novel plan, especially suitable for this polar expedition." The start will be made from Spitzbergen, and it is expected that the aerial journey will last some four or five days, and extend over 3,500 kilometres—the descent being made, if possible, in the North American Continent, or on the northern portion of Asia. The notion is a fascinating one, as the Pole is one of the few remaining geographical mysteries. We fear, however, that the impossibility of steering a balloon and the varying currents of the air will combine to make the experiment a failure.
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