Mr. Hodsman has made a curious voyage in a balloon
from Dublin to a place near Appleby, crossing the Channel at night in a pouring rain which made the balloon so heavy that it nearly sank into the sea. Mr. Hodsman only kept it up by letting down the grapnel and keeping his hand on the rope, by which means he 'could tell whenever he touched the sea, and throwing out sand whenever he found he was descending. Once, when benumbed with cold and fatigue, he fell asleep for a few minutes, he descended to within six feet of the surface, when he instantly threw out 281b. of ballast, which sent him up again to the height of a mile, and fortunately for him above the rain clouds, on which the bright 'moon east the flying shadow of the balloon. At last he saw what he thought was a light, and soon after square compartments that turned out to be fields, and then a town, which turned out to be Appleby. This was at 3 a.m. He got the grapnel caught in a -wood, and was assisted to pull the balloon into the open by some _young men who were fortunately returning from a late Appleby ball, and who at first fancied he might be a "bogie." "Bogies," however, even near Appleby, are not so confidently believed in as formerly, and Mr. Hodsman was kindly extricated from his uncomfortable position, and breakfasted with great eclat at Dufton, a village about two miles from Appleby.
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