Blanchard, on March 2, 1784, made the first real effort to steer a balloon, using for that purpose a spherical gas bag and car provided with aërial oars and a rudder. As he was about to ascend, however, from the Champs de Mars, a young officer with drawn sword persisted in accompanying the pilot, thus compelling Blanchard to leave his wings on earth to allow sufficient buoyancy for himself and his obtrusive guest. His first trial was, therefore, frustrated; but subsequent ones made with that inadequate contrivance also proved futile under the best circumstances; for the scheme was evidently puerile, though tried by various grown-up men besides M. Blanchard. [Illustration: FIG. 13.—BLANCHARD’S DIRIGIBLE BALLOON, 1784.] A no less simple and quaint device for propulsion was that of the two physicists, the Abbé Miolan and Janinet. The balloon was a _Montgolfière_ with a large hole in one side, through which the hot air was to escape with such strong reaction as to drive the bag forward, on the principle of a lawn sprinkler, or of Newton’s reaction wagon. The projectors failed, however, to make an ascent, and the crowd becoming furious destroyed the balloon. A more reasonable plan for practical navigation was devised and tried by the Robert brothers. A melon-shaped balloon, fifty-two feet long by thirty-two feet in diameter, was made of silk and inflated with pure hydrogen. Beneath was suspended a longish car of light wood covered with sky-blue silk. This elegant ship was to be rowed through heaven by means of six silken oars actuated by sturdy sailors. A silken rudder should guide her at pleasure when the winds were asleep, or softly playing in the placid sky. She was a fairy bark, indeed, a soaring castle lovely to behold. After a preliminary trial, accompanied by their patron, the Duke de Chartres, they were ready for a substantial journey. On September 19, 1784, the vessel was inflated and taken to the Garden of the Tuileries, in front of the palace, where its cords were held by Marshall Richelieu and three other noblemen. At eleven forty-five the two Roberts and their brother-in-law arose and drifted beyond the horizon on a seven hours’ cruise. Before coming to earth, they plied the oars vigorously, and described a curve of one kilometer radius, thus deviating 22° from the feeble wind then prevailing. In a lighter wind they could deviate still more. They considered, therefore, that the experiment was a complete success. They had constructed the first elongated balloon, and had “solved the problem of aërial navigation.” In very happy mood, therefore, they landed at dusk among the delighted inhabitants of Artois, where they were graciously met and hospitably entertained by the Prince de Ghistelles-Richbourg. [Illustration: FIG. 14.—ROBERT BROTHERS’ DIRIGIBLE, 1784.]