Blanchard, he knew, had passed throu’ +many+ without Danger: any Fears that might otherwise have been entertained on that Head were therefore groundless: particularly as Gass, i.e. _inflammable Air_ and the _electric Fluid_ (supposing an electric Atmosphere had surrounded the Thunder Cloud) mutually _repel_ each other. He however declined the Trial: among other Reasons which then offered; that the temporary and apparent Rest of both Balloon and Clouds portended _his_ Situation to be over the Center of _some Water_: so that if _Gass_ had been let out in order to _descend_; _enough_ might _not_ have remained to make Choice of a proper Place to _land_. 173. Some Minutes after; on the _Retreat_ of the Clouds, or _progressive_ Motion of the Balloon; he found himself suspended over the most _enchanting_ Meanders of a Rivulet. Where he coud not tell. CHAPTER XXXII. [Sidenote: The Aironaut was lost, tho’ in Sight of a Country well known _when below_.] Section 174. He _thought_ himself again over the Wever. [Sidenote: At 47 Minutes past III, over a _red_ Rivulet.] At 47 Minutes after III, the Prospect _beneath_ opened, just wide enough to shew, that he was suspended in the open Space over the Center of some Rivulet. The Map of the Country which had been so carefully studied, was _now_ consulted for the first Time, but coud not bring to his Recollection any Traces of the extraordinary Curves which then met his Eye. They bore not the least Resemblance to any Part of the River Mersey. No River like that below him had ever presented itself. Its _Doublings_ were so various and _fantastic_ as to exceed the Limits of Credibility. [Sidenote: The Neck of the Balloon tyed some Time _before_ to prevent the Descent.] 175. He was still stationary, at an immense Height, without the _least_ Inclination to descend: having _some Time before_ taken the Precaution to tye _again_ the Neck of the Balloon, as soon as he had perceived it did _not_ inflate, as at first, to any _dangerous_ Degree. No Towns, no Houses appeared. No _public Roads_ were discoverable. No Voices were heard.[48] The Country beyond the Rivulet began to disclose itself: but was quite _new_ to him at that _Altitude_, and seemed as if almost covered with Wood. 176. His _Watch_ shewed the Time of the Day, and the Sun alone _sufficiently_ indicated the Point of the Compass. The _white_ Flag manifested _no_ Change in the Wind. But whether he was near Liverpool, Wigan, or Manchester, he coud not discover. [Sidenote: The Country _below_ unknown to the Aironaut, _when_ in the Balloon.] 177. He was entirely +lost+ in the _blue Fields_ of Air; far above the Summits of the Clouds; tho’ the Balloon was in Sight of the Earth, and of Numbers who were gazing at it. 178. The _Colour_ of the new Rivulet was full as +red+, as any he had seen before. He thought it might be an insignificant Brook, which tho’ curiously curved, was too small to be inserted in the Map.