3 7 i Account of an Aerostatic Voijage 



senting a bit of iron to the needle, attraction took place, 

 This rotary motion became sensible when the ropes of the 

 car were brought into a straight line with any terrestrial 

 object, or with the sides of the clouds, the contours of 

 which exhibited differences verv sensible. In this manner 

 we soon perceived that we did not always correspond with 

 the same point. We, however, hoped that this rotary mo- 

 tion, already very slow-, would cease in the course of some 

 time, and permit us to resume our oscillations. 



In the mean time we made other experiments. We tried 

 to excite electricity by the contact of insulated metals : it 

 succeeded as on the earth. We then prepared an electric 

 pile with twenty disks of copper, and as many of zinc. We 

 obtained, as usual, the pungent taste, a shock, and the 

 decomposition of water. All this could be easily foreseen 

 from the theory of Volta, and since it is besides known 

 that the action of the pile docs not cease even in vacuo ; but 

 as there was no difficulty to ascertain these facts,, we thought 

 it our duty to examine them. Besides, the apparatus could 

 serve us as ballast in case of need. We were then, accord- 

 ing to our estimation, at the height of 2724 metres. 



When about this elevation we observed the animals we 

 had carried with us. They did not appear to suffer any in- 

 convenience from the rarity of the air. The barometer, 

 however, stood at the height of 20 inches 8 lines. A bee 

 (apis violacea) which we set at liberty flew off quickly, and 

 quitted us with a humming noise. The thermometer indi- 

 cated thirteen degrees of the centigrade division, or 10-4° of 

 Reaumur. We were much surprised that we experienced 

 no cold : on the contrary, we were very much heated by 

 the sun ; and we took off our gloves which we at first put 

 on, as they were now of no use to us. Our pulse was ac- 

 celerated : that of Guy-Lussac, which in general gives 62 

 beats per minute, gave 60; and mine, which in general 

 gives 79, gave 111. This acceleration, therefore, in both, 

 took place in nearly the same, proportion. Our respiration, 

 .however, was in no manner eonfined : we experienced no 

 uneasiness, and our situation seemed exceedingly agreeable. 



We, however, still turned round : which thwarted us 

 greatly; because, while that effect continued,. we could not 

 observe the magnetic oscillations. But by bringing our- 

 selves in a line, as already mentioned, with terrestrial ob- 

 jects, and the sides of the clouds, which were at a great di- 

 stance below us, we perceived that we did not always turn 

 round in the same direction ; the rotary motion gradually 

 decreased, and took place in a contrary direction. We then 



found 



