20O Aeroflat'ion. 



J 

 imagines a very confufed found, but totally undiftinguifh- 

 able, may be heard confrderably higher. We never at- 

 tained a greater height this day, by M. Garnerin's computa- 

 tion, than about 1200 French toifes, or 7800 feet, as M. 

 Garnerin, being defirous to return the fame evening to town, 

 did not choofc to lofe a favourable opportunity of defcending. 

 At length we faw at a diftance what afterwards proved to be 

 Epping fore ft, with a range of diftant hills beyond ; and ob- 

 serving an open champaign country, M. Garnerin opened the 

 valve, and we began to defcend. He directed me to call tofome 

 perfons employed in a field, as we approached the ground, 

 to take hold of the ropes which we had thrown out for the 

 purpofe, and recommended me to hold fa ft by the cords, to 

 avoid the (hock on the balloon's firft touching the earth. 

 This precaution proved very neceflary, as the force with 

 which we defcended was very confiderable, from the force of 

 the wind rather than by our fpecific gravity, and the rebound 

 bore us up again with velocity to the height of 150 or 200 

 feet. In redelccnding we ftruck againft a tree, the mock of 

 which gave M. Garnerin a fevere blow on the back; and he 

 obferved that this was the only occafion, during a period of 

 twelve years in which he had been in the habit of aeronavi- 

 gation, and the 27th time he has afcended, that he ever fuf- 

 fered fuch an inconvenience. Several of the peafantry being 

 now at hand, we were prevented from any further afcent, 

 and alighted from the car with per feci: fafety. We immedi- 

 ately inquired our fituation, and found we had fallen in a 

 field of Mr. Owen's, at Chingford, in Eftex ; and, referring 

 to our watches, obferved we had made our voyage exactly in 

 one quarter of an hour. We difpatched a meflenger to 

 Woodford for a poft-chaife, and, having expreffed the in- 

 flammable air, packed the balloon in the car, and had it 

 conveyed to a fmall inn at Chingford-green, adjoining which 

 we had defcended; from whence, after a flight repaft on fome 

 provifions we had brought with us, we fet off for London, 

 and arrived at M. Garnerin's, in Poland-ftreet, a quarter 

 after nine in the evening. 



Although the mob, which unrounded us on our defcent, 

 were, as uiual, .both troublefome and officioufly impertinent, 

 we received great attention from Mr. Hughes, of the Stamp- 

 office, London, and feveral other gentlemen, who beheld our 

 arrival. Attention would have been, however, infured to us, 

 if neccflary, by the paper put into the hands of M. Garnerin, 

 iigned by his royal highnefs the prince of Wales, the duchefs 

 of Devonfhire, lords Befborough, Cathcart, and other perfons 



of 



