Balloon Ascensions 187 



although the balloon is not rolling or pitching .... The blue of the 

 sky has become purer. (P. 47.) 



The English edition of the work quoted above, :!,i which M. 

 Glaisher published in 1871, gives quite a different account of the 

 symptoms experienced by the learned aeronaut. In the first place, 

 the date of this ascent is given as July 17 instead of June 30: 



At the height of 18,844 feet (5740 meters), my pulse beat 100 

 times a minute; at 19,435 feet (5920 meters), I noted the beating of 

 my heart; the ticking of the chronometer seemed very noisy and my 

 respiration began to be affected; my pulse was still faster, and 1 

 read the instruments with growing difficulty; the palpitations of tho 

 heart were violent. My hands and my lips were a deep bluish color, 

 but not my face .... At 21,792 feet (6640 meters) I felt a sort of sea- 

 sickness, although the balloon did not roll or pitch; I was so sick 

 that I was unable to examine the instruments .... The sky seemed 

 a very dark blue. (P. 44.) 



Second Ascent, August 18, 1862. The travellers reached 7100 

 meters, the highest point of the ascent: 



I felt the pulse of M. Coxwell," which was only 90 per minute, 

 whereas mine was increasing rapidly. From 100 it went to 107 and 

 then to 110, without that of my companion changing appreciably .... 

 As we descended we heard another clap of thunder roaring in the 

 clouds which we were rapidly approaching. Is it the increasing speed 

 of our descent that oppresses me? Is it the electric tension whose 

 increase disturbs the hidden sources of life? .... I do not know, but 

 I experience a sudden distress, a sort of nervous trembling. Happily, 

 after a minute of anguish, a wonderful spectacle helps me triumph 

 over this fleeting swoon. (Voyages acriens, p. 57.) 



At last came the famous ascent of September 5, 1862; it is the 

 third. The ascent from Wolverhampton took place at 1:03 in a 

 temperature of +15°. At 1:34, the aeronauts had reached an alti- 

 tude of about 5200 meters; the temperature is —9°; there no 

 longer is water vapor in the air. The first physiological disturb- 

 ances then appear: 



At 1:34, I noticed that M. Coxwell began to be out of breath, 

 which is not surprising, because he was constantly occupied with 

 managing the balloon .... 



At 1:39, we reached the height of 6437 meters (the altitude of 

 Chimborazo) .... We threw out sand .... ten minutes were enough 

 for us to rise to the height of Dawalagiri; the temperature had fallen 

 to —18.9° .... 



Up to this time I had taken my observations without difficulty, 

 whereas M. Coxwell, who was obliged to move about in his duties, 

 seemed weary. At 1:51, the barometer marked 11.05 inches. We found 

 out later, by comparison with the standard barometer of Lord Wrottes- 



