150 EULOGY ON GAY-LUSSAC. 



per cent, of oxygen — that is to say, about double the proportion of the 

 same gas in atmospheric air, which seemed incredible. Gay-Lussac 

 discovered in reality that the air procured from the water of the baths 

 contained 30 per cent, of oxygen, as spring-water usually does. The 

 salutary effects of the waters must therefore be sought elsewhere, as they 

 were found so remarkably pure, no re-agent disturbed them. Is it this 

 purity that renders them so efficacious ? 



In mythological times, heroes, celebrated by the Greek poets, roamed 

 desert countries to battle with the brigands and wild beasts they shel- 

 tered. Our travelers, as we see, seemed in their turn to have assumed 

 the mission of destroying by the way errors and prejudices, which often 

 make more victims than the monsters of antiquity exterminated by 

 Hercules, Theseus, Pirithous, &c. 



These scientists reached Florence September 22, and Fabbroni, super- 

 intendent of the museum, received them with the greatest distinction. 

 He did the honors of the rich collection, at the head of which the Tus- 

 can government had placed him, in a manner to prove how worthy he 

 was of the confidence he enjoyed. Gay-Lussac took great delight in his 

 society ; he especially admired the knowledge and ability displayed by 

 Fabbroni in pointing out the merits of the productions of Michel Angelo 

 and of the illustrious painters and sculptors, successors of this great 

 man. He was not so much charmed with the learned director when, on 

 asking him the value of the inclination of the magnetic needle, Fab- 

 broni replied that the beautiful instruments which adorned the labora- 

 tory of the grand duke had not been used for fear of tarnishing the 

 metal. He did not enjoy either the reunions where Madame Fabbroni, 

 celebrated for the elegance and beauty of her poetry, the center of a 

 circle composed of the most distinguished society of Florence, was in 

 the habit of directing agaiust every topic in succession flashes of wit 

 to which the individual addressed was obliged to reply at once and in 

 his best manner. These theatrical customs have happily disappeared 

 from among our neighbors to give place to conversations where each 

 freely takes the part which suits his position and even his timidity. 



On the way from Florence to Bologna, where our three travelers ar- 

 rived safely September 28, they stopped at Pi6tra-Mala to study the per- 

 petual flames previously examined by Volta. 



At Bologna Gay-Lussac visited Count Zambeccari, who had lost six 

 fingers by sliding along a rope to escape a catastrophe which was 

 threatening him, the montgolfi6re in which he had ascended into the 

 air having taken fire ; his sufferings did not prevent his discussing with 

 Gay-Lussac a plan he had formed, and which, at a later period, was to 

 cost him his life — that of ascending again — but this time with a balloon 

 filled with hydrogen gas which he could heat more or less at will, by 

 means of a circle of lamps with a double draught of air. It will be 

 seen that the unfortunate aerial traveler was contriving in his new 

 scheme a method by which he would substitute the risks of explosion 



