On the frefent State of A'irojlation. 337 



T will not clofe my refle<3ions on this fubjeft, which was 

 found in North America, and is now exhibited in Loudon by 

 Mr. Peale, a young American, by whofe perfevering induftry it 

 was dug up, without laying in very truth, and not in compli- 

 ment, that this exhibition will derive every advantage which 

 can arife from an objetS: of this fort, from the modelt fcien- 

 tific knowledge and the precifenefs of information which this 

 young man, in the true analytic way of an American, ex- 

 plains it ; and from the colleftion of other articles with which 

 he accompanies fuch explanation as with a commentary. 



LVI. Remarks on the prefent State of Aeroftation, By 

 Mr. G. J. Wright*. 



OUBSEQUENT to the difcovery of marine navigation, the 

 daily proofs of aerial flight, as witnefled among the feathered 

 tribe, ferved to fuggeft to the antients the probability of 

 piercing the unexplored regions of the atmofphere : various 

 have been their attempts for this purpofe, which (agreeably 

 to the then pre-emineuce of mechanical over the other 

 branches of philofophy) were confined to the invention of 

 machines to affift man himfclf in imitating the motions of 

 the feathered race, but more particularly to the contrivance 

 of flying automata, as may be learnt from the writings of 

 many authors. 



To enumerate and particularize thefe inventions would be 

 of no avail, efpecially as the bare recital of m^ny of them 

 would at once confirm their abfurdity ; fo that we may reckon 

 nothing to have been pradlically concerted toward aeroftation 

 till the experiment of one Gulman, a Portuguefe friar, who 

 is reported, early in the i8th century, to have launched a 

 paper bag into the air ; which however foon fellj after attain- 

 ing the height of 200 feet. 



Many doubts have arifen refpefting the truth of this ftafe- 

 mcnt, principally from the fuppofi^d unacquaintance of the 

 philofophers of that early period with the qualities and vary- 

 ing denfnies of aerial fluids, as aifo the little probability that 

 an elaftic fluid could be confined, for raiv length of time, by 

 paper, of which it has been alfcrted that the pores are indeed 

 impermeable to air, though water cafily percolates llicni : 

 hence it has been inferred that the particles of water are finer 

 than thofe of air. 'Tis certainly true that air may be con- 

 fined by paper, provided fucli air be deftitute of moiflurc, and 



♦ C'lininunicatc-il hy tlie Auiliur. 



Vol. XIV. No 56. Y incapable 



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