198 Account of the Aerial Fbj/agc 



order to rise as high as possible ; so that at about 9 minutes 

 after nine the barometer had fallen to 24 inches, and the 

 thermometer indicated 9 dearees. Here I filled the sixth 

 flask with air. About 20 minutes past nine we were at a 

 height where the barometer stood at 23 incl>^s, and the 

 heat was 6^ degrees. At this height I filled the seventh 

 flask with air, and suffered to escape two canary birds and 

 a dove. One of the canary birds, when let loose from the 

 cage, would not fly ; but when thrown into the air, it fell 

 down with precipitation. The dove also, when thrown 

 from the car, flew down almost in a curved line to a village 

 that lay below us. When we had thrown out almost the 

 whole of our ballast, with a view to rise to as great a heiglit 

 as possible, I threw out my great coat and the remains of 

 my supper, which I had eaten with the greatest appetite, 

 some necessaries for mv experiments which I had carried 

 with me, and also some instruments ; on which we began 

 to ascend. I here made an experiment on the power of 

 hearing by means of the bell ; which I also threw down, as 

 I did not observe any perceptible difference, in consequence 

 jierhaps of the air not being perceptibly more rarified . About 

 30 minutes past nine the barometer had fallen to 22 inches, 

 and the thermometer indicated -l-i- degrees of heat. I now 

 filled the eighth flask with air. Before this I suflcred the 

 other dove^to escape, or rather threw it from the car, as it 

 sat on the edge of it and would not fly away. For two or 

 three minutes it flew around the car at the distance of thirty 

 fathoms, and again perched upon it. I then took it in 

 my hand, without its making any resistance or showing 

 the least fear, and threw it down ; but it flew violently 

 round in a circular manner, either because it was not able 

 to rise, or because it saw no objects before it. At this 

 height I made experiments on the electric matter and the 

 magnet; but in consequence of the instrument?, and par- 

 ticularly the dipping needle, being deranged by throwing 

 out the ballast, and the lateness of the hour, I was not able 

 to make any others. 



At this height we saw the sun, but only one half; and 

 on account of the thick fog which took place, I cannot say 

 whether the other half was concealed by the horizon or by 

 a cloud. The carlh, covered with this fog, seemed to be 

 involved in a smoke-coloured atmosphere, through which 

 objects could not be clearly distinguished by the help of the 

 telescope. 



At this height the effect of the electric matter was per- 

 ceptible ; for when sealing-wax was rubbed v/ith a piece of 



cloth^ 



