Aerostation. 233 



of one of the boats : the people on board, however, saw the 

 action, and answered it by three cheers. At ten minutes 

 before four Tilbury Fort came in sight, and they had a per- 

 fect view of the town of Gravesend, Mr. Sadler, observing 

 that the country round the fort was perfectly flat, remarked 

 to his fellow voyager, that it would be desirable to land on 

 that side the river; and measures were taken to accomplish 

 that object. On their nearer approach to the earth, they 

 saw several reapers at work in a wheat-field, and hailed them 

 for assistance : an immediate chase commenced over hedges 

 and ditches. The balloon, however, for some time took the 

 lead. A brisk gale was now blowing, which rendered the 

 descent extremely difficult : the grappling-irons were, how- 

 ever, thrown out, and dragged along the ground. In their 

 course thcv caught the clothes of a labourer, and he became 

 so completely entangled that he could not extricate himself 

 till his shirt was literally torn from his back. During this 

 time the car frequently touched the ground, and rebounded 

 again 'for several vards. By one oi these shocks Mr. Paget 

 was thrown out of the car, but had sufficient presence of 

 mind to catch hold of its rim, which he persevered in hold- 

 ing till assistance arrived, when his companion and himself 

 were released from their perilous situation, and safely landed 

 on terra finna. At this time it wanted five minutes to four 

 o'clock, and the travellers were wiihin 300 yards of Tilbury 

 Fort, and about 150 from the river, the voyage having occu- 

 pied a space of one hour and thirteen minutes. The balloon 

 was soon secured ; and, being placed in a boat, the aero- 

 nauts passed over the river to Gravesend, where thev dined, 

 and immediately after proceeded in a post chaise-and-four to 

 town, followed by a crowd of spectators, which increased to 

 such a degree, that, long before their arrival in town, the 

 chaise could only proceed at a walking pace. In this man- 

 ner they proceeded to Hackney, at which place they arrived 

 at ten minutes past nine o'clock, in perfect health and spi- 

 rits. The onlv extraordinary sensation which captain Paget 

 experienced was an extreme pain in the ear when the balloon 

 was at its greatest height, which gradually went off as it 

 descended, and left him perfectly free from any inconve- 

 nience. 



MR. SADLRr's SKCOND ASCKNT. 



Mr. Sadler again ascended from Hackney in his balloon, 

 on 'I'hursday the 29th of August, at about '20 minutes 

 before three p. m. accompanied bv Mr. Beaufov, sou of 

 cul. licaufoy. The wind blew strongly from the south- 

 west. 



