28 On Aérial Navigation. 
how far it is practicable to guide balloons :—such a committee as 
I propose would never enter into any of those projects which, 
whether ultimately false or true, are at present too many steps 
in advance to be proper objects of their immediate attention 5 
but, commencing with what has been ascertained upon this sub- 
ject, would advance step by step from that point, as far as the 
present state of our knowledge of first moving powers will per- 
mit. 
The title and terms of the subscription I therefore propose to 
be as follows : : 
WE, the undersigned parties, enter into the following subscrip- 
tion, for the purpose of ascertaining how far the principle of 
balloons supporting heavy burthens in the air may be made use- 
ful as a means of conveyance. 
No person to be called upon for his subscription money till at 
least 10007. be subscribed for. 
When the subscription has reached this amount, an annual 
committee of seven of the subscribers to be elected;—every sub- 
seriber of one pound and of less than five pounds to have one vote 
on this and all other occasions. Subscribers of five pounds to 
have two votes; and subscribers of larger sums to have one ad- 
ditional vote for every additional five pounds they subscribe. 
No experiments to be undertaken but by order of this com- 
mittee, who may call in the advice of such civil engineers as 
they choose to consult. 
An annual report of the application of the fund, and the result 
of the experiments made, to be printed for the use of the sub- 
scribers. 
These regulations being the basis upon which the subscription 
is made, cannot be altered; but subsequent rules not militating 
against these, may be entered into at a general meeting of the 
Subscribers, expressly convened for the purpose. 
Having now stated my sentiments respecting the general bear- 
ing of this subject, I proceed to notice some remarks that have 
been made by others since my late papers. Mr. Evans has sug- 
gested as an improvement upon the triple tier of wing waftage 
-by the steam-engine, that a rotary movement with oblique sur- 
faces will be preferable, on account of the continual loss of power 
which he conceives to take place in putting these surfaces into 
motion from a state of rest. This reasoning against reciprocat~ 
ing movements is in general perfectly correct, but in this case 
the maxim does not hold good. ‘The whole power communi- 
cated to these wafting surfaces is applied in the commencement 
to 
