210 Capt. Beaufoy's Aerial Excursion. [Sept. 



burnished by the rays of the sun, which shone most brilliantly 

 from a sky of a deep-blue colour. 



At twenty minutes past six, barometer 21 - 6 inches, or 8608 

 feet, we heard the report of a cannon, but no reverberation after 

 it; and the balloon again revolved gently. 



At twenty-six minutes past six, when the barometer was 20'2 

 inches, or 10,416 feet, another gun was heard; and the clouds 

 below rolled over each other into the most fantastic shapes, 

 while between their fissures the earth was clearly discernible. 



At thirty-one minutes past six, barometer 19 - 5 inches, or 

 11,298 feet, thermometer 32°, hygrometer 25° dry, I let loose a 

 pigeon, which flew away with ease and rapidity, its wings mak- 

 ing a great noise from the perfect stillness around. After one 

 or two circles, it darted through an opening in the clouds ; and 

 I was assured by the owner that it reached its nest in the City- 

 road at twenty minutes past seven o'clock the same evening. 



At twenty minutes to seven, barometer 19 - 2 inches, or 11,71 1 

 feet, thermometer 32°, hygrometer 31° dry, Mr. Graham judged 

 we were as high as we could ascend without throwing out 

 ballast ; and as we were far above every object interesting to the 

 eye, the cord of the valve was slightly pulled, and we commenced 

 an extremely gradual descent. At this elevation, 757 feet 

 higher than Mount Etna, 4 heard the report of a gun, and 

 could distinguish the metropolis when clouds did not intervene. 

 The balloon seemed to be over Kennington, and I found nothing- 

 disagreeable in looking about, except at objects perpendicularly 

 under the car. ity 



At eighteen minutes to seven, the barometer was 19 - 5 inches, 

 or 11,271 feet, and thermometer 31° ; when our descent was so 

 imperceptible, that it could only be ascertained by throwing out 

 very little bits of silver paper ; and I in vain endeavoured to find 

 out from the compass the direction the balloon was taking ; as 

 though the needle pointed north, it could not tell whether we 

 floated to or from that point. 



At nine minutes to seven, the barometer was 22*3 inches, or 

 7784 feet, thermometer 38°, and hygrometer 23°, when we 

 approached the clouds ; which had a most beautiful effect from 

 the masses of vapour seeming to rise up in eddies to meet us. 



At five minutes to seven, barometer 24 inches, or 5822 feet, 

 the machine was quite enveloped in a thick mist, which, at four 

 minutes to seven, barometer 24*5 inches, or 5263 feet, became 

 dark ; and gave rise to an unpleasant feeling, of floating in 

 space without any defined objects to rest the eye on. The 

 voice also appeared much weaker and lower than at any other 

 period of the voyage ; but I did not feel any oppression at the 

 chest, as I coughed two or three times on purpose to ascertain 

 whether it pained me. 



At seven o'clock, barometer 25 inches, or 4714 feet, we 



