286 Journal of an Aerial Voyage. [Oct. 



heap in the bottom of the car. Stuck the flag-staff through the 

 back of the car, and threw off hat. 



Obs. 2. — Threw out two hags of ballast, and soon after a third. 

 A most enchanting view. Mr. vSadler pointed out some high chalk 

 cliffs, which he said were the Nore. 



Obs. 3. — The balloon had a rotatory motion, which tended to 

 confuse any very distinct idea of situation. This motion most pro- 

 bably caused by some accidental twirl in the confusion in which 

 the balloon was launched. 



Obs. 4. — Sent off one of the pigeons, marked No. 7> which the 

 instant it was at liberty flew boldly from the car in a circle, and 

 then towards the earth at a very considerable angle. View clear 

 and distinct. 



Obs. 5. — Mr. Sadler uncorked a bottle of Champaigne, and we 

 drank the health of the Prince Regent, and afterwards that of Sir 

 Daniel Williams, followed by All Friends at Hackney. Did not 

 perceive any alteration in the senses of taste or smell, either in the 

 wine, or in some sandwiches. On removing the cork, the fixed air 

 escaped from the bottle in the form of a rather denser kind of 

 smoke, and the wine sparkled with more vivacity than I had re- 

 marked on uncorking Champaigne on other occasions. It appeared 

 that the gas escaped with greater facility under the diminished 

 pressure of the atmosphere at this elevation. 



Obs. 6. — Observed that the least motion caused by us occasioned 

 an amazing vibration of the quicksilver in the barometrical tube, 

 sometimes considerably more than an inch. The compass-needle 

 not at all altered from its horizontal position. 



Obs. 7. — Mr. Sadler tried the effect of the valve, to ascertain 

 whether it was in good order. The gas made its escape through the 

 valve with a noise precisely similar to that of weak steam rushing 

 through the valve of a steam boiler. 



Obs. 8. — The balloon was now in the midst of a heavy shower 

 of rain, which was presently changed into a violent hail-storm. 

 The sound produced by thebattering of the hail and rain against 

 the upper surface of the balloon, contrasted with the general still- 

 ness that otherwise reigned around the balloon, was very striking. 

 Threw out a board which had been taken up to answer the purpose 

 of a table, but not used, because the weight of the load caused the 

 angle formed by the ropes, by which the car was attached to the 

 netting, to become more acute, and we were apprehensive that the 

 edges of the board would cut the ropes. Threw out the wicker 

 basket. The effect of the rain and hail on the balloon was exhi- 

 bited in a copious discharge of fluid through the neck of the balloon, 

 arising probably from a condensation of the warm hydrogen gas, by 

 the constant succession of cold fluid pouring in torrents on the upper 

 surface of the balloon. This fluid appeared to have dissolved a 

 portion of the varnish ; for wherever it fell on the clothes or hat it 

 left a permanent stain of a whitish-looking gummy appearance. 

 At this time we experienced a very strong current of air or wind, 



o 



