Aérial Navigation. 16 
Arr. II.—On Aérial Navigation ; by H. Srnarr. 
TO PROFESSOR SILLIMAN. 
Dear Sir—Having spent a considerable portion of my time, for 
two years and a half past, in studying and investigating the properties’ 
of the air, for the purpose of determining the practicability and utility 
of aérial navigation; I have so far succeeded in my inquiries as to 
be induced to forward you the result, wishing that yoa may lay it 
before the public in the next number of the American Journal of 
Science and Arts. The reasons why I wish to lay my researches 
thus prematurely before the public, are, that I have made experi- 
ments on my plan to a considerable extent; even enough to satisfy 
myself of its success; but that Iam not now able, and, perhaps, 
shall not be before next spring, for want of funds, to construct a ma- 
chine of a sufficient size to determine its practical utility, which will 
probably cost from one hundred to one hundred and fifty dollars; 
and that I have written a number of letters, to different places, de- 
scriptive of my plan and its principles, some of which are unanswer- 
ed and have likewise made communications personally to individuals 
with whom I was very partially acquainted. 4 will now give a plain 
and concise description of my - and its principles, hoping you will 
lay it before the public, and thus peel bie son hockii 
, or taking undue advantages of my present cir- 
cumstances in the prosecution of this enterprise, with which I feel 
deeply interested. In so doing you will confer a favor on me, and 
perhaps, in time on the best interests of literature and science. 
I shall now proceed to develope the true principles of aérial nay- 
igation as founded in reason and the established laws of nature, and 
describe a plan which I discovered in the autumn of eighteen hun- 
dred and thirty, which seems every way applicable to the purpose. 
Its resistance to progression will be very small; its principles are ca- 
pable of being employed with equal facility on a small or large con- 
struction, according to the weight required to be conveyed. It is 
calculated to have the combined assistance of inflammable or rarefied 
air, and the percussion of wings. The inflammable or rarefied air is 
to supply the principal means of ascent or ascensive power, and ~ 
power is to be governed and varied at pleasure by the 
wings. ‘The wings are to be so constructed and hung as to pes 
with the. pepeaiont facility, whatever be their size, shape and weight. 
