HISTORY OF AEROSTATION. 77 



presently coalesced, anil formed, as he expresses it, a sea of cotton, 

 tufting here and there by the action of the air in the undisturbed 

 part of the clouds. The whole became an extended white floor of 

 cloud, the upper surface being smooth and even. Above this 

 white floor he observed, at groat and unequal distances, a vast as- 

 semblage of thunder clouds, each parcel consisting of whole acres 

 in the densest form : he compares their form and appearance to the 

 smoke of pieces of ordnance, which had consolidated, as it were, 

 into masses of snow, and penetrated through the upper surface, or 

 white floor of common clouds, there remaining visible and at rest. 

 He endeavours to convey some idea of the scene by a sketch, which 

 represents a circular view he had from the car of the balloon, him- 

 self being over the centre of the view, looking down on the white 

 floor of clouds, and seeing the city of Chester through an opening, 

 which discovered the landscape below, limited by surrounding va. 

 pour to less than two miles in diameter. The breadth of the outer 

 margin defines his apparent height in the balloon (viz. four miles) 

 above the white floor of clouds. The regions in which he was did not 

 feel colder, but rather warmer, than below ; and the sun felt hottest, 

 when the balloon was stationary. The discharge of a cannon, when 

 the balloon was at a considerable height, was distinctly heard ; and 

 another discharge, when he was at the height of about thirty yards, 

 so disturbed him as to oblige him for safety to lay hold firmly of the 

 cords of the balloon. 



Omitting the relation of Mr. Crosbie's attempt to cross the Irish 

 Channel, and of Major Mony's narrow escape from drowning in 

 the German Ocean*, we proceed to remark that, about the latter 

 end of August, 1785, the longest aerial voyage we have yet heard 

 of was performed by Mr. Blanchard : he ascended at Lisle, accom- 

 panied by the Chevalier de L'Epinard, and travelled 30O miles in 

 the balloon before it descended. On this occasion, as on some 

 former ones, Mr. Blanchard made trial of a parachute, an instru- 

 ment like a large umbrella, invented to break the fall, in case of au 

 accident happening to the balloon : \\itli this machine he dropped a 

 dog from the car soon after his ascension, which descended gently 

 and unhuit. The most celebrated aeronaut of modern times 

 was M. Garnerin, a man of an ardent and ingenious mind, but pro- 



\V> have brcn induced to i <if the perilous situation of Major 



Many, who fell intri t!i< se.i\ith his I> :<lloiin on the 23d July, 1785, off lb 

 roa-i of Yarmouth, and W.LI mn-t providentially discovered and takcii up bj 

 the Argus sloop, after having rcmaiucd in die water during five huun. 



