HISTORY OF THE BALLOON. 137 



A small balloon, not containing any living thing, crossed the Channel, 

 February 1784, from Sandwich, and was found nine miles from Lisle ; it 

 travelled at the rate of thirty miles an hour. 



March the 2nd, 1784, M. Blanchard made his first ascent from Paris, 

 in a hydrogen balloon. He added wings and a rudder, but found them 

 useless. He first carried a Parachute, or open umbrella, attached above 

 the car, to break the fall in case it separated from the balloon. 



M. M. de Morveau and Bertrand ascended April the 25th, 1784, 

 thirteen thousand (English) feet at Dijon. Some effect was found, they 

 thought, to be produced by the use of oars. 



May the 20th, 1784. Confidence in the balloon so far established, 

 that M. Montgolfier, two other gentlemen, and four ladies ascended, the 

 balloon being confined by ropes. A lady (Madam Thible) ascended with 

 only one other person in a fire balloon at Lyons, June the 4th, in the 

 same year. 



November 25th 1783. The first balloon was launched in England, 

 from the Artillery-ground London, by Count Zambeccari ; it was filled 

 with hydrogen, and was ten feet in diameter; it was found nearPetworth, 

 forty-eight miles from London. 



Mr. Boulton (well known as the partner of the celebrated Watt) 

 constructed a balloon to which a match and serpent were attached, that 

 the gas might explode in the air. The object was, to see whether the 

 reverberating growl of thunder is caused by echo, or by successive 

 explosions ; the point remained unsettled, owing to the shouting of the 

 people; but, those who did hear it, thought it growled like thunder- 

 this voyage was made December 26th, 1784. 



September the 15th 1784 The first voyage made in England by 

 Vincentio Lunardi, accompanied by a cat, a dog, and a pigeon. He 

 started at the Artillery-ground and descended at Standon, near Ware. 



January the 7th, 1785 M. Blanchard and Dr. Jeffries crossed the 

 Channel, it being the fifth voyage of the former in the same balloon. 

 They set out from Dover and landed at Guinnes, having been compelled 

 to throw out all their stock to keep the balloon from falling into the sea. 



June the 15th, 1785 M. Pilatre de Rozier and M. Remain ascended 

 from Boulogne in a Montgolfier, of thirty-seven feet in diameter, with 

 the intention of crossing the Channel. They had not been twenty 

 minutes in the air wMto the balloon took fire; both fell from a height of 

 one thousand yards, and were killed upon the spot. 



July 22 General Money ascended at Norwich; the balloon dropped 



