ON EIGHT BALLOON ASCENTS IN 1862. 383 
' Ascent from the Crystal Palace, September 1.—The wind on this day blew 
from the E.N.E., the sky was almost covered with cirrostratus cloud, but 
the horizon was moderately clear. The ascent took place at 4"40™ p.m. ; the 
temperature was 64° ; the balloon rose to the height of half a mile in 4 minutes, 
the temperature decreasing to 51°, and dew-point to 43°; at this time the whole 
of the River Thames, from its mouth to beyond Richmond, was in sight. At 
5" 31™, when we were about 4000 feet high, clouds were observed forming 
and following the whole course of the Thames, from the Nore up to the 
higher parts, and extending but little beyond its sides; the clouds were 
parallel to the river, following all its windings and bendings. The Astro- 
nomer Royal has often seen this phenomenon over the part of the river 
commanded by the Royal Observatory, but it was scarcely expected that 
clouds throughout its whole course would have formed so simultaneously and 
uniformly. On referring to the state of the tide, it was found to be just high 
water at London Bridge about this time, connecting the formation with the 
warm water from the sea. After 5" 40™ we were higher than all clouds near 
us, excepting the uniform stratus cloud above us, which we never approached ; 
and it was noted that the upper surface of the lower clouds was bluish white, 
the middle portion the pure white of the cumulus, and the lowest a blackish 
white, and from which rain was falling, and, as we afterwards learned, had 
been falling all the afternoon. We descended to 1300 feet nearly, but were 
still above the clouds; we then rose to 3000 feet, and rain fell upon the 
balloon from the upper stratum of cloud, and no difference of temperature 
from 54° was observed in the stratum between 1300 feet and 3000 feet, 
although a short time before, in passing downwards through this distance, 
the temperature had increased from 48° to 54°. The falling rain equalized 
the temperature. The balloon began to descend after this, and fell at 6" 15™ 
near Woking in Surrey. The evening looked so unpromising, and rain was 
still falling, that it was thought unadvisable to fasten the balloon for the 
night, and attempt a high morning ascent, as was contemplated. In this 
ascent the observations of the barometers and Daniell’s hygrometer were 
made by Mr. J. MacDonald, Assistant Secretary to the British Meteorological 
Society. 
Ascent from Wolverhampton, September 5.—This ascent had been delayed, 
owing to the unfavourable state of the weather. It commenced at 1°3™ p.m. ; 
the temperature of the air was 59°, and the dew-point 50°; at the height of one 
mile it was 41°, dew-point 38°; and shortly afterwards we entered a cloud of 
about 1100 feet in thickness, in which the temperature of the air fell to 363°, 
the dew-point being the same, thus indicating that the air was here saturated 
with moisture. On emerging from the cloud at 1" 17", we came upon a flood 
of strong sunlight, with a beautiful blue sky, without a cloud above us, and 
a magnificent sea of cloud below, its surface being varied with endless hills, 
hillocks, mountain chains, and many snow-white masses rising from it. I 
here tried to take a view with the camera, but we were rising with too great 
rapidity, and going round and round too quickly to enable me to do so; the 
flood of light, however, was so great, that all I should have needed would 
have been a momentary exposure, as Dr. Hill Norris had kindly furnished me 
with extremely sensitive dry plates for the purpose. We reached two miles 
in height at 1" 21"; the temperature had fallen to the freezing-point, and 
the dew-point to 26°. We were three miles high at 1" 28™, with a tempera- 
ture of 18°, and dew-point 13°; at 1" 39™ we had reached four miles, and the 
temperature was 8°, and dew-point —15°; in ten minutes more we had reached 
the fifth mile, and the temperature had passed below zero, and then read 
