196 REPORT — 1864. 



•under which was a whitish-greyish black resting on uniform white rocky 

 cumuhis clouds. 



At 6^ 37" 10% at the height of 6981 feet, the colours of the clouds in the 

 south were : — the top layer brown, under which was bluish brown, then 

 rocky-brown cumulostratus, below bluish black resting on a base of rocky 

 cumulus. 



At 6'' 43'", peaks after peaks, apparently rising up to our level, and clearly 

 defined against the sky ; cloud with a little red in it not opposite to the sun. 



At 6" 54™ 10% at the height of 1580 feet, colours of clouds were as follows : 

 — top layer deep greenish blue ; next bluish black, below green rocky clouds, 

 then slightly rocky cumulus clouds. 



Ascent from Woherham^jfon, Septemher 29, 1863. — The gas used on this 

 occasion was specially prepared in the mouth of July, as a high ascent was 

 arranged to have taken place before the Meeting of the Association last year, 

 but circumstances prevented it, and the Directors of the Gas Works had most 

 obligingly devoted a gasometer to our use from July to September, much to 

 their own inconvenience. 



The balloon was filled the preceduig day, and watched all night. On 

 leaving. Lord Wrottesley quietly said, " Beware of the Wash," at the same 

 time pressing my hand, and repeating, " Beware of the Wash ; I fear that is 

 your direction." We left the earth at 7'' 43™ a.m. with a cloudy sky and a 

 south-west wind. At 7'' 5>2"', at the height of 3000 feet, the sun's disk was 

 seen, and the earth was obscured by mist. 



At S** 4™, at the height of 6000 feet, clouds were situated both above and 

 below; at 8'' 18™, at the height of 8200 feet, there were two layers of clouds 

 below us, and very dense clouds stiU far above. 



When at 11,000 feet clouds were stiU a mile higher; there was a beau- 

 tiful sea of cloud below mth a blue tinge over its surface, and the peeps of 

 the earth as seen through the breaks in the clouds were beautiful, having a 

 purple hue ; when at 13,000 feet, clouds were still at a higher elevation, and 

 after this they began to dissipate ; and at 9'' 38™, at 14,000 feet, the sun shone 

 brightly, and we thought we might gradually approach a height of 5 miles, 

 and remain in the higher regions tiU after noon, so that I might make a series 

 of actinometer and blackened bulb observations ; but, to our deep regret, at 

 gh 48^ -^e found ourselves moving directly for the Wash, as seen through a 

 break in the lower clouds, at an estimated distance of 10 mUes only, and we 

 were compelled to begin om- descent ; at 10'' 19™, at the height of 3000 feet, 

 we saw by the benrling of the trees that a gale of wind from the south was 

 blowing on the earth, and we had a rough descent, being drawn over hedges, 

 across fields and ditches ; indeed so strong was the wind that the balloon was 

 torn from top to bottom, and was very much injured, but it was only by the 

 almost destruction of the balloon that its course was stopped ; we ourselves 

 escaped with slight injuries. 



Ascent from the Crt/stal Palace, October 9, 1863. — The balloon left the 

 Crystal Palace at 4" 29™ p.m. ; in 4 minutes it was 2500 feet high ; at 4'' 46" 

 was 7300 feet, and directly over London Bridge, at which height with one 

 glance the vast number of buildings comprising the whole of London covdd be 

 seen, some so plainly that the plans of their inner courts could have easily been 

 drawn ; in this situation it was difficult to persuade oneself that that small 

 building directly imder us was the Cathedral of fit. Paul's ; we then gradually 

 descended to 2300 feet at 5" 15™, ascended to 3600 feet by 5'' 24™, and de- 

 scended again to 1500 feet by 5'' 36'" ; ascended to 8600 feet by 6'', and 



I 



