ON FIVE BALLOON ASCENTs IN 1863. 429 
Coxwell almost hung to the valve-line, telling me to do the same, and not to 
mind cutting my hand. It was a bold decision, and was boldly carried out. 
When a mile high the earth seemed to be quickly coming up to us, and 
we struck the ground at 2" 48™ at Newhaven, very near the sea; but the 
balloon, by the very free use of the valve-line, was so crippled, that it did 
not move afterwards. Nearly all the instruments were broken, and, to my 
great regret, three very delicate and beautiful thermometers, specially sent 
to me for these observations by M. A. D’Abbadie, were broken. 
Ascent from the North-Western Railway Works at Wolverton, June 26.— 
Tn this ascent the Directors of the North-Western Railway provided the gas, 
and gave every facility to Members of the Committee of the British Associa- 
tion and their friends to be present. 
The gasometers at Wolverton are too small to hold gas enough to fill the 
balloon, it was therefore partially inflated the night before, and remained out 
all night without being influenced by the slightest wind ; the morning of the 
ascent was also calm; the sky was of a deep blue, implying the presence 
of but little vapour; the atmosphere was bright and clear, and all cireum- 
stances were of the most promising kind. The time of ascent was fixed to take 
place some little time after the express train from London should arrive, or at 
a little after noon, and the completion of the filling was somewhat delayed, 
the extraordinary fineness of the morning promising its completion in a short 
time. Between 11 and 12 0’clock all these favourable circumstances changed ; 
the sky became covered with clouds, some of them of a stormy character, 
the wind rose and blew strongly, the balloon lurched a great deal: much 
difficulty was experienced in passing the gas into the balloon, and sufficient 
could not be passed in by 1 o’clock. The wind was momentarily increasing, 
and it became very desirable to be away. 
The greatest difficulty was experienced in fixing the instruments, which 
would have been broken but for Mr. Negretti, who had come from London to 
assist me, and who protected them even at the hazard of being hurt by the 
violent swaying of the balloon and the incessant striking of the car upon 
the ground, notwithstanding the united exertions of many men to hold it. 
At the time of leaving the spring catch was jammed so tight by the pressure 
of the wind that it would not act, and we were let free by the simultaneous 
yielding of the men, and had to part instantly with ballast to avoid striking 
adjacent buildings. 
Tt was 3" after 1" p.m. when we left the earth, with a strong W.S.W. wind. 
The temperature was 65°. In 4 minutes we were 4000 feet high, and entered 
a cloud with a temperature of 50°, experiencing a most painful feeling of 
cold, particularly Mr. Coxwell, who at the moment of leaving was over- 
heated from his great exertions, and owing to his anxiety about the change 
in the weather had left without any extra clothing. As on all previous oc- 
casions, we expected soon to break through the clouds into a flood of strong 
sunlight, with a beautiful blue sky, without a cloud above us, and with seas 
of rocky clouds below ; but, on the contrary, when we emerged all looked dark 
both above and below; we could see the earth, but it was dark and dull, and 
without colour; above us there were clouds. At 9000 feet high we were 
both struck with asighing, or rather moaning of the wind, such as precedes a 
storm ; it was the first time that either Mr. Coxwell or myself had ever heard 
such a sound in the air. We satisfied ourselves that it was in no way attri- 
butable to any movement of the cordage about the balloon, but that it was 
owing to conflicting currents of air beneath. At this time we saw the sun 
very faintly, and momentarily expected its brilliancy to increase ; but instead 
of this, although we were now 2 miles high, we entered a fog, losing entirely 
