THE NATURALIST. 



OCTOBER, 1832 



AEROSTATION. 



Aerostation, in the modern application of the term, signifies 

 the art of navigating through the air, both in its principles and prac- 

 tice. Hence also the machines which are employed for this pur- 

 pose, are called aerostats, or aerostatic machines ; and, on account 

 of their round figure, air balloons. In 1729, Bartholomew Gas- 

 man, a Jesuit, of Lisbon, caused an aerostatic machine, in the 

 form of a bird, to be constructed ; and made it to ascend, by 

 means of a fire kindled under it, in the presence of the king, queen, 

 and a great concourse of spectators. Unfortunately, in rising, it 

 struck against a cornice, was torn, and fell to the ground. The 

 inventor proposed renewing his experiment ; but the people had 

 denounced him to the inquisition as a sorcerer, and he withdrew 

 into Spain, where he died in an hospital. In 1766, the Honora- 

 ble Henry Cavendish discovered that inflammable air [hydrogen 

 gas) was at least seven times as light as the common air. It soon 

 afterwards occurred to the celebrated Dr. Black, that if a thin bag 

 were filled with this gaseous substance, it would, according to 

 the established laws of specific gravity, rise in the common atmos- 

 phere ; but he did not pursue the inquiry. The same idea was 

 next- conceived by Mr. Cavallo, to whom is generally ascribed the 

 honor of commencing the experiments on this subject. He had 

 made but little progress, however, in these experiments, when 

 the discovery of Stephen and John Montgolfier, paper manufactur- 

 ers of France, was announced in 1782, and engaged the atten- 

 tion of the philosophical world. Observing the natural ascent of 

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