104 •* AERIAL NAVIGATION. 



No vain at the There was na rain at the time of observation. 

 time. 



I am, Sir, 



Hat Ion Garden, Your bumble servant, 



H Mg: 1 809. J. S. 



P. S. As tbese meteors increased in size, tbey seemed t» 

 descend, and bad much of that semblance, which the phan- 

 tasmagorial spectres have, as they seem to approach the 

 spectator. 



TI. 

 On Aerial Navigation. By Sir George Cayley, Dart. 



*.T 



SIR, Brompton, Sept. 6, I8O5). 



A man raising Jl Observed in your Journal for last month, that a watch- 

 1 rose into ma ker at Vienna, of the name of De^en, has succeeded in 



the air oy me- ( " 



chanical raising himself in the^air by mechanical means. I waited 



to receive your present number, in expectation of seeing* 

 some farther account of this experiment, belbre I com- 

 menced transcribing the' following essay upon aerial paviga* 

 tion, from a number of memoranda which 1 have made at 

 various times upon this subject. I am induced to request 

 your publication of this essay, because I conceive, that, ia 

 stating the fundamental principles of this art, together with 

 a considerable number of facts and practical observations, 

 that have arisen in the course of much attention to this 

 subject, I may be expediting the attainment of an object, 

 that will in time be found of great importance to mankind; 

 so much so, that a new aera in society will commence, from, 

 the moment that aerial navigation is familiarly realized. 

 The principles It np pears to me, and I am more confirmed by the suc- 

 may be reduced f tne ingenious Mr. Degen, that nothing more is ne- 



to practice. : ' . . . 



cessary, in order to bring the following principles into com- 

 mon practical use, than the endeavours of skilful artificers, 

 who may vary the means of execution,, till those most con- 

 venient are attained. 



Since 



