AEROSTATION. 
463 
and, having taken my seat in the car, the balloon rose in a most ma- 
jestic manner, nearly perpendicular. The almost deafening shouts 
of the populace, and the roar of cannon that took place, when I had 
ascended a considerable distance from the earth, agitated the balloon. 
I felt the effect of it most sensibly. The moment the discharge of 
cannon took place, 1 knew it was the signal to be given when the 
crown was set upon the head of my most graciotrs sovereign ; and I 
drew the cork of a botttle of brandy, and having poured out a full 
glass, I drank “ Health, long life, and a glorious reign to his majesty.’^ 
The effect of the air upon the brandy is worthy of notice : when I 
drew the cork, a report took place, which I attribute to the rarefac- 
tion of the air, similar to that produced by drawing a cork out of 
a bottle of soda water. When the balloon travelled at its greatest 
rapidity, I felt not the least motion ; it appeared as if the car in which 
I sat was stationary, and the earth was receding from me. The bal- 
loon took a north-east direction at first ; and on my looking down 
upon the vast assemblage of persons in Westminster, the delight I 
felt is out of my power to describe. The view presented one entire 
living mass of more than a million of human beings. Having ascended 
as high as I could without throwing out ballast, 1 determined, as the 
weather was so fine, to keep in sight as long as possible. I threw 
out two bags of sand of ten pounds weight each, and immediately the 
balloon rose with astonishing rapidity almost perpendicularly, accord- 
ing to my wish. When the balloon arrived at its utmost altitude, 
which, in my opinion, (I could not be certain, in consequence of the 
oscillation of the quicksilver in the barometer,) was about eleven thou- 
sand feet from the earth, I found that I had entered a current of air, 
conveying me directly eastward towards the Nore. The cold w'as 
extreme. I put on a cloak which I took up with me, and on looking at 
ray glass 1 found that it was below 30. — two degrees below the freezing 
point. I was fearful of being carried to sea, and immediately opening 
the valve, the gas issued in considerable quantities *, and 1 found, by the 
increase of the size of objects below me to my optics, that I was de- 
scending very rapidly. The largest fields, which a few minutes be- 
fore appeared to be not more than six inches square, increased in 
size greatly ; and I very soon saw the sea, and a number of vessels, 
most distinctly. The balloon had a rotatory motion, and turned about 
four times in a minute. 
“ Still fearing that I should fall into the sea, I opened the valve to 
its utmost extremity, and having descended so as to be able to recog- 
nize small objects distinctly on the earth, with great delight I found 
that the balloon had entered another current of air, which was con- 
veying me from the sea : I was then travelling- north-west. I sat 
down and ate some sandwiches with a good appetite, and saw the 
clouds rolling beneath me, apparently on the ground. About twenty 
minutes before two o’clock, 1 descended in a field belonging to a 
farmer, named Lamkins, which is situated about four miles beyond 
Barnet, in the parish of South Mims. I was not aware that I had de- 
scended so rapidly ; before I had time to draw myself up to the hoop, 
the car struck the earth with great force, and I was thrown out of it 
on my back ; I was nearly stunned from the effects of a blow which 1 
