J2l8 AIR 
current of air in which they are expofed, remaining in 
thefe elevated regions till the fluid efcapesby the burfting 
of the bags from the fuperior elafticity of tire fluid, or by 
its gradual evaporation through the pores of the envelope.- 
The hiftory, principles, &c. of thofe machines are de¬ 
tailed under the article Aerostation ; in addition to 
which we (hall now give the following particulars. The 
firft voyage performed in an air-balloon in England was 
by Vincent Lunardi, a native of Italy, who afcended from 
the Artillery-ground in London, on the 15th of Septem¬ 
ber, 1784- His machine was made of oiled filk, painted in 
alternate (fripes of blue and red; and its diameter was 
thirty-three feet. From a net, which covered about 
two-thirds of the balloon, forty-five cords defcended to a 
hoop hanging below the balloon, to which the gallery was 
attached. The machine had no valve; and its neck, 
which terminated in the form of a pear, was the aperture 
through which the inflammable air was introduced, and 
through which it might be let out. The balloon was fil¬ 
led with air produced from zinc by means of diluted vi¬ 
triolic acid. And when the aeronaut departed, at two 
o’clock, he took up w'ith him a dog, a cat, and a pigeon. 
After throwing out fome ballad, to'clear the houfes, he 
afcended to a confiderable height; and the diretlion of 
his potion at firft was north-weft by weft ; but, as the bai- 
oon rofe higher, it came into another current of air, 
which carried it nearly north. In the courfe of his voy¬ 
age the thermometer w’as as low as twenty-nine degrees, 
and the drops of water which had collected round the bal¬ 
loon were frozen. About half after three he defcended 
very near the ground, and landed the cat, which was al- 
moft dead with cold: then rifing, he profecuted his voy¬ 
age, till at ten minutes paft four o’clock he landed near 
Ware in Hertfordfliire. He defcended by means of his 
oars or wings. 
-The fecond aerial voyage in England, was performed 
by Mr. Blanchard, and Mr. Sheldon profeflbr of anato¬ 
my to the Royal Academy, being the firft Englifliman 
who afcended with an aeroftatic machine. They afcended 
at Chelfea the 16th of October, at nine minutes paft 
twelve o’clock. Mr. Blanchard, having landed Mr. Shel¬ 
don at about fourteen miles from Chelfea, re-afcended 
alone, and finally landed near Rom fey in Hampfhire, 
about feventy-five miles diftant from London, having 
gone nearly at the rate of twenty miles an hour. The 
wings ufed on this occafion it feems produced no devia¬ 
tion from the direction of the wind. Mr. Blanchard faid 
that he afcended fo high as to feel, a great difficulty of 
breathing: and that a pigeon, which flew away from the 
boat, laboured for fome time to fuftain itfelf with its 
wings in the rarefied air, but, after wandering a good 
while, returned, and refted on the fide of the boat. 
On the 4th of October, Mr. Sadler, an ingenious 
tradefman af Oxford, afcended at that place with an in¬ 
flammable-air balloon of hi? own conftru6tion and filling. 
And again on the 12th of the fame month he afcended at 
Oxford, and floated to the diftance of fourteen miles in 
feventeen minutes, which is at the rate of near fifty miles 
an hour. 
On the 4th of January, 1785, a Mr. Harper afcended 
at Birmingham w'ith an inflammable-air balloon, and went 
to the diftance of fifty miles in an hour and a quarter, and 
fuffered no other inconvenience than a temporary deafnefs, 
and what might be expedited from the changes of wet and 
cold. The thermometer defcended from forty to twen¬ 
ty-eight degrees. 
On the 19th of January, Mr. Crofbie afcended at Dub¬ 
lin in Ireland, with an inflammable-air balloon, to a great 
height. He rofe fo rapidly that he was out of fight in 
three minutes and a half. By fuddenly opening the valve 
he defcended juft at the edge of the fea, as he was driving 
towards the channel, being unprovided for properly paf- 
ling over to England. 
On the 23d of March, Count Zambeccari and Admi- 
wiiral Sir Edward Vernon afcended at London, and failed 
A I R 
to Horfham in Suftex, at the diftance of thirty-five miles, 
in lefs than an hour. The voyage proved very dangerous, 
owing to fome of the machinery about the valve being 
damaged, which obliged them to cut open fome part of 
the balloon when they were about two miles perpendicu¬ 
lar height above the earth, the barometer having fallen 
from 30-4 to 20.8 inches. In defeending they palled 
through a denfe cloud, which felt very cold, and covered 
them w'ith fnow. The obfervations they made were, that 
the balloon kept perpetually turning round its vertical 
axis, fometimes fo rapidly as to make each revolution in 
four or five feconds ; that a peculiar noife, like ruftling, 
was heard among .the clouds, and that the balloon was 
greatly agitated in the defeent. 
On May the 5th, Mr. Sadler, and William Windham, 
Efq. member of parliament for Norwich, afcended at 
Moulfey-hurft. The,machine took a fouth-eaft courfe, 
and the current of air W*ks fo ftrong that they were in great 
danger of being driven to fea. They had the good for¬ 
tune however to defeend near the conflux of the Thames 
and Medway, not a mile from the water’s edge. By an 
accident they loft their balloon: for, while the aeronauts 
were bulled in fecuring their inftruments, the country 
people, whom they had employed in holding down the 
machine, fuddenly let go the cords, when the balloon in- 
ftantly afcended, and was driven many miles out to fea, 
where it fell, and was taken up by a trading veftel. It 
was afterwards reftored again, and another voyage made 
with it from Manchefter to PontefraH, in which Mr. 
Sadler was ftill more unfortunate; for ho perfon being 
near when it defcended, and not being able to confine it 
by his own ftrength, he was dragged by it over trees and 
hedges; and at laft was forced to quit it at the utmoft 
danger of his life ; after which it rofe, and was out of 
light in a few minutes. It was afterwards found near 
Gainlborough. 
On the 12th of May Mr. Crofbie afcended, at Dublin, 
as high as the tops of the houfes; but foon defcended 
again with a velocity that alarmed all the fpeiftators for 
his fafety. On his ftepping out of the car, in an inftant 
Mr. M’Guire, a college youth, fprung into it, and the 
balloon afcended with him to the aftonifhment of the be¬ 
holders, and prefently he was carried with great velocity 
towards the channel in the direction of Holyhead. This 
being obferved, a crowd of horfemen purfued full fpeed 
the courfe he feemed to take, and could plainly perceive 
the balloon defeending into the fea. Lord H. Fitzge¬ 
rald, who was among the foremoft, inftantly difpatched a 
fwift-failing veil'd mounted with oars, and all the boats 
that could be got, to the relief of the gallant youth ; 
whom they found almoft fpent with fwimming, juft time 
enough to fave His life. 
On the 19th of July, at twenty minutes paft two o’clock, 
Mr. Crofbie again afcended at Dublin, with intent to 
crofs the channel to Holyhead in England. The ufual 
form of the boat had been changed, for a capacious 
wicker bafket, of a circular form, round the upper edges 
of which were faftened a great many bladders, which were 
intended to render his gallery buoyant, in cafe of a difaf- 
ter at fea. About 300 pounds of ballad were put into 
the bafket, but the aeronaut difeharged half a hundred 
on his firft rife. At firft the current of air carried him 
due weft; but it foon changed his courfe to nearly ncsrth- 
eaft, pointing almoft towards' Whitehaven. At upwards 
of forty miles from the Irifh fhore, lie found himfeif with¬ 
in clear fight of both'lands, and he faid it was impoftible 
to give any adequate idea of the unfpeakable beauties 
which the feenery of the fea, bounded by both lands, pre- 
fented. He rofe at one time fo high, that by the intenfe 
cold his ink was frozen, and the mercury funk into the ball 
of the thermometer. He was Tick, and felt a ftrong prepul- 
fion on the tympanum of the ears. At his utmoft height 
he thought himfeif ftationary ; but on liberating fome gas 
he defcended to a current of air blowing north, and ex¬ 
tremely rough. He now entered a thick cloud, and en¬ 
countered 
