therefore, he began the chemical ope rations neceffary for the production of the inflammable gas. The balloon filled rapidly, though confiderably agitated by the wind.

From one o'clock to half past four, the wind continued to increase, and, at length, blew fo violently, that had he made any previous experiment in this country, he fhould have yielded to the earnest folicitations of the brilliant and numerous company with which he was honoured, and fhould have deferred his afcent to a period less tempestuous.

M. Garnerin, however, though he determined not to disappoint the pub. lic expectation himself, felt it to be his duty to prefs Captain Sowden not, for the fake of curiofity, to expose himself to the perils attendant upon fuch a journey in fuch weather. The Captain, however, refifted all these folicitations, and refolved to accompany him. From a quarter past four to five fome fhowers of rain fell, which only allayed the fury of the wind for a fhort time, for after they had ceased it blew with more violence than ever.

At five o'clock Meffrs. Garnerin and Sowden took their feats, the cords were cut, and the balloon afcended. Each held a flag of the nation to which he belonged, which he waved to the company prefent. The balloon first made the tour of the place where the spectators ftood, and after being greeted with the loud plaudits and good withes of every perfon, afcended majestically and rapidly into the regions of the air. The wind blew from the S. W. The balloon, therefore, proceeded over St. James's Park, the Thames, and Weltminster and Blackfriar's Bridges.

M. Garnerin then found that the balloon began to defcend; he threw out fome ballaft, and it rofe immediately with great rapidity, and carried the travellers over the Cathedral of St. Paul's.

During all this time the whole me tropolis was diftinctly feen by the aeronauts, whose balloon was equally vifible to the inhabitants of the metropolis. When it was over St. Paul's, M. Garnerin afked Captain Sowden how he felt himself? The Captain re plied, that he was perfectly enchanted with his fituation, and with the superb

expanfe of fky, and with the earth, now faft leffening to the view, and foon to be feen no more. The temperature of the atmosphere now began to change very fenfibly, and to be fifteen degrees colder than when they began to ascend. It was extremely cold. The balloon continued rapidly to afcend, was foon above the clouds, and the earth was vifible no more. When the travellers were above the clouds, the climate be came fenfibly milder: the inflammable air began to dilate, and M. Garnerin gave it all poffible means of vent pro per for their fafety.

They now dined with good appetites, and very comfortably above the clouds, at an elevation of upwards of 15,000 feet above the earth. During the defert, M. Garnerin told Captain Sowden, that the pleasanteft part of their journey was paffed, and that they muft now prepare for a very difagree able defcent, on account of the continued violence of the wind.

About half an hour had elapfed fince their afcent. M. Garnerin now opened the foupape (the sucker), and the balloon defcended through black and cold clouds; they then defcried land again, and alfo the fea, towards which their courfe was carrying them *.

As foon as they had approached fufficiently near the earth, they threw out their anchor and cable. When the balloon firft touched the ground, it rebounded with confiderable violence; this rebound was followed by about twenty more, more violent than the firft.

The gufts of wind dragged them over fields and hedges, which tore their hands and clothes: their anchor touched the ground feveral times, but dragged; and it was not till fome minutes had elapfed that it took fteady hold in a thicket near a houfe. Here they conceived themselves to be releafed from all peril; but the inhabitants of the houfe, alarmed at the balloon, would not affift them; nay, actually offered to fire on the adventurous travellers, In the mean time the cable of the anchor broke, and they were dragged through trees and branches, the balloon being agitated to an extreme degree, and rebounding very violently. At length they were driven against a tree, and Captain Sowden received a fevere blow on the back part of his head,

The

The balloon was now torn in the lower part, the cords broke, the boat broke; the travellers had hold of a tree, from which they were torn by the violence of the wind. At laft, a bound which the balloon made enabled them to jump out. The balloon, abandoned to itself, and much torn, fell about two hundred paces further.

The place where M. Garnerin and Captain Sowden landed was on a common, four miles beyond Colchefter, and fixty miles from Ranelagh. The time that elapfed from their departure to their landing on the common was three quarters of an hour.

M. Garnerin's hands are much torn, and his legs and thighs confiderably bruifed. Captain Sowden is much more

hurt. He has received a fevere blow on the back part of his head, and is much bruised and torn in other parts of his body by the bushes and trees against which they were driven.

M. Garnerin pays the highest tribute to the courage and coolness of his companion, who, after the balloon firft rebounded, could feveral times have jumped out of it with great eafe and fafety, but he perfifted in sharing the fate of his companion, till they were both enabled to land in fafety.

CAPTAIN SOWDEN'S ACCOUNT.
MR. EDITOR,

As numberless questions have been put to me, refpecting the fenfations I experienced while in the upper regions, I think it a duty incumbent on me to inform the Public, and to fet them right as to the erroneous ideas they have of an acroftatic voyage. On our first afcending, we felt a few drops of rain. After we had gained the height of about 3000 feet, I defired M. Gar. nerin not to afcend any higher till he had paffed the metropolis, that the inhabitants might be gratified with a fair view of us. When we had got at a fmall diftance from London, we afcended through fome very thick clouds, of which I could perceive three diftinct rows, at the lower one of which we found the quickfilver of the thermometer at 15 deg. and I was obliged to put on my great coat; but on afcending ftill higher, we found the air more temperate, and the quickfilver rife gradually to five deg. above fummer heat. We then feemed to be stationary, and felt no more motion than one would feel in fitting in a chair in a room.

I then propofed to M. Garnerin to overhawf our lockers, where we found a ham, a cold fowl, a cake, and two bottles of orgeat, wines or spirits being dangerous to take, owing to the rarefication of the air. The chill of the clouds having given us an appetite, we made a table on our knees with the feats of the car, and ate a very hearty meal. The clouds then difperfed from under us, and we had a delightful view of the country. Whether it is owing to the rarefication of the air, or to the ftrong light thrown on the earth, I cannot determine, but I found that my fight, which at all times is rather weak, became fo ftrong, that I could easily distinguish the minuteft objects on the earth: it appeared like a valt panorama or map, of about fifty miles in circumference, where we could not only follow with our eyes the different crossroads and interfections on it, but even diftinguish the ruts on them, and the very furrows in the field. The sense of hearing was stronger here than on earth; for, at the height of 15,000 feet, we could diftinctly hear the rattling of the carriages on the roads, the lowing of cattle, and the acclamations of the people who faw us; though, at the fame time, we could hardly hear ourfelves fpeak; and I am perfuaded, that a perfon on the earth, with a ftrong voice and a fpeaking trumpet, might make himself perfectly under. ftood by any perfon at that height in the air. I have obferved, that almost every sensation I experienced while in the upper regions was exactly the contrary to what is the general opinion of the Public. I was affured by a number of the most celebrated literati, who pretended to be very learned on that fubject, that I fhould find the cold increafe the higher I afcended; instead of which, I found the heat increase to that degree, that I was obliged to take both my great coat and jacket off. It is alfo the general opinion, that looking down from fo ftupendous a height renders a perfon fo giddy as not to be able to keep his feat; on the contrary, I found that I could look down with a vaft deal of pleasure, and without experiencing that inconvenience; whereas looking round on the vaft expanfe that furrounded us rendered my eyes fo dim, that I was fometimes a few minutes before I could perfectly recover my fight. I experienced no diffi culty of breathing, or inconvenience

from

from the motion of the balloon; for though we moved with immenfe velocity, we felt not the leaft wind or preffure of air, it being fo perfectly calm, that the flags in our hands, and thofe with which the balloon was decorated, hung fupine, nor did they stir. I ob. ferved, that between every row of clouds, not only the atmosphere, but the wind varied feveral degrees; for, on our paffing through the first cloud after leaving London, the wind, which had before been nearly S. W. changed to S. S. E. by which means we found ourfelves over St. Alban's, in Hertford fhire. On afcending till higher, the wind became nearly W. which drove us over Epping Foreft, which I ditin guished very plainly; it appeared like a gooseberry-buth. I then pointed out our course to M. Garnerin on the map, and obferved to him, that we should foon perceive the fea, which in a short time we faw very plainly. M. Gar.

nerin then told me we had not a moment to lofe, and must defcend with all poffible fpeed; at the fame time pointing out a very heavy cloud to me, nearly under us; and faid-" Il faut que nous paffions a travers de ce droie la accrochez vous ferme car nous allons nous caffer le col." I answered-" De tout mon cœur." We then opened the valve, and we defcended with rapidity. On rufhing into the cloud, I found, as he had conjectured, it contained as violent a fquall of wind and rain as ever I experienced. The attraction of the water, the force of the wind, and the conftant emillion of gas from the valve, hurled us with fuch velocity towards the earth, that I expected to fee his prediction verified, though, I can affure you, my ideas at that time did not coincide with the answer I made him. M. Garnerin ftill retained all his cool. nefs and prefence of mind; and while we were defcending with that extreme fwiftnefs, defired me, the moment I should find the car about to touch the earth, to catch hold of the hoop which was fastened to the bottom of the net, to which the car was fufpended, and lift myself up into the net, by which means we faved ourselves from being dafhed to pieces. The balloon did not re-afcend immediately, but dragged us along the ground, with aftonishing fwiftnefs, for the length of nearly three fields, before the grappling iron took good hold, and then we thought our

YOL. XLII. JULY 1802.

felves fafe, being close to a farm-house, from which feveral perfons came out to fee us; but though we threw out ropes to them, and called for help, they were fo confternated that neither threats nor entreaties could prevail on them to come to our affiftance; for, as I afterwards heard, they took us to be two forcerers, it being rather an unufual thing to fee two men coming down pot hafte from the clouds. We were for about three minutes in that fituation, till another gust of wind broke our cable, and we afcended again nearly 600 feet. In the bustle of preparing the ropes for the farmers, M. Garnerin had let the rope belonging to the valve flip out of his hand, by which means the bottom of the balloon was prelled upwards by the wind. M. Garnerin defied me to try to regain it, which I at laft effected by climbing up into the net, though the force of the wind ftruck the tin tubes faftened at the bottom of the balloon, and through which the rope led, with fuch violence against my face, that it had nearly tunned me. Having recovered, we redefcended, but were borne with fuch violence across the country, fometimes along the ground, fometimes in the air, that I feveral times propofed to M.Garnerin to abandon the balloon, and to fave ourselves; but he continually objected to it, and reminded me of my promife not to quit him. In the mean time we were dashed against feveral trees, one of which had nearly deftroyed us. Being with my back towards it, I received a blow on the head, which threw me at full length at the bottom of the car. M. Garnerin, in attempting to aflit me, was nearly thrown overboard; two of the cords that held the car broke, and at the fame time fome of the branches tore the balloon: upon which M. Garnerin cried out, "The balloon is torn, and we are faved." Another gust of wind difengaged us from the tree, and we touched the ground once more, with a lefs violent hock than before. then both got out, but fo exhaufted with our numerous exertions, that we had hardly itrength to follow the balloon, which fell again about 200 paces further, when we completely mattered it, by throwing ourselves upon it, and by that means preffing out the remainder of the gas. It rained to very hard, that I propofed

E

We

tq

en

to M. Garnerin to leave the balloon in the field, and go in fearch of fome houfe for thelter and refreshment. We accordingly made the best of our way to a houfe which we efpied about half a mile off, belonging to a Mr. Kingbery; and here a very curious mistake took place. When we quired for the matter of the house, Mr. Kingibery appeared; but feeing two perfons of fo ftrange an appearance (M. Garnerin having a French hat on, with the national cockade, bearing the tri-coloured flag, and myself being in a failor's drefs, with the union jack in my hand), he imagined we came on account of the election, and before we could addrefs him, faid, "Gentlemen, though I am a freeholder, I have made a determination not to vote for one fide or the other." So much was he impreffed with this idea, that it was fome time before we could make him fenfi. ble that we had nothing to do with the election, but that we came in a balloon in three quarters of an hour from London; that we were very much bruifed and tired; and that we required his affistance and shelter. He then received us in the most hofpitable manner, not only providing us with refrethments and dry clothes, but even offered us beds, the ufe of his house and horfes, and fent immediately fome farmers with a cart, to carry the balloon from the field, and convey it to a place of fafety; and as we expreffed a wish to get to Colchester that night, he fent for a poft-chaife to convey us thither, where we were ceived with loud acclamations by the inhabitants. The next day we returned to Fingering Hoe, where we had left the balloon, and, after drying it on the grafs, packed it up, and made the best of our way to town, where we arrived about four o'clock the next n:orning.

re

I cannot help admiring the coolness and prefence of mind M. Garnerin preserved, even in the most imminent danger; and I am fo confident of his great talents and skill in conducting a balloon, that I would venture to go to the end of the world with him.

I am, Sir,

Your's, &c.

R. C. SOWDEN.

SECOND EXCURSION.

MR. LOCKER'S ACCOUNT OF THE VOY. AGE OF MONDAY, JULY 5.

MR. EDITOR,

ALTHOUGH the world has been already prefented with an account of a late aerial excurfion, I flatter myself fo much intereft is till entertained by the Public for the fafety of M. Garnerin, that the following particulars of his fecond afcent will prove acceptable to them:-The very unfavourable weather, attended with a heavy gale at S. and S. W. induced M. Garnerin to give up his intention of afcending to difplay the promifed experiment of the parachute. In this event it had been arranged that Mr. Sowden fhould once more accompany him; but fome misunderstanding having taken place between thofe Gentlemen, and having had some previous conversation on the preceding day with M. Garnerin on the fubject, I afcended with him yesterday afternoon at ten minutes before five o'clock, according to my watch, The from Lord's Cricket-ground. ftrong affurances of my companion, added to what I had read on the fcience of aeroftation, and the experience of former aëronauts, had fo fully perfuaded me of my perfect fecurity, that I enjoyed the wonderful and enchanting profpect which now presented itself with unmixed pleasure. Although the denfe ftate of the atmosphere obstructed diftant objects in fo great a degree, that our horizon was fomewhat limited, the unufual concourfe of fpectators, which gradually diminished to an undistinguifhed mats, and the view of great part of the metropolis, together with the furrounding country, ftudded with houfes, and enlivened by the inhabitants moving in every direction, afforded me an entertainment well worth the purchase of any fuppofed danger. After throwing out foine part of our ballaft, we afcended very rapidly, and by the intervention of fome thick clouds (which had much the appearance of a fea of cotton beneath us, as defcribed by Mr. Baldwyn, of Cheiter), we enWe tirely lott fight of the earth. moved with much rapidity, although our motion was to me perfectly imperceptible; and at length the clouds difperfing, we again faw the country be low us. I attempted in vain to afcertain our fituation, by calling to my recollection

recollection the appearance of the country, which appeared to me more like a profpect feen in a camera, when placed in a very elevated fituation, than any thing to which I could compare it; I think a map is an incorrect comparifon, as the various objects are not, as in nature, delineated with fufficient mi. nuteness to bear with a refemblance. About this time M. Garnerin looked at his watch, and obferving we had been five minutes on our voyage, propofed to defcend in about the fame time. The perufal of Mr. Sowden's narrative led me to obferve, with much attention, the power of hearing noifes below; neither M. Garnerin nor myfelf could diftinguith founds above the elevation of 3 or 4000 feet, though M. Garnerin imagines a very confufed found, but totally undiftinguishable, may be heard confiderably higher. We never attained a greater height, this day, by M. Garnerin's computation, than about 1,200 French toifes, or 7,800 feet, as M. Garnerin being de firous to return the fame evening to town, did not choose to lose a favourable opportunity of defcending. At length we faw at a diftance what proved afterwards to be Epping Foreft, with a range of diftant hilis beyond, and obferving an open champagne country, M. Garnerin opened the valve, and we began to descend. He directed me to call to fome persons employed in a field, as we approached the ground, to take hold of the ropes, which we had thrown out for the purpofe, and recommended me to hold fast by the cords, to avoid the fhock on the balloon's firit touching the earth. This precaution proved very neceflary, as the force with which we defcended was very confiderable, occafioned by the force of the wind, rather than by our specific gravity, and the rebound bore us up again with velocity to the height of 150 or 200 feet. In redefcending, we ftruck against a tree, the flock of which gave M. Garnerin a fevere blow on the back; and he obferved, that this was the only occafion, during a period of twelve years, in which he had been in the habit of acroftation, and the twenty feventh time he has afcended, that he ever fuffered fuch an inconvenience. Several of the peafantry being now at hand, we were fecured from any further afcent, and alighted from the car with perfect fafety. We immediately

enquired our fituation, and found we had fallen in a field of Mr. Owen's, at Chingford, in Effex, and, referring to our watches, obferved we had made our voyage exactly in one quarter of an hour. We dispatched a meffenger to Woodford for a polt-chaife, and the inflammable air having evaporated, packed the balloon in the car, and had it conveyed to a finall inn at Chingford Green, adjoining which we had defcended, from whence, after a flight repait on fome provifions we had brought with us, we fet off for Lon don, and arrived at M. Garnerin's, in Poland-street, a quarter after nine in the evening. Although the mob, which furrounded us on our defcent, were, as ufual, both troublesome and officiously impertinent, we received great attention and affiftance from Mr. Hughes, of the Stamp Office, London, and feveral other Gentlemen, who be held our arrival. Attention would have been, however, infured to us, if neceffary, by the paper put into the hands of M. Garnerin, figned by his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Devonshire, Lords Befborough, Cathcart, and other perfons of diftinction, who witneffed our afcenfion at Lord's Cricket Ground. I am, &c. EDWARD HAWKE LOCKER. Greenwich, July 6, 1802. (COPY)

July 5, 1802. We, the undersigned, having been prefent at the afcenfion of Mr. Garnerin with his Balloon, this afternoon, and witneffed the entire fatisfaction of the Public, beg leave to recommend him to the attention of any Gentleman in whofe neighbourhood he may hap pen to descend.

Mr. Garnerin's Balloon afcended at Lord's Cricket Ground, London, at ten minutes before five, and defeended at Chingford Green, in Elfex, in a field of Mr. Owen's, at five minutes pat five, palling a distance of nine miles in one quarter of an hour: this circumitance attefted at the King's Head, Chingford Green, in the pretence of George Clinton Davies, George Soames, Thomas Williams, John Odtrins, John Hughes, Stamp Richard PampliOffice, London, lion. Garnerin.

The aerial travellers on E. H. Locker, } the occafion. E 2

BRIEF