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128
Wonderful Balloon Ascents; Or, The Conquest of the Skies
·
Fulgence Marion
115
passage.
The
upper
surfaces
of
these
clouds
are
not
uniformly
level,
like
the
under
sides
seen
from
the
earth,
but
they
are
of
a
conical
or
pyramidal
shape.
These
imposing
masses
seem
to
precipitate
themselves
upon
the
earth,
as
if
to
engulf
it,
but
this
optical
illusion
was
due
to
the
apparent
immobility
of
the
balloon,
which
at
the
moment
was
rising
at
the
rate
of
about
twenty
feet
per
second.
“The
fear
of
losing
the
view
of
the
Baltic,
which
we
perceived
between
the
clouds
at
intervals,
obliged
us
to
renounce
the
project
of
rising
as
high
as
on
the
last
occasion.
The
barometer
was
at
fifteen
inches,
and
the
thermometer
one
degree
below
zero,
when
I
let
off
two
pigeons.
“One
descended
in
a
diagonal
direction,
its
wings
half
open
but
not
moving,
with
a
swiftness
which
seemed
that
of
a
fall.
The
other
flew
for
an
instant,
and
then
placed
itself
upon
the
car,
and
did
not
wish
to
quit
us.
Acting
on
the
hint
of
Dr.
Reimarus,
I
tried
the
same
experiment
with
butterflies,
but
the
air
was
too
much
rarefied
for
them;
they
attempted
in
vain
to
raise
themselves
by
their
wings,
but
they
did
not
forsake
the
car.
“The
wind
continuing
to
carry
me
towards
the
sea,
I
resolved
to
bring
my
observations
to
an
end.
I
effected
my
descent
in
a
meadow,
near
the
village
of
Rehorst,
in
Holstein,
after
having
run
sixteen
leagues
from
France
in
sixty-five
minutes.”
At
the
commencement
of
the
year
1804,
Laplace,
at
the
Institute,
proposed
to
take
advantage
of
the
means
offered
by
aerostation
to
verify
at
great
heights
certain
scientific
points--as,
for
example,
those
which
concern
magnetism.
This
proposition
was
made
at
a
favourable
time,
and
was,
so
far,
carried
out
in
the
best
possible
way.
The
aeronauts
who
were
appointed
to
carry
out
the
expedition
were
Biot
and
Gay-Lussac,
the
most
enthusiastic
aeronauts
of
the
period.
The
following
is
their
report:--
“We
observed
the
animals
we
had
with
us
at
all
the
different
heights,
and
they
did
not
appear
to
suffer
in
any
manner.
For
ourselves,
we
perceived
no
effect
any
more
then
a
quickening
of
the
pulse.
At
10,000
feet
above
the
ground
we
set
a
little
green-finch
at
liberty.
He
flew
out
at
once,
but
immediately
returning,
settled
upon
our
cordage;
afterwards,
setting
out
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