wever, at Paris, much discontent with the ascent of
"Le Flesselles;" and the Journal de Paris de Paris, which notices so
enthusiastically the other ascents of that epoch, speaks slightingly of
that at Lyons.

The next great ascent took place at Milan, on the 25th of February,
1784, under the direction of the Chevalier Paul Andriani, who had a
balloon constructed by the Brothers Gerli, at his own expense. We read
that this balloon was 66 feet in diameter, and that the envelope was
composed of cloth, lined in the interior with fine paper.

The balloon was not in all respects constructed like that which rose at
Lyons. The grating which supported the fire that kept up the supply of
hot air was placed at the mouth of the opening. It was made of copper,
was six feet in diameter, and was secured by a number of transverse
beams of wood. M. Andriani thought it best to place his fire--contrary
to general usage--a little way above the mouth of the opening, and he
found out that the activity of the fire was in proportion with that of
the air which entered and fed it.

In place of making use of a gallery like that employed by Montgolfier,
as much to manage the fire as to carry the traveller and the fuel, he
substituted a wide basket, suspended by cords to the edge of the opening
of the balloon, at such a distance that fuel could be thrown on with the
hand without being inconvenienced by the heat.

Everything being in readiness, the machine was carried to Moncuco, the
splendid domain of Andriani, where the first experiments were made; for
this gentlemen knew that as the populace are impatient, they are also
often un-reasonable, and jump to the hastiest and most inconsiderate
conclusion when, in witnessing scientific experiments, any of the
arrangements happen to be imperfect, and the results in any respect
prove unsuccessful.

Andriani did not deceive himself, for, sure enough, his first attempt
did not come up to expectation. The reasons for this failure were the
too great quantity of air which the fire drew in, and the unsuitable
character of the fuel used.

On the 25th of February, 1784, a second attempt was made. The fire was
lighted under the machine, at first with dry birch-wood and afterwards
with a bituminous composition, ingeniously concocted by one of the
Brothers Gerli. In less than four minutes the balloon was completely
inflated, and the men employed to hold it down with ropes perceived that
it was on the point of