ted, and the machine inflated, M. Pilatre de Rozier
placed himself in the gallery, and, after a few trials close to the
ground, he desired to ascend to a great height; the machine was
accordingly permitted to rise, and it ascended as high as the ropes,
which were purposely placed to detain it, would allow, which was about
eighty-four feet from the ground. There M. de Rozier kept the machine
afloat during four minutes twenty-five seconds, by throwing straw and
wool into the grate to keep up the fire; then the machine descended very
gently; but such was its tendency to ascend, that after touching the
ground, the moment M. de Rozier came out of the gallery, it rebounded
again to a considerable height. The intrepid adventurer, returning from
the sky, assured his friends, and the multitude that gazed on him with
admiration, with wonder, and with fear, that he had not experienced the
least inconvenience, either in going up, in remaining there, or in
descending; no giddiness, no incommoding motion, no shock whatever. He
received the compliments due to his courage and audacity, having shown
the world the accomplishment of that which had been for ages desired,
but attempted in vain.

"On October 17th, M. Pilatre de Rozier repeated the experiment with
nearly the same success as he had two days before. The machine was
elevated to about the same height, being still detained by ropes; but
the wind being strong, it did not sustain itself so well, and
consequently did not afford so fine a spectacle to the concourse of
people, which at this time was much greater than at the preceding
experiment.

"On the Sunday following, which was the 19th, the weather proving
favorable, M. Montgolfier employed his machine to make the following
experiments. At half past four o'clock the machine was filled, in five
minutes' time; then M. Pilatre de Rozier placed himself in the gallery,
a counterpoise of 100 pounds being put in the opposite side of it, to
preserve the balance. The size of the gallery had now been diminished.
The machine was permitted to ascend to the height of about 210 feet,
where it remained during six minutes, not having any fire in the grate;
and then it descended very gently.

"Soon after, everything remaining as before, except that now a fire was
put into the grate, the machine was permitted to ascend to about 262
feet, where it remained stationary during eight minutes and a half. On
pulling it down, a gust of wind carried it o