ator.

APRIL 9TH. To-day the earth's diameter was greatly diminished, and the
color of the surface assumed hourly a deeper tint of yellow. The balloon
kept steadily on her course to the southward, and arrived at nine P. M.
over the Mexican Gulf.

APRIL 12TH. A singular alteration took place in regard to the direction
of the balloon, and, although fully anticipated, afforded me the very
greatest delight. Having reached, in its former course, about the
twentieth parallel of southern latitude, it turned off suddenly at an
acute angle to the eastward, and thus proceeded throughout the day,
keeping nearly, if not altogether, in the exact plane of the moon's
path around the earth.

APRIL 13TH. Great decrease in the earth's apparent size. The moon could
not be seen at all, being nearly above me. I still continued in the
plane of the moon's path, but made little progress eastward.

APRIL 14TH. Extremely rapid decrease in the size of the earth. To-day I
became strongly impressed with the idea that the balloon was holding the
direct course which would bring it immediately to the moon where it
comes nearest the earth. The moon was directly overhead, and
consequently hidden from my view. Great and long continued labor was
necessary for the condensation of the atmosphere.

APRIL 16TH. To-day, looking upward as well as I could, through each of
the side windows alternately, I beheld, to my great delight, a very
small portion of the moon's disk protruding, as it were, on all sides
beyond the huge bulk of the balloon. My agitation was extreme, for I had
now little doubt of soon reaching the end of my perilous voyage. Indeed,
the labor required by the condenser had increased to such a degree that
I had scarcely any respite from exertion. Sleep was a matter nearly out
of question. I became quite ill, and my frame trembled with exhaustion.
It was impossible that human nature could endure this state of intense
suffering much longer.

APRIL 17TH. This morning proved an epoch in my voyage. It will be
remembered that on the thirteenth the earth had diminished; on the
fourteenth, it had still further dwindled; on the fifteenth, a still
more rapid decrease was observable; and on retiring for the night of the
sixteenth, the earth had shrunk to small size. What, therefore, must
have been my amazement, on awakening from a brief and disturbed slumber
on the morning of this day, the seventeenth, at finding the surface
beneath me so suddenly an