a mere spectacle for
profit. They thought that to touch pitch they must be defiled, and
preferred danger and the risk of failure to such association.

It is now about two months since M. Barral, a chemist of some
distinction at Paris, and M. Bixio, a member of the Legislative Assembly
(whose name will be remembered in connection with the bloody
insurrection of June, 1848, when, bravely and humanely discharging his
duty in attempting to turn his guilty fellow-citizens from their course,
he nearly shared the fate of the Archbishop, and was severely wounded),
resolved upon making a grand experiment with a view to observe and
record the meteorological phenomena of the strata of the atmosphere, at
a greater height and with more precision than had hitherto been
accomplished. But from the motives which we have explained, the project
was kept secret, and it was resolved that the experiment should be made
at an hour of the morning, and under circumstances, which would prevent
it from degenerating into an exhibition. MM. Arago and Regnault
undertook to supply the aerial voyagers with a programme of the proposed
performance, and instruments suited to the projected observations. M.
Arago prepared the programme, in which was stated clearly what
observations were to be made at every stage of the ascentional movement.

It was intended that the balloon should be so managed as to come to rest
at certain altitudes, when barometric, thermometric, hygrometric,
polariscopic, and other observations, were to be taken and noted; the
balloon after each series of observations to make a new ascent.

The precious instruments by which these observations were to be made
were prepared, and in some cases actually fabricated and graduated, by
the hands of M. Regnault himself.

To provide the balloon and its appendages, recourse was had to some of
those persons who have followed the fabrication of balloons as a sort of
trade, for the purposes of exhibition.

In this part of their enterprise the voyagers were not so fortunate, as
we shall presently see, and still less so in having taken the resolution
to ascend alone, unaccompanied by a practiced aeronaut. It is probable
that if they had selected a person, such as Mr. Green, for example, who
had already made frequent ascents for the mere purpose of exhibition,
and who had become familiar with the practical management of the
machine, a much more favorable result would have ensued. As it was, the
two