1863. THIS INVENTION, ATTRIBUTED TO M. DE LA LAUdelle, CONSISTED OF A COMBINATION OF INCLINED PLANES,

AND PARACHUTE SYSTEM PROPELLED BY STEAM.

THE FIRST BALLOONIST SOCIETY. January 12th, 1866.

This day a meeting was held at the Duke of Argyll's residence at Campden Hill, to found. an Aeronautical Society of Great Britain.

The Duke was chosen chairman, the Duke of Sutherland vice-chairman, Lord R. Grosvenor another vice chairman, and Mr.

treasurer.

Glaisher,

Mr. Glaisher said:

"The first appearance of the balloon as a means of ascending into the upper regions of the atmosphere had been almost within the recollection of men now living, but, with the exception of some of the early experiments, it has scarcely occupied the attention of scientific men; nor had the subject been properly recognised as a distinct branch of science.

"The main reason for this may have been that from the very commencement, balloons have been with but few exceptions employed merely for exhibition or for the purpose of public entertainment.

"A chief branch of inquiry by the Society would be that relating to mechanical invention, for facilitating aërial navigation and obtaining a change of locality at the will of the aëronaut, all contrivances for this purpose having hitherto failed.

"When we consider that the act of flying is not a vital condition, but purely a mechanical action, and that the animal creation furnishes us with models of every size and form, both simple and compound wings, from the minutest microscopic insect to the bird that soars for hours above the highest mountain range, it seems remarkable that no correct demonstration has ever been given of the combined principles upon which flight is performed, or of the absolute force required to maintain that flight, and it would be the office of the Society to bring forward any information or successful experiment illustrative of a theory."

And so the Society was established.

1866.-INVENTION OF BOURCART. FOUR BLADE LIKE

WINGS WORKED BY PEDALLING.

1868.-M. Tissandier and a professional aëronaut made a voyage over the North Sea in a balloon called the "Neptune."

The machine made a splendid ascent, and was soon floating in mid-air buoyant as a feather, at a height of 4,000 feet, bound, as they fondly hoped, for the coast of England; but they were carried

out to sea, floating like gossamer into the very heart of cloudland.

Thus hovering miles above the world and its common-place cares, they enjoyed an interval of transcendent delight, rudely broken in upon by the professional aeronaut, a creature of appetite, who pulled the valve-rope unbidden, thus causing them to descend from their cloudy paradise into the grosser atmosphere that immediately surrounds the earth, where they at length bethought themselves of lunch. M. Tissandier finished his portion of a fowl by tossing a well-picked drumstick overboard. For this imprudence the professional was down upon him immediately. "Do you know," said he, "that to throw out ballast without orders is a very serious crime in a balloon?"

M. Tissandier was at first inclined to argue the point, but on looking at the sensitive barometer he was fain to admit that in consequence of the disappearance of the chicken-bone the balloon had made an upward bound of nearly thirty yards.

After a pleasant voyage, they sighted a lighthouse and descended near the spot where Rosier fell and was killed in 1785.

THE SIEGE OF PARIS.

A STRANGE VOYAGE IN A BALLOON.

On the 24th November 1870 M. Paul Rolier, the eminent engineer, with a rifleman ascended in a balloon in order to convey dispatches from

E

Paris to the exiled party at Tours. On taking his place at the railway station Du Nord in the balloon, M. Rolier conveyed 250 kilograms weight of despatches and six pigeons.

The Prussians having surveyed the sky as they were blockading the city, and had cannons cast for the purpose of directing them against balloons, it was necessary to set out at night in order to avoid the German projectiles.

Scarcely had the balloon started than it rose to a height of 2,000 metres, challenging the whole Prussian Camp, whose fires M. Rolier perceived like the phosphorescence of a considerable number of glow-worms. The wind blew very violently, the balloon was rushing at a fearful rate, and presently they heard the noise of waves breaking on the shore. All at once a thick fog enveloped them; suddenly the fog cleared and they found they were proceeding to sea. Eighteen vessels were in sight, and seeing a small French corvette with a tri-coloured flag, they let the balloon fall down into the sea and wait there till the French vessel should take them up; signals were made but unperceived, and the corvette disappears.

Then a German vessel fires a cannonade and misses the balloon; then a vertical current carries them off.

Again they descend and the waves cover the balloon with foam, the rope is moistened, which retards their course. M. Rolier casts into the sea a sack of papers and letters, again they rise and go eastward towards the open Polar Sea