ermine　how　far　the　magnetism　of　the　earth　might　be　affected　by　height。　　The　solar　spectrum　was　to　be　observed；　air　was　to　be　collected　at　different　heights　for　analysis；　clouds；　also　upper　currents；　were　to　be　reported　on。　　Further　observations　were　to　be　made　on　sound；　on　solar　radiation；　on　the　actinic　action　of　the　sun；　and　on　atmospheric　phenomena　in　general。
  All　this　must　be　regarded　as　a　large　order　where　only　a　very　limited　number　of　ascents　were　contemplated；　and　it　may　be　mentioned　that　some　of　the　methods　of　investigation；　as；　for　instance；　the　use　of　ozone　papers；　would　now　be　generally　considered　obsolete；　while　the　mechanical　aspiration　of　thermometers　by　a　stream　of　air；　which；　as　we　have　pointed　out；　was　introduced　by　Welsh；　and　which　is　strongly　insisted　on　at　the　present　day；　was　considered　unnecessary　by　Mr。　Glaisher　in　the　case　of　wet　and　dry　bulb　hygrometers。　　The　entire　list　of　instruments；　as　minutely　described　by　the　talented　observer；　numbered　twenty…two　articles；　among　which　were　such　irreproachable　items　as　a　bottle　of　water　and　a　pair　of　scissors。
  The　following　is　a　condensed　account；　gathered　from　Mr。　Glaisher's　own　narrative；　of　his　first　ascent；　which　has　been　already　briefly　sketched　in　these　pages　by　the　hand　of　Mr。　Coxwell。　　Very　great　difficulties　were　experienced　in　the　inflation；　which　operation　appeared　as　if　it　would　never　be　completed；　for　a　terrible　W。S。W。　wind　was　constantly　blowing；　and　the　movements　of　the　balloon　were　so　great　and　so　rapid　that　it　was　impossible　to　fix　a　single　instrument　in　its　position　before　quitting　the　earth；　a　position　of　affairs　which；　says　Mr。　Glaisher；　〃was　by　no　means　cheering　to　a　novice　who　had　never　before　put　his　foot　in　the　car　of　a　balloon；〃　and　when；　at　last；　at　9。42　a。m。；　Mr。　Coxwell　cast　off；　there　was　no　upward　motion；　the　car　simply　dragging　on　its　side　till　the　expiration　　of　a　whole　minute；　when　the　balloon　lifted；　and　in　six　minutes　reached　the　first　cloud　at　an　altitude　of　4；467　feet。　　This　cloud　was　passed　at　5；802　feet；　and　further　cloud　encountered　at　2；000　feet　further　aloft。　　Four　minutes　later；　the　ascent　proceeding；　the　sun　shone　out　brightly；　expanding　the　balloon　into　a　perfect　globe　and　displaying　a　magnificent　view；　which；　however；　the　incipient　voyager　did　not　allow　himself　to　enjoy　until　the　instruments　were　arranged　in　due　order；　by　which　time　a　height　of　10；000　feet　was　recorded。
  Mr。　Glaisher　apparently　now　had　opportunity　for　observing　the　clouds；　which　he　describes　as　very　beautiful；　and　he　records　the　hearing　of　a　band　of　music　at　a　height　of　12；709　feet；　which　was　attained　in　exactly　twenty　minutes　from　the　start。　　A　minute　later　the　earth　was　sighted　through　a　break　in　the　clouds；　and　at　16；914　feet　the　clouds　were　far　below；　the　sky　above　being　perfectly　cloudless；　and　of　an　intense　Prussian　blue。
  By　this　time　Mr。　Glaisher　had　received　his　first　surprise；　as　imparted　by　the　record　of　his　instruments。　　At　starting；　the　temperature　of　the　air　had　stood　at　59　degrees。　　Then　at　4；000　feet　this　was　reduced　to　45　degrees；　and；　further；　to　26　degrees　at　10；000　feet；　when　it　remained　stationary　through　an　ascent　of　3；000　feet　more；　during　which　period　both　travellers　added　to　their　clothing；　anticipating　much　accession　of　cold。　　However；　at　15；500　feet　the　temperature　had　actually　risen　to　31　degrees；　increasing　to　no　less　than　42　degrees　at　19；500　feet。
  Astonishing　as　this　discovery　was；　it　was　not　the　end　of　the　wonder；　for　two　minutes　later；　on　somewhat　descending；　the　temperature　commenced　decreasing　so　rapidly　as　to　show　a　fall　of　27　degrees　in　26　minutes。　　As　to　personal　experiences；　Mr。　Glaisher　should　be　left　to　tell　his　own　story。　　〃At　the　height　of　18；844　feet　18　vibrations　of　a　horizontal　magnet　occupied　26。8　seconds；　and　at　the　same　height　my　pulse　beat　at　the　rate　of　100　pulsations　per　minute。　　At　19；415　feet　palpitation　of　the　heart　became　perceptible；　the　beating　of　the　chronometer　seemed　very　loud；　and　my　breathing　became　affected。　　At　19；435　feet　my　pulse　had　accelerated；　and　it　was　with　increasing　difficulty　that　I　could　read　the　instruments；　the　palpitation　of　the　heart　was　very　perceptible；　the　hands　and　lips　assumed　a　dark　bluish　colour；　but　not　the　face。　　At　20；238　feet　28　vibrations　of　a　horizontal　magnet　occupied　43　seconds。　　At　21；792　feet　I　experienced　a　feeling　analogous　to　sea…sickness；　though　there　was　neither　pitching　nor　rolling　in　the　balloon；　and　through　this　illness　I　was　unable　to　watch　the　instrument　long　enough　to　lower　the　temperature　to　get　a　deposit　of　dew。　　The　sky　at　this　elevation　was　of　a　very　deep　blue　colour；　and　the　clouds　were　far　below　us。　　At　22；357　feet　I　endeavoured　to　make　the　magnet　vibrate；　but　could　not；　it　moved　through　arcs　of　about　20　degrees；　and　then　settled　suddenly。
  〃Our　descent　began　a　little　after　11　a。m。；　Mr。　Coxwell　experiencing　considerable　uneasiness　at　our　too　close　vicinity　to　the　Wash。　　We　came　down　quickly　from　a　height　of　16；300　feet　to　one　of　12；400　feet　in　one　minute；　at　this　elevation　we　entered　into　a　dense　cloud　which　proved　to　be　no　less　than　8；000　feet　in　thickness　and　whilst　passing　through　this　the　balloon　was　invisible　from　the　car。　　From　the　rapidity　of　the　descent　the　balloon　assumed　the　shape　of　a　parachute；　and　though　Mr。　Coxwell　had　reserved　a　large　amount　of　ballast；　which　he　discharged　as　quickly　as　possible；　we　collected　so　much　weight　by　the　condensation　of　the　immense　amount　of　vapour　through　which　we　passed　that；　notwithstanding　all　his　exertions；　we　came　to　the　earth　with　a　very　considerable　shock；　which　broke　nearly　all　the　instruments。。。。　The　descent　took　place　at　Langham；　near　Oakham。〃
  Just　a　month　later　Mr。　Glaisher；　bent　on　a　yet　loftier　climb；　made　his　second　ascent；　again　under　Mr。　Coxwell's　guidance；　and　again　from　Wolverhampton。　　Besides　attending　to　his　instruments　he　found　leisure　to　make　other　chance　notes　by　the　way。　　He　was　particularly　struck　by　the　beauty　of　masses　of　cloud；　which；　by　the　time　12；000　feet　were　reached；　were　far　below；　〃presenting　at　times　mountain　scenes　of　endless　variety　and　grandeur；　while　fine　dome…like　clouds　dazzled　and　charmed　the　eye　with　alternations　and　brilliant　effects　of　light　and　shade。〃
  When　a　height　of　about　20；000　feet　had　been　reached　thunder　was　heard　twice　over；　coming　from　below；　though　no　clouds　could　be　seen。　　A　height　of　4；000　feet　more　was　attained；　and　shortly　after　this　Mr。　Glaisher　speaks　of　feeling　unwell。　　It　was　difficult　to　obtain　a　deposit　of　dew　on　the　hygrometer；　and　the　working　of　the　aspirator　became　troublesome。　　While　in　this　region　a　sound　like　that　of　loud　thunder　came　from　the　sky。　　Observations　were　practically　completed　at　this　point；　and　a　speedy　and　safe　return　to　earth　was　effected；　the　landing　being　at　Solihull；　seven　miles　from　Birmingham。
  It　was　on　the　5th　of　September　following　that　the　same　two　colleagues　carried　out　an　exploit　which　will　always　stand　alone　in　the　history　of　aeronautics；　namely；　that　of　ascending　to　an　altitude　which；　based　on　the　best　estimate　they　were　able　to　make；　they　calculated　to　be　no　less　than　seven　miles。　　Whatever　error　may　have　unavoidably　come　into　the　actual　estimate；　which　is　to　some　extent　conjectural；　is　in　reality　a　small　matter；　not　the　least　affecting　the　fact　that　the　feat　in　itself　will　probably　remain　without　a　parallel　of　its　kind。　　In　these　days；　when　aeronauts　attempt　to　reach　an　exceptionally　lofty　altitude；　they　invariably　provide　themselves　with　a　cylinder　of　oxygen　gas　to　meet　the　special　emergencies　of　the　situation；　so　that　when　regions　of　such　attenuated　air　are　reached　that　the　action　of　heart　and　lungs　becomes　seriously　affected；　it　is　still　within　their　power　to　inhale　the　life…giving　gas　which　affords　the　greatest　available　restorative　to　their　energies。　　Forty　years　ago；　however；　cylinders　of　compressed　oxygen　gas　were　not　available；　and　on　this　account　alone　we　may　state　without　hesitation　that　the　enterprise　which　follows　stands　unparalleled　at　the　present　hour。
  The　filling　station　at　Wolverhampton　was　quitted　at　1。3　p。m。；　the　temperature　of　the　air　being　59　degrees　on　the　ground；　and　falling　to　41　degrees　at　an　altitude　of　5；000　feet；　directly　after　which　a　dense　cloud　was　entered；　which　brought　the　temperature　down　to　36　degrees。　　At　this　elevation　the　report　of　a　gun　was　heard。　　Here　Mr。　Glaisher　attempted　（probably　for　the　first　time　in　history）　to　take　a　cloud…scape　photograph；　the　illumination　being　brilliant；　and　the　plates　with　which　he　was　furnished　being　considered　extremely　sensitive。　　The　attempt；　however；　was　unsuccessful。　　The　height　of　two　miles　was　reached　in　19　minutes；　and　here　the　temperature　was　at　freezing　point。　　In　six　minutes　later　three　miles　was　reached；　and　the　thermometer　was　down　to　18　degrees。　　In　another　twelve　minutes　four　miles　was　attained；　with　the　thermometer　recording　8　degrees；　and　by　further　discharge　of　sand　the　fifth　aerial　milestone　was　passed　at　1。50　p。m。；　i。e。　in　47　minutes　from　the　start；　with　the　thermometer　2　degrees　below　zero。
  Mr。　Glaisher　relates　that　up　to　this　point　he　had　taken　observations　with　comfort；　and　experienced　no　trouble　in　respiration；　whilst　Mr。　Coxwell；　in　consequence　of　the　exertions　he　had　to　make；　was　breath