The Sun.
London, England, 1852-09-21 00:00:00

BALLOON NAVIGATION.

The Constitutionnel has the following from Bag
neres-de-Luchon, dated the 10th :—Whilst the jour
nals have been recording unsuccessful attempts to
navigate with balloons, we have witnessed here a fact
proving that the impossibility of navigation in the air
is not absolute, and that with genius and persever-
ance we may arrive at the desired result. Yester-
day the inhabitants of Luchon and the numerous
visitors were invited to the Prado, on the banks of the
Pique, to witness the experiment. The intrepid
aeronaut, who was to make it at the risk of his life,
is a man of about 35 years of age, named Antonio
Moles, and resides in the small town of Birbastro, in
Arragon, not far from our frontier. In the meadow of
the Prado was a platform, on which his apparatus way
placed. It consisted of a balloon of an ovoid shape,
inflated with hydrogen gas, of merely sufficient sloe
to support his weight, and that of the articles he had
with him, and at the same time to have an ascentional
power. To the network of the balloon was supended
a small table, on which Molei lay on his belly,
his back being also secured to the network. To
each of his legs between the knee and the
instep was attached a kind of umbrella, acting
freely on their sticks, and the silk of which
was turned outwards. In each hand was a sort of
band-screen of silk, opening with hinges, and expand-
ing or contracting at will. A rope from the valve of
the balloon was placed round his neck, and round his
body was a belt containing sand, and about six or
seven pounds of shot as ballast. When the signal for
letting go was made, the balloon rose gently to a height
of about 200 yards. The areonaut then began to make
use of his means of impulsion. His legs were alter-
nately crossed, and then put out at full length, the first
motion closing, the second opening the umbrella, giv-
ing a point d'appui upon a large surface of compressed
air, and causing the balloon to advance, whilst the arms
were moving in the same direction. The atmosphere
being at this time calm the aeronaut found no
difficulty in directing himself in a direct line on the
axis of the valley towards the north, and the speed
appeared to increase progressively as the apparatus
worked better. We saw him in a short time stop at
the turning of the Cier du Luchon, and return to-
wards us with the same rapidity ; half an hour sufficed
for him to perform a distance of 18 kilometres (about
11 miles) going and returning. When he found
himself over our heads he performed the movement
of turning, but rather slowly, as he wished to turn
very short round, it would have been very easy for
him to have made a long turn, by using his legs like
a swimmer when he wishes to turn to the right or to
the left. It was thus that he made the tour of the
basin of Luchon in 18 minutes, passing over the
villages of St. Mamet, Montauban, Jazst, Antignac,
and Moustagon, and, returning to his starting point,
he came to the ground slowly in the same meadow from
whence be had risen. It is more easy to conceive than
express the enthusiasm and excitement of the crowd of
persons who had assembled. The aeronaut was
conducted in triumph to his residence, and he has
announced a second ascent for Sunday next. It is
to be hoped that there will then be a little wind, in
order to ascertain whether that will not prove an
insurmountable obstacle. Antonio Moles has assured
us that he has the means of overcoming any diffi-
culty of that sort, as readily as the beat vessel on
the ocean.

SEABORNE Zil AI ri S.
IN signifies that the mails are sent front the General Post-onic
by the night—and It by the morning—dispatch.]

When made up in From what when
PLACES. GeneralPost-office'port die- due.
London: patched.
America (by Brit. pkt.)N Sept. 2 ..Liverpool.. Arrived
America (by U.S. pkt.) N Sept. 21 Liverpool .. Sept. 28
America (by U.S. pkt.) M Sept. 29 Southampt. Sept. 22
Australia (via South-
ampton) M 20th of each ro onth Southampt. Sept. 24
Ditto (via Marseilles) N 24th of each month Dover .. Oct. 17
Ditto, via C. of G. Hope N 2d & 14th each mo.'Plymouth.. Nov. 30
Africa (West coast).. N 14th of the month Plymouth
Alexandria* • • ...... N 19th 3c 30th of me.', Dover .. Sept. 18
Belgium •• •• N' Daily • • .. Dover .. Daily
Brazil . • .. M 9th of the month Southampt. Oct. 12
Buenos Ayres M 9th of the month Southampt. Oct. 12
California(viaChagres)M 2d& 17th of month Southampt. Oct. 16
Cape of Good Hope N 14th of the month Plymouth.. Sept. 26
Cape de Verds N 2d of the month .. Plymouth.. Sept. 26
Constantinople* .. N 7th 17th 27th ef mo Dover .. Sept. 20
Central America M 2d & 17th of men. ,Southampt. Sept. 16
Channel Isles .. Mori., Wed., & Fri. I Southampt. Tu. Th.tiat
Chili .. . M2d & 17th of math Southampt. Sept. 16
France .. Mt N Twice daily .. !Dover .. Twicedally
Greece* .. . N 7th 17th 27 th of mo Dover .. Sept. 19
Hamburgh N Tuesday & Friday London .. Tues. Sat.
Holland M Wednes. & Satnr.. London .. Sue. Thu) s
Honduras . N 17th.of the mouth Southampt. Sept. 16
Ireland .. M& N Twice daily .. ..1 Holyhead • . Twicedally
India(via Southamp.) M 20th of the month'Southanspt. ISept. 24
India (via Marseilles) N Bth& 24th efmonth Dover lOct. 3
India, via C. of G. Hope N 14th of month Plymouth..l 'Sept. 25
Mauritius 14th of month Plymouth Sept. 26
Mediterranean (vie I
Southanspton) M 20th of the month Southampt. Ang. 24
Mediterranean (via
Marseilles) N lith&24thofmonth Dover • • lOct. 3
Mexico M 2d of the month.. Soathampt. ;Ist ea. mo.
Madeira 21,9 th of the month Southampt. 'Oct. 12
Malta* ..
7th'l7th'l9tl427th 1 Dover (Arrived
( Pc3Oth of month J
Naples* .. • • • • N ,sth 15th 25th ofme Dover • . , Sept. 22
Papal States* .. 14 sth 15th 25th ef mo Dover .. Sept. 22
Peninsula .. M 7th 17th 27th ef mo Southampt. Sept. 26
Peru M 2d & 17th of math Southampt. Sept. 16
Tuscany* .. • • N sth 15th 25th of mo Dover • • Sept. 22
West Indies .. M 17th of the month Southampt. Sept. 16
West Indies (except
Havanna & Nassau) M 2d of the month .. Southampt.

• The mails to those a,

12d of the month .. (Southampt.
lountries thus marked (*) are convoyed by
Wes.

French packet via ht,

RACKETS.—EXTBAORDINART MATCH...-4 match
of a very extraordinary character was played here on Thurs-
day afternoon, at the Racket Court, Eglintoun Arms, Maud-
lin-street, for 421., between Mr. John Mitchell, the cham-
pion of England, and the proprietor of the house, and a gen-
tleman of Clifton, who is considered to be one of the best
players in the west of England. By the conditions of the
match the champion was to have his wrists locked with a pair
of figure of 8 handcuffs ; the winner of the best three games
(of 15 each) out of five to be the winner. At three o'clock,
the hour fixed for commencing, the matter had proved so
attractive that the galleries of the court were completely
Mitchell the crowded with gentlemen of Clifton, Bath, and Bristol. After
four very severely contested games on both sides, the cham-
pion winning the first, and in the third the game at one
time being 14 all, the amateur won, and was greeted with
loud applause
jboyuhrnisalf.riends. We understand that on Mon-
day next (this day) the Clifton gentleman means to play a
matchwt to decide the championship of the west of England
giving
ltlh,
etpmhrees7eehninatmecaphciaherangpeafimone,,3blur.t,Joefferies ; after which Mr.
of this gallant ofpicer, Colonelof England,f
eiseurtsoe,pwlaiyththheims
hbaontdhs,
1799 ; became lieutenant DEATH
the colonelcyal'
Or LIEUT.-GENERALthLe osroTturhei—iegThendt,enhtahs
He entered the army as cornet, August,
1807 ; lieutenant-
been reported.
lieutenant-colonel'
July, 1800; captain, 1801'; major,
tGedenetroal Loftus served lB-11 ; and ►ieut.-general,
1813; colonel, 1830; major-gene-
ral,the time it was at the last promotion. and was 1
of the 50th, April 11, 1851.
was present at the battle of Busaco,
detachment aosr thena sth division
freAtireat to the lines of
employedwith the 2d battalion of the
3a
81p
atpihoeirn.
during
e dc reams ,rnitactlivdaendc e
thein
storming of
which took possession of the Tete-de-Pont, St.
and the other forts on the right bank of the Guadiana,ri'thval' and to
which General Phillipon surrendered ; battle of
Salamanca,
BToardr:jsozN--
caroure of Madrid—commanded the light troops of the sth
division upon the advance to Burgos, retreat from thence,
action at Villa Muriel, and other minor affairs. He has re-
ceived the war medal with three clasps for Busaco, Fuentes
d'Onor, Badajoz, and Salamanca.
MELANCHOLY AND DISTRESSING CASE.—On Fri-
day afternoon, about half-past five o'clock, a woman named
Wood was proceeding along Carey-street, when she was ob-
served to stagger and fall. It appears that she had that
morning been to visit her child, that was lying dangerously
ill at St Thomas's Hospital, where, on arriving, she was told
the child had expired. This preyed on her mind, added
to which she had taken no food that day, which caused ex-
haustion, and hence the accident. She was conveyed to
King's College Hospital, where she was treated with the
utmost care and attention by the house-surgeon till Satur-
day, when she left quite recovered.