The Sun.
London, England, 1836-12-22 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1836

THE GREAT BALLOON;

Asaticri' 60 Ali. OligEN AND HIS FIVE COM-
PANIONS AT PARIS;

PARIS, DEC. 20.—Since the memorable day in the in-
fancy of aerial travelling; 24 1783, Abn human lift.
*as first intinsied in a baltdrin; .§d interesting an ascent as
khat ettecttd yesterday from the barracks in the rue Pois-
sonniere has never taken place in Paris. Through the
great kindness of the Duke of Orleans, 06 tireprietors of
the balloon obtainedtO rhalie the ascent from
li is ikilieh Was most admirably adapted to the purpose.
The inflation of the colossal machine had been partially
completed on Sunday, having commenced about two o'clock,
and such was the excellence of the preparations made by
the experienced ditcdttift, that ads important part of the
operation Was executed with the most perfect ease ; and
long previous to the setting in of evening, though but par-
tially filled, the superior portion of the gigantic engine was
visible, rearing its capacious form, like the dome of St.
Paul's, high above the barracks and all the surrounding
buildings. The novelty of this strange sight, seen from the
adjacent streets, speedily drew a vast concourse of specta-
tors towards the scene of action, and the entire street and
neighbourhood were in a state of commotion till a late hour
at night. Unfortunately all the hopes that had been en-
tertained of a change in the weather for the ascension va-
nished with the appearace of the morning of yesterday,
which was the most unfavourable for a display of this na-
ture that can well be imagined, being particularly dull,
dark, and foggy, with a small drizzling rain—in fact, a
London day in December par excellence. Notwithstanding
the disadvantages of ascending under such circumstances,
the proprietors, though urged to postpone it until a more
favourable day, determined that the public should not be
disappointed—conduct, to their credit be it spoken, which
form a strong contrast to that of several of the aero-
nauts who have of late years ascended, or advertised to
ascend, from Paris. The whole of, the gas was con-
veyed to the balloon by ten o'clock, and the immense
body being then completely filled, presented to the
view a truly magnificent and imposing object. On the
admission of the public, the gratification and admiration
expressed was universal ; one regret only existed among the
assembled crowds, among whom were several of the most
distinguished scientific characters in France, and that was
that the state of the weather should have been so unpro-
pitious to so brilliant a spectacle. Exactly at the appointed
hour six adventurous voyagers entered the car, consisting of
a lady named Roscoe, Lord Yarmouth, M. Gay Lussac, of
the Academy of Sciences, M. Pilte, a director of the French
Gas Company, Mr. Hughes, one of the proprietors, and
Mr. Green. The preparations for starting were now very
speedily completed, among which the laying in of a few
bottles of Champagne for consumption in the upper regions
were not forgotten. But the departure of the travellers
was delayed for some little time in consequence of the ex-
pected arrival of his Royal Highness the Duke of Orleans.
Two large apartments had been prepared for his Royal
Highness by his own desire. Part of his suite had already
arrived, but after the ascent had been delayed about half an
hour, a messenger arrived from the palace to say that the
Duke was, from unforeseen circumstances, unable to attend.
It was now a quarter past two, when the signal being given,
Mr. Green released the balloon from the fastenings. Th ma-
chine, with its living freight, rose gracefully and majesti-
cally amid the plaudits of the crowd. Nothing could be
mere beautiful than the ascension ; but in less than ninety
seconds the balloon was nearly obscured by the fogginess of
the atmosphere, and before the expiration of two minutes it
was entirely veiled from sight. Notwithstanding the draw-
back from the state of the weather, the business-like regu-
larity with which every thing was conducted, the gigantic
size and perfect appointments of the machine, rendered it
one of the most deeply-interesting displays of the kind ever
witnessed in France.
We understand that it was at first the intention of the
proprietors of the balloon, and Mr. Green, to return to
London with it immediately ; but that, in consequence of
the state of the weather, and the universal desire of the
assembled company, they intend, if leave can be obtained,
which we trust there will, to use the barracks, to make one
more ascent in Paris.

HALF-PAST EIGHT O'CLOCK.—We have just received
the welcome intelligence that Mr. Green and his compa-
nions descended in perfect safety at a quarter past three,
about one mile beyond Vitry. The wish of the aeronauts
to descend before dark, and to return to their friends at
Paris in the evening, prevented Mr. Green from extending
his voyage to a greater distance. In five minutes after
quitting the earth, and at the height of 500 feet, the aerial
travellers reached the upper surface of the clouds, and
found themselves in a brilliant sunshine, the thermometer
standing at 87 Farcnheit. The voyagers declared themselves
highly delighted with their trip, and expressed their perfect
confidence in the safety of the machine.

Letters from Goritz state that the Duke d'Ancro ou-
[erne was seriously indisposed.

It was reported, on the authority of letters from
Germany, that the plague had manifested itself in Thessaly.
POPULATION.—According to Mr. M'Culloch, the
entire population of Great Britain and Ireland amounted,
in May last, to 26,371,000, and, including the Channel
Islands, to 26,500,000—rendering Great Britain, with the
exception of Russia, France, and Austria, the most popu-
lous State in Europe.
The Isle of Man was last week visited with a con-
tinued series of high winds and heavy rains ; and the coun-
try, in many places, was deluged to an unusual depth. The
roads were covered, and, for a time, travelling was im-
practicable.
An interesting lecture was delivered at the Lambeth
Literary and Scientific Institution, on Tuesday evening
last, on Cryptogamic Botany, by Daniel Cooper, Esq.,
" Curator to the Botanical Society of London," and author
of the " Flora Metropolitana." Mr. Cooper (after some
excellent remarks on the utility of a knowledge 'of the
science of botany to individuals in different stages of life)
stated that this lecture was the first of a course which he
intended to deliver, in order to point out the gradual as-
cent from the lowest to the highest stages of vegetable de-
velopement. He began with sea-weeds, tracing them from
the green crust so often seen on walls, &c., up to the im-
mense sea weeds of our coasts. The meeting was fashion-
ably attended.
HENRIETTA TEMPLE.—One Of the most inte-
resting portraitures in this new novel, by the author of
" Vivian Grey," is the sketch of Lady C., under the name
of Lady Bellair, which is much too graphic to be mistaken.
It possesses the rare merits of fidelity and good nature.
The eccentricities, the kindliness, the shrewdness, of the
original, are admirably depicted ; and not a few of her
strange remarks recal the past century, and those who
flourished then—great persons, who were familiar friends
of a woman who, now in her ninety-second year, retains so
many of the feelings and remembrances of youth.
Several of the outward-bound vessels which had
been detained at Liverpool by the westerly wind, took ad-
vantage of a slight breeze which sprung on Tuesday, and
went out of dock ; among them were five packets for New
York, and one for Philadelphia.

The stomach-pump was successfully employed yes-
terday evening in the City, in saving a man who had at
one draught drank a pint of raw gin. This invention must
be of the utmost importance to the votaries of gastreaomy,
and all those who place the sumntum &mum in mastication
and copious potations. With the aid of the stomach-pump
the lives of boa vivants may become a perpetual feast, and
all their days he spent in the blissful process of filling and
emptying the abdominal laboratory. _ _

" The Humorist," which was lately announced by
Mr. Colburn as a distinct publication, will, it appears, by
the advice of Mr. Hock, the present editor of the " New
Monthly Magazine," be incorporated in that work, several
of the proposed contributors to " The Humorist" being
friends and correspondents of the " New Monthly."
Mr. Grogan Morgan, of Johnstown, Wexford, has,
within a few years, built fourteen neat two-story houses for
labourers, slated, divided from each other by a small garden.
Each house has a dairy-room, cow-house, and pigsty, in the
rear, with the allotment of nearly two acres, including a
flower-garden and shrubbery in front, protected by a stone
wall and small iron gate. The rent charged for each house
and land' is only 2/. 16s.

Last Saturday week an 'individual, residing not far
from Bunny, having a small load of hay to deliver at an
inn at the entrance of this town, brought it to Nottingham,
and placed his cart and hay upon Mr. Barber's weighing
machine, for the purpose of having it weighed. While the
person who had the care of the machine was gone inside, a
fellow weighing about sixteen stone jumped upon the cart,
and laid himself upon the hay till the weight was declared,
and then he as dexterously removed out of sight. T,lie
ticket was given, the hay delivered, and the money paid.
The trifling difference arising from this trick, in a small load
of hay, was only thirteen shillings !--Nottingham Journal
of Friday.
A marriage took place at the Cathedral on Tuesday
morning. The parties are respectable, but their introduc-
tion was singular. Both are near sighted and wear glasses ;
they stumbled against each other on the strand at Tramore
—they begged each other's pardon, formed an acquain-
tance, and married. They are much respected, and we
wish them many years of uninterrupted happiness.—Water-
ortl Chronicle.

The proprietors of the coaches from London on the
north road have come to an agreement to abstain from run-
ning one day in the week, both ways. The Rockingham
and Union to Leeds, and the Wellington to Newcastle, will
not leave those towns on Sundays ; the Highflycr to New-
castle, on Mondays ; and the Express to Newcastle, at pre-
sent, on Mondays. It is also understood that all the Lon-
don and Sheffield coaches will not leave either ends on Sul-
day s.--Doncaster Chronicle.