The Sun.
London, England, 1836-10-08 00:00:00

AEROSTATION.

MR. GREEN'S ACCOUNT of the 1 OURTH VOYAGE
and DESCENT of the VAUXHALL BALLOON.

In the account of my second ascent with the new bal-
loon, I remarked having seldom experienced such favour-
able weather as on that day ; but, yesterday, unfortunately,
proved the contrary, for during the many years I have been
in the habit of using balloons, I never ascended in such an
incessant fall of rain.

The clouded state of the atmosphere of yesterday was
calculated in a much greater degree to astonish and de-
light those who have never made an aerial excursion, than
that of a bright and clear day, for although the view of
the earth is much obscured, the passage through the masses
of floating vapour rolling along, and adapting their waves
to the undulations of the different currents, and the com-
plete insulation of the machine from all other objects ren-
ders the scene one of the most extraordinary that can be
conceived.

The first layer of clouds was not more than 800 feet
from the earth ; this we soon passed through, and found
another about 1,000 feet above us, and as we proceeded
between the two, were enabled at intervals to see the coun-
try through the open spaces in the lower one. Here the rain
still fell in torrents, and although the balloon acted as a com-
plete covering to the car, still the drops of water trickled
down the silk from all sides, and meeting at the neck,
formed a large stream of water, falling, of course, into the
centre of the car, and passing through the basket work.
By altering the direction of this stream, we were able to
keep the ladies in a great measure free from its effects, who
were, however, so completely engaged in admiring the won-
derful scene around them, that they appeared little to heed
the above inconvenience, or our precautions to obviate it.
We now passed through two more layers of clouds, the up-
per one being 3,500 feet above the level of the sea, as indi-
cated by my barometer. It was from this layer that the
wet was principally falling, for en our arriving at its upper
surface the rain had ceased.

There was still at a great altitude a sheet of clouds, suffi-
cient to exclude the sun's rays, and to this I attribute the
condensation of the vapours below in the form of rain, for
the rays of heat being reflected by it, none could have much
influence on the lower parts of the atmosphere, whose mois-
ture, instead of existing in a highly expanded form becomes,
in the partial absence of heat, and probably from a change
in its electrical state, condensed into masses of vapour, the
particles of which, by their mutual attraction, form drops
of water. There are doubtless many unknown causes com-
bining to produce these effects ; but from numerous obser-
vations I believe the above statement to be nearly a correct
one.

The netting, the sand bags, and indeed every part of the
apparatus, was completely saturated with water, which must
have increased the we►ght by at least 4001b5., and this aug-
menting every instant by the absorption of wet by our
cloaks, &c., rendered an almost continual discharge of bal-
last necessary until we reached the dry atmosphere. My
companions, the ladies especially, wished much to surmount
the upper sheet of clouds, in order to witness the splendid
effect produced by the light of the sun falling directly on
it ; but the great evaporation which must instantaneously
have taken place from the whole machine would have
caused us to ascend rapidly to a very great altitude, and
have prevented our reaching terra firma before dark.
After a voyage of one hour and 20 minutes, we descended
in the parish of Denham, in Buckinghamshire, about two
miles north-west of Uxbridge (and 22 from Vauxhall),
where we received the congratulations of numerous friends
who had witnessed my ascent from that town on the 6th of
October, 1835, exactly one year previous.
Royal Gardens, Vauxhall, Oct. 7. C. GREEN.

WOODEN CAKES.—The following curious adver-
tisement is from the Philadelphian, American paper :
" Ladies who are about to make large parties, for the sake of
keeping up appearance, and supporting the family dignity, are
informed that they can be furnished, at the shortest notice,
with wooden cakes, beautifully frosted, on the most reasonable
terms. Also, during the high prices of butter and lard, the
subscriber will keep constantly on hand a few bushels of ma-
hogany dough nuts."

On Wednesday afternoon an unpleasant affair took
place at Croydon fair. A young gentleman (an officer of the
Navy) went to witness the gaieties, accompanied by a few
friends, and observed his sister, attended by a gallant Lothario
(a clerk in a merchant's house in the City), ascend the steps
of Clarke's show: He immediately made the requisite in-
quiries, and having received an unsatisfactory answer, he
snatched a whip from one of the bystanders, and belaboured
the gallant most unmercifully. At this moment the young
lady's father arrived, and took her under his protection, leaving
the gay Lothario in a most unenviable situation. It appears
the young lady, who will be entitled to 12,0001. on her be-
coming of age, had decamped about three hours before, and
her father having learned she was seento get into a fly on the
Brixton-road, followed and found her in the manner described.

So short is grass keep in all the best lands in So-
merset, particularly the marsh, that the farmers are selling part
of their stock, instead of purchasing ; consequently, all the late
fairs are glutted, and stock, except the best, is selling a great
decline in price. The great fairs are expected to be very large.
—Bath Herald.