Benjamin Franklin

“ It may be attended with important Consequences that no one can foresee. We should not suffer Pride to prevent our progress in Science. Beings of a Rank and Nature far superior to ours have not disdained to amuse themselves with making and launching Balloons, otherwise we should never have enjoyed the Light of those glorious objects that rule our Day & Night, [13] nor have had the Pleasure of riding round the Sun ourselves upon the Balloon we now inhabit.
With great and sincere Esteem, I am, Dear Sir, Your most obedt & most humble Servant, B. FRANKLIN Sir Joseph Banks. ”

“ As the Flame slackens, the rarified Air cools and condenses, the Bulk of the Balloon diminishes and it begins to descend. If those in the Gallery see it likely to descend in an improper Place, they can by throwing on more Straw, & renewing the Flame, make it rise again, and the Wind carries it farther. ”

“ When they were as high as they chose to be, they made less Flame and suffered the Machine to drive Horizontally with the Wind, of which however they felt very little, as they went with it, and as fast. They say they had a charming View of Paris & its Environs, the Course of the River, &c but that they were once lost, not knowing what Part they were over, till they saw the Dome of the Invalids, which rectified their Ideas. Probably while they were employed in keeping up the Fire, the Machine might turn, and by that means they were desorientés as the French call it. ”

“ With great Esteem, I am, Dear Sir, Your most obedient & most humble servant, B. FRANKLIN P. S. Tuesday Evening.
Since writing the above, I have receiv’d the printed Paper & the Manuscript, containing some Particulars of the Experiment, which I enclose.—I hear farther, that the Travellers had perfect Command of their Carriage, descending as they pleas’d by letting some of the inflammable Air escape, and rising again by discharging some Sand; that [16] they descended over a Field so low as to talk with Labourers in passing and mounted again to pass a Hill. ”

“ This Balloon of only 26 feet diameter being filled with Air ten times lighter than common Air, will carry up a greater Weight than the other, which tho’ vastly bigger was filled with an Air that could scarcely be more than [12] twice as light. Thus the great Bulk of one of these Machines, with the short duration of its Power, & the great Expence of filling the other will prevent the Inventions being of so much Use, as some may expect, till Chemistry can invent a cheaper light Air producible with more Expedition. ”

“ When the Tickets were engraved, the Car was to have been hung to the Neck of the Globe, as represented by a little Drawing I have made in the Corner A. I suppose it may have been an Apprehension of Danger in straining too much the Balloon or tearing the Silk, that induc’d the Constructors to throw a Net over it, fix’d to a Hoop which went round its Middle, and to hang the Car to that Hoop, as you see in Fig. B.
Tuesday Morning, Dec. 2. I am reliev’d from my Anxiety, by hearing that the Adventurers descended well near l’Isle Adam, before Sunset. This Place is near 7 Leagues from Paris. ”

“ I wish I could see the same Emulation between the two Nations as I see between the two Parties here. Your Philosophy seems to be too bashful. In this Country we are not so much afraid of being laught at. ”

“ Mr. Faujas de St. Fond acquainted me yesterday that a Book on the Subject which has been long expected, will be publish’d in a few Days, and I shall send you one of them. Enclosed is a Copy of the Procès verbal taken of the Experiment made yesterday in the Garden of the Queen’s Palace la Muette where the Dauphin now resides which being near my House I was present. ”

“ Bigelow omits paragraph ten beginning “It is said.” Both Bigelow and Smyth give another paragraph in the Postscript, beyond the signature “B. F.” in my copy; also a note dated Sept. 2d, which contains calculations in French relating to the balloon. Smyth says that these additions are not in the University of Pennsylvania draft but that they occur in this press-copy, which is obviously a mistake. In paragraph two of the Postscript “mov’d out,” in Smyth, should read “being moved out,” and in the last line but one “upon” should read “up in.” ”

“ The other Method of filling a Balloon with permanently elastic inflammable Air, and then closing it is a tedious Operation, and very expensive; Yet we are to have one of that kind sent up in a few Days. It is a Globe of 26 feet diameter. The Gores that compose it are red and white Silk, so that it makes a beautiful appearance. A very handsome triumphal Car will be suspended to it, in which Messrs. ”

“ It fell the next Day on the other side of the same Wood near the Village Boulogne, about half after twelve, having been suspended in the Air eleven hours and a half. It lodged in a tree, and was torn in getting it down; so that it cannot be ascertained whether it burst when above, or not, tho’ that is supposed. Smaller Repetitions of the Experiment are making every day in all quarters. Some of the larger Balloons that have been up are preparing to be sent up again in a few Days ”

“ Most is expected from the new one undertaken upon subscription by Messieurs Charles and Robert, who are Men of Science and mechanic Dexterity. It is to carry up a Man. I send you enclosed the Proposals, which it is said are already subscribed to by a considerable number and likely to be carried into execution. ”

“ The following possible mispellings have been retained:
p. 6, “M. Pilatre du Rozier” should be “M. Pilâtre de Rozier”; p. 10, “chearfully” is possibly an older spelling for “cheerfully”; p. 16, there are several missing accents that might have been in the original French document, in “desorientés”, “operation”, “dejà”, “depart”, “detaché” and “extremités”. ”