days to fill Charles's balloon, which went up on August 28th,
1783. Although the day was wet, Paris turned out to the number
of over 300,000 in the Champs de Mars, and cannon were fired to
announce the ascent of the balloon. This, rising very rapidly,
disappeared amid the rain clouds, but, probably bursting through
no outlet being provided to compensate for the escape of gas,
fell soon in the neighbourhood of Paris. Here peasants,
ascribing evil supernatural influence to the fall of such a
thing from nowhere, went at it with the implements of their
craft--forks, hoes, and the like--and maltreated it severely,
finally attaching it to a horse's tail and dragging it about
until it was mere rag and scrap.

Meanwhile, Joseph Montgolfier, having come to Paris, set about
the construction of a balloon out of linen; this was in three
diverse sections, the top being a cone 30 feet in depth, the
middle a cylinder 42 feet in diameter by 26 feet in depth, and
the bottom another cone 20 feet in depth from junction with the
cylindrical portion to its point. The balloon was both lined
and covered with paper, decorated in blue and gold. Before ever
an ascent could be attempted this ambitious balloon was caught
in a heavy rainstorm which reduced its paper covering to pulp
and tore the linen at its seams, so that a supervening strong
wind tore the whole thing to shreds.

Montgolfier's next balloon was spherical, having a capacity of
52,000 cubic feet. It was made from waterproofed linen, and on
September 19th, 1783, it made an ascent for the palace courtyard
at Versailles, taking up as passengers a cock, a sheep, and a
duck. A rent at the top of the balloon caused it to descend