within eight minutes, and the duck and sheep were found none the
worse for being the first living things to leave the earth in a
balloon, but the cock, evidently suffering, was thought to have
been affected by the rarefaction of the atmosphere at the
tremendous height reached--for at that time the general opinion
was that the atmosphere did not extend more than four or five
miles above the earth's surface. It transpired later that the
sheep had trampled on the cock, causing more solid injury than
any that might be inflicted by rarefied air in an eight-minute
ascent and descent of a balloon.

For achieving this flight Joseph Montgolfier received from the
King of France a pension of of L40, while Stephen was given
the order of St Michael, and a patent of nobility was granted to
their father. They were made members of the Legion d'Honneur,
and a scientific deputation, of which Faujas de Saint-Fond, who
had raised the funds with which Charles's hydrogen balloon was
constructed, presented to Stephen Montgolfier a gold medal
struck in honour of his aerial conquest. Since Joseph appears
to have had quite as much share in the success as Stephen, the
presentation of the medal to one brother only was in
questionable taste, unless it was intended to balance Joseph's
pension.

Once aerostation had been proved possible, many people began the
construction of small balloons--the wholehole thing was regarded
as a matter of spectacles and a form of amusement by the great
majority. A certain Baron de Beaumanoir made the first balloon
of goldbeaters' skin, this being eighteen inches in diameter, and
using hydrogen as a lifting factor. Few people saw any