suggesting the expediency of bags of prepared cloth filled with air lighter than the common atmosphere. In 1766, hydrogen gas was discovered by M. Cavendin, and, in 1782, M. Cavallo made trial of this gas with some success, but the practical triumph was yet to come.

N. ORR NY

Ia 1782 two brothers, named Montgolfier, paper manufacturers, of Annonay, near Lyons, taking a hint from Lana, made the first balloon. It was a huge contrivance, covered with paper, and filled with hydrogen gas. But they soon found that the hydrogen tore the paper, and the plan was therefore abandoned. It appears that they were under the impression that the clouds owed their buoyancy to the influence of electricity, and that electricity diminished the weight of bodies to which it was applied. They therefore determined upon lighting a fire under a balloon, not to rarefy the inclosed air, but to increase the electricity of the vapor in the interior. A curious anecdote is related of Joseph Montgolfier. During his investigations, he had frequent intercourse with the printers of Avignon for publishing his papers. The widow Guichard, of one of these printers with whom he often lodged during his stay at Avignon, having one day observed a thick smoke issuing from his room, had the curiosity to go in, and was much surprised to see Montgolfier gravely employed in filling a shapeless paper bag, by means of the smoke from a chafingdish. The operator seemed thwarted by the balloon, then filled with smoke, rising one moment, and then awkwardly falling on one side the next; thus he was obliged to hold the balloon in the position which he thought most facilitated the entrance of the smoke, while with the other hand he threw wet straw on the chafing-dish. The widow Guichard smiling at his distress, said, with simplicity, "Eh! why don't you fasten the balloon to the chafingdish?" This exclamation was like a ray of light to Montgolfier; in fact, the secret lay there, it was only necessary to fasten the chafing-dish to the balloon.

MONTGOLFIER.

structed a balloon in the form of a spherical globe, thirty-feet in diameter, and capable of containing twenty-two thousand cubic feet. It was made of canvas with double paper, and weighed rather more than five hundred pounds. Under the opening, at the bottom, a fire of straw was lighted, which soon introduced twentytwo thousand cubic feet of heated air, which was consequently much lighter than the air. This then had, of course, a great tendency to rise, and, having no resistance to contend against, except that which was made by the weight of the balloon itself, as soon as it became so light that its own weight, joined to that of its covering, was less than that of an equal volume of the external air, the balloon majestically arose, although Montgolfier had mistaken the agency which he employed. The first public ascent took place at Annonay, June, 1783. Another trial at Versailles was equally successful, when a sheep, a duck, and a cock were attached to the balloon, and were found uninjured, some hours afterward, a few miles from the royal residence. Still later, Pilatre de Rozier and the Marquis d'Avlande ascended in a basket attached to the balloon, to the height of three hun

After many efforts the brothers con

dred feet. The balloon, however, was fastened to the earth by ropes.

M. Charles at last conceived the idea of making the balloon of silk, and inflating it with hydrogen gas. He discovered that silk would retain the vapor that was put into it, that hydrogen was five times lighter than the common air, that the balloon might easily be filled, and that the security to aërial voyagers would be wonderfully increased. People had been afraid to go in fire balloons, the risk was so imminent; for high above the earth balloons had taken fire, and the unfortunate travelers had been precipitated to the world they came from. But, now that safety was so much greater, that the necessity of carrying up lighted fuel was done away with, ascents were made in rapid succession. Some took up wings and a rudder, others oars, but found them of no use. During three years-1783-5the number of ascents made in France was truly astonishing. In one or two of

300

the voyages the channel was crossed with great rapidity.

The power of directing and controlling the balloon was the great desideratum. An experiment was made by M. Pilatre de Rozier. He went up with two balloons attached to one another, and arranged with sails and other appliances for aërial navigation. One of the balloons was inflated with hydrogen gas, and below it was suspended a fire balloon, at such a distance as to remove every apprehension of danger from the fire. A short time elapsed before the upper balloon was seen rapidly expanding. It burst, the whole machinery was destroyed, and the unfortunate Rozier perished.

The extraordinary velocity of balloons is to be ascribed to the greater force of uninterrupted air at great elevations, and perhaps somewhat to the philosophy of diagonal ascent. The ordinary rate is from twenty-five to thirty-five miles, but Sadler went seventy-four miles an hour; and Green, on one occasion, no less than ninety-eight. The number of recorded balloon ascents exceeds three thousand. Of the sad foolery of ascending on the backs of horses, ponies, and other animals, nothing can be said but in condemnation. A recent example was that in which

Madame Poitevin, decked in white muslin and purple velvet, with a crown of roses on her head, ascended from the Champ de Mars, in Paris, on the back of a bullock!

Locomotion, both by land and water, has rapidly progressed, though but little has been achieved in air navigation beyond some greater security, and the power of ascending and descending at pleasure.

MAN'S FAMILIAR COMPANION.

THE dog has been in all ages the ac

THE

knowledged friend of man-his familiar and esteemed companion. Naturally courageous, powerful, and fierce, in a savage state he is one of the most formidable of animals; but, when domesticated, his sole ambition is to please. 66 He then lays his force, courage, and all his useful talents, at the feet of his master; he waits his orders, to which he pays implicit obedience; he is constant in his affections, friendly without interest, and grateful for the slightest favors; he is not easily driven off by unkindness, but licks the hand that has just been uplifted to strike him. He knows a beggar by his voice, his clothes, or his gestures, and forbids his approach. When at night the guardianship of the house is committed to his care, he seems proud of the charge; he continues a watchful sentinel, goes his rounds,

scents strangers at a distance, and gives them warning of his being upon duty."

Thus he becomes identified with his master's pursuits and interests. He is "treated as one of the family;" with a marvelous sagacity, he recognizes the look, voice, and walk of his master; rejoices at his approach, and solicits his notice, while he bravely defends his person. His services are almost essential to civilization; and with his assistance man has obtained the conquest of the lower animals and peaceable possession of the earth. Surrounded by a number of these courageous animals, the traveler has been enabled, in climes abounding with ferocious beasts, to encamp at night in the dreary desert, and repose in comparative safety. The flock and herd obey the voice of the dog more readily than that of

the shepherd; he conducts them, guards them, and keeps them from capriciously seeking danger, and considers their enemies his own.

The dog does not disdain to become the blind mendicant's assistant, conducting him through the streets of our cities and large towns, with the hat in his mouth, supplicating alms of the passers-by. We have seen the dog take portions of bread or even copper coin into his mouth, and place it in his master's hat; nor has the creature, though sometimes much tempted to do so, even tasted the bread till given to him by the hand of his employer.

Chambers, in his Anecdotes of Dogs, relates the following:-"An English officer, who was in Paris in 1815, mentioned the case of a dog belonging to a shoe-black, which brought customers to its master. This it did in a very ingenious, and scarcely honest, manner. The officer, having occasion to cross one of the bridges over the Seine, had his boots, which had been previously polished, dirtied by a poodle dog rubbing against them. He, in consequence, went to a man who was stationed on the bridge, and had them cleaned. The same circumstance having occurred more than once, his curiosity was excited, and he watched the dog. saw him roll himself in the mud of the river, and then watch for a person with well-polished boots, against which he contrived to rub himself. Finding that the shoe-black was the owner of the dog, he taxed him with the artifice; and, after a little hesitation, he confessed that he had taught the dog the trick in order to procure customers for himself. The officer, being much struck with the dog's sagacity, purchased him at a high price, and brought him to England. He kept him tied up in

He

London some time, and then released him. The dog remained with him a day or two, and then made his escape. A fortnight afterward he was found with his former master, pursuing his old trade of dirtying gentlemen's boots on the bridge."

The following instance of sagacity, which is well authenticated, reminds us of some of the companions of our childhood, who, when ill-treated, have threatened their oppressor with the vengeance of their "big brother." A gentleman in Staffordshire was in the habit of coming to town twice in the year, performing part of the journey on horseback, accompanied by his little terrier, which he usually left in the care of his landlady at St. Albans till his return. On one occasion, calling as usual for his little favorite, the lady appeared before him with a pitiful countenance. "Alas, sir," said she, "your terrier is lost! Our house-dog and he had a quarrel; and the poor terrier was so worried and bitten before we could part them, that I thought he could never have got the better of it. He however crawled out of the yard, and was not seen for almost a week. He then returned, bringing with him another dog larger by far than ours; and they both fell on our dog, and bit him so unmercifully that he has scarcely since been able to go about the yard, or to eat his meat. Your dog and his companion then disappeared, and have never since been seen at St. Albans." The gentleman, however, on arriving at home found his terrier; and, on inquiry, was informed that since he left for town the little creature had returned home, and had coaxed away the great house-dog, who, it seems, had, in consequence, followed him to St. Albans, and completely avenged his injury.

The dog, however, is not devoid of affection and sympathy for its fellows. Two dogs were in the practice of going out together to hunt squirrels on the mountain. One of them, in pursuit of some game, got his head fast between two rocks, from which he could not extricate himself; he remained in this situation eight days, during which time his associate fed him daily. Watch, for this was his name, was observed to whine, and show great uneasiness; he would seize every bone and bit of meat he could find, and hasten up the mountain, reserving for himself only the crumbs which were shaken from the table-cloth. He also went often to the master of his friend, and, by signs, endeavored to induce him to follow him. At length the master began to notice the conduct of the dog, and one day said to him," Watch, do you know where poor Alonzo is?" The dog, appearing to understand him, sprang up to him with so much force as almost to throw him down, and, by other signs, induced him to follow him, and conducted him to his imprisoned companion. The poor dog was found to have suffered greatly; in addition to his being nearly starved, in his efforts to extricate himself he had worn the skin from his neck and shoulders. Fragments of the bones which Watch had brought him lay around.

The benevolence of dogs has excited universal admiration. But the Newfoundland dog particularly is justly celebrated