to a pressure much lighter than that of 311 millimeters, about twomean pressure observed on the sea-shore. AN ACCOUNT OF BALLOON ASCENSIONS. BY MR. JAMES GLAISHER. [From the London Athenæum, October, 1864.] purpose, nmittee on balloon experiments was appointed last year for the folrposes: To examine the electrical condition of the air at different o verify the law of the decrease of temperature; and to compare the in different states of the atmosphere. With respect to the first of ects no progress had been made, with the exception of preparing an inand apparatus for the investigation. At the request of the committee Mr. Jenkin undertook the construction of the best instrument for the vas finished towards the end of 1863, but it was constructed to be used It has since had to be adapted for water, a constant flow of which is neceslectrical experiments in balloons. This apparatus Mr. Glaisher was reby the committee not to use, as they felt that these instruments, if exertfluence while the balloon was rising, might, when it was falling, throw ble doubt on the experiments relating to humidity. With respect to the f these objects, the verifying the law of the decrease of temperature in states of the atmosphere, the committee considered would be best aty taking as many observations as possible at times in the year, and at the day, at which no experiments had been made, for the purpose of ning whether the laws which hold good at noon apply equally well at r times of the day. The committee have always pressed the importance hetic observations in the higher regions of the air-the Astronomer Royal ing the use of a horizontal magnet, and taking the times of its vibration rent elevations, a method which is seldom practicable, owing to the alonstant revolution of the balloon. To obviate this, Dr. Lloyd suggested of a dipping-needle, placed horizontally when on the ground, by means agnet above it, so that, when in the balloon, the deviation from horizonmight be noticed, and which deviation would be independent of rotary of the balloon. The latter method has not yet been tried, Dr. Lloyd g some experiments to be made before the instrument was constructed. ewcastle a very general wish being expressed that very high ascents not again be attempted, none above five miles had since been made. Mr. her then gave an account of the ascents made by him during the past year. irst was from Newcastle, on the 31st of August. The balloon left the earth p. m., with a north wind, and descended at five minutes past 7, at gton, near Durham. The decrease of temperature within the first 200 11m. 、 ented this being made, and the gas was oblig the directors of the gas-works. The balloon A At 8,200 feet there were two layers of clouds e clouds above. When at 11,000 feet the clouds as a sea of blue-tinged cloud below, and peeps the breaks. At 13,000 feet high clouds were began to dissipate, and at 9h. 38m., at 14,000 en minutes afterwards the travellers discovered ten miles, and were compelled to descend. 1 so strong was the wind that on the grapnels , at 10h. 30m., the balloon was rent from top to urrents were met with at 8,000 and 13,500 feet. was passed through, extending from 14,000 to › ground on leaving 48°; at time of descent 53°. ,000 feet the humidity declined to 58° at 8,000 ouds above and below. At 9,000 feet the hur became suddenly dry. The third ascent was it 4h. 29m. p. m., on the 9th of October. In sevt high, and directly over London Bridge, and all omprising the whole of London, could be clearly m nor cold currents met with on this day. The granted permission to the committee to avail themthe Royal Arsenal, at Woolwich, the ascent of the thence. It was intended to have been made on the from time to time the balloon had been partially in, and in 14 minutes had crossed the Tilbury railrest. At 3h. 31m. the height of 12,000 feet was an to descend, and touched the ground at 4h. 10m. the wind was SE. At 1,300 feet a strong SW. he balloon continued up to 4,000 feet, when the feet the wind changed to S.SW., and afterwards granular snow was met with, and the balloon ding till within 8,000 feet of the earth. Clouds ch merged at about 6,000 feet into mist. This le in January for scientific purposes. The fifth en made as near the 21st of March as possible, as deferred to the 6th of April. The balloon with a SE. wind, ascending evenly at the rate nutes, till 11,000 feet was attained at 4h. 37m. Park, near Sevenoaks, in Kent. Its course was I over the Thames into Essex. The balloon, unhave repassed the river and moved in a directly nued till it approached the earth, when it again at first. The ascent is remarkable for the small crease of elevation. The air, at the period of decline at all till after reaching 300 feet, after 33° at 4,300. A warm current was then en WHICH ne amu, capa so that, if need be, two obser miles. A new balloon, howey gas-tight before it can be use therefore started on a small as sky cloudless, and the air perfec elevation of 1,000 feet was rea the balloon descended to 2,300 aslight dip, it again ascended then, after some oscillations, b feet, reaching the ground at F 14m-the remarkable feature vation, there was scarcely any This fact of no change in the very remarkable, for it indicat temperature with increase of tance from the earth. June 2 M p. m., and descended near Net Crystal Palace at 6h. 334m.made on Romney Marsh, 5 mi the new balloon were made, a lamentable destruction at Leic recently presided over a meeti assist Mr. Coxwell to rebuild wish that the town of Leiceste stigma resting upon them. old balloon, which he had rep cent of which Mr. Glaisher ha the Crystal Palace, at 4h. 6m. the air and those of the dew-1 most important point in the law of decrease of temperatu months is pretty well determi out the year; nor can we say will be in force at night. In he had freely given up all his in a most unselfish manner. which Mr. Coxwell had enter id, capable of containing 10,000 cubic feet more gas than the old one, need be, two observers could ascend together to the height of five new balloon, however, needs trying in low ascents until it proves before it can be used for great elevations; and, on June 13, it was tarted on a small ascent from the Crystal Palace, at 7 o'clock-the ess, and the air perfectly clear, except in the direction of London. An of 1,000 feet was reached in 1 minute, 3,000 feet at 7h. 8m., when n descended to 2,300 feet, and then reascended to 3,400, when, after p, it again ascended to 3,550 feet, the highest point by 7h. 28m., and r some oscillations, began its downward course at 7h. 50m. from 2,800 hing the ground at East Horndon, five miles from Brentwood, at 8h. e remarkable feature in this voyage being that, below 1,800 feet eleere was scarcely any change of temperature until the earth was reached. of no change in the temperature of the air at the time of sunset was arkable, for it indicated that, if such be a law, the law of decrease of ure with increase of elevation may be reversed at night for some dism the earth. June 20, the balloon left Derby at 17 minutes past 6 d descended near Newark. June 27, the balloon ascended from the Palace at 6h. 334m.-the sky cloudy, wind west. The descent was Romney Marsh, 5 miles from the shore. These several trial trips of balloon were made, and it was gradually becoming gas-tight, when its ble destruction at Leicester took place. The mayor of that town has presided over a meeting for the purpose of collecting subscriptions to Ir. Coxwell to rebuild a new balloon; and we concur in Mr. Glaisher's at the town of Leicester and the Foresters' Society will soon remove the resting upon them. Mr. Coxwell, since then, has had recourse to the loon, which he had repaired as best he could, and the next and last aswhich Mr. Glaisher had to speak was made with it, on August 29, from ystal Palace, at 4h. 6m. The difference between the temperatures of and those of the dew-point in this ascent was rather remarkable. The important point in the past year's experiments are that, though the decrease of temperature under ordinary circumstances in the summer s is pretty well determined, we cannot say such a law holds good throughe year; nor can we say that the laws which are in force during the day e in force at night. In carrying out these experiments Mr. Glaisher said d freely given up all his leisure, and that Mr. Coxwell had done the same most unselfish manner. Indeed, had it not been for the generous spirit in Mr. Coxwell had entered into these experiments, they never could have made, except at a multiple of the cost that had been incurred. ITHSONIAN INSTITUTION BY CHARLES RAU, OF NEW YORK CITY. of Charles III, all members of the order of the n and the transatlantic provinces subject to that ended the missions established by the Spaniards ere compelled to leave their Indian converts, and ty to a number of friars of the Franciscan order. German, who had spent seventeen years in the , after his return to his native country, a book that remote part of the American continent, and nt of its aboriginal inhabitants, with whom the acquainted during the many years devoted to . This book, which is now very scarce in ore so in this country, bears the title: Account California; with a twofold Appendix of False of the Society of Jesus, who lived there many Permission of my Superiors. Mannheim, 1773.* ives, induced the author to remain anonymous, name, which was Jacob Baegert, is sometimes onnexion with the title of his book. That his he states himself in the text, but further paraffairs, before or after his missionary labors in 7 knowledge. He does not even mention over sting at his time on the peninsula he presided, ed in California under the twenty-fifth degree, the Pacific coast, opposite the little bay of St. anying his work there are two missionary stae-the mission of St. Aloysius and that of the schen Halbinsel Californien: mit einem zweyfachen chrieben von einem Priester der Gesellschaft Jesu, hr gelebet hat. Mit Erlaubnuss der Oberen. Mann certain exaggerated reports that I have to state, however, that 23 S Lower California. In the appendices to the work the author refutes ggerated reports that had been published concerning the Californian and he is particularly very severe upon Venegas' "Noticia de la (Madrid, 1757, 3 vols.,) a work which is also translated into the rench, and German languages. He accuses the Spanish author of ven by far too favorable, and, in many instances, utterly false f the country, its productions and inhabitants, which is rather a circumstance, since Venegas is considered as an authority in matters the ethnology of California. reading the work of the German missionary, I was struck with the ethnological information contained in it, especially in the second h is exclusively devoted to the aboriginal inhabitants, as stated d upon conversing on the subject with some friends, members of the Ethnological Society, they advised me to translate for publication if hole book, at least that part of it which relates to the native populahich we know, comparatively, perhaps less than of any other portion ligenous race of North America. As there is a growing taste for the ethnology manifested in this country, and, consequently, a tendency to collect all materials illustrating the former condition of the Amerigines in different parts of the continent, I complied with the request ends, and devoted my hours of leisure to the preparation of this little posing that the account of a man who lived among those Californians ago, when their original state had been but little changed by interith Europeans, might be an acceptable addition to our stock of cal knowledge. e to state, however, that the following pages are not a translation in sense of the word, but a reproduction of the work only as far as it ethnological matters. The reasons which induced me, thus to deviate usual course of a translator are obvious; for even that portion of the ch treats of the native race contains many things that are not in the nected with ethnology, the good father being somewhat garrulous and ond of moralizing and enlarging upon religious matters, as might be 1 from one of his calling; and, although he places the natives of the a exceedingly low in the scale of human development, he takes, neveroccasion to draw comparisons between their barbaric simplicity and the ned habits of the Europeans, much in the manner of Tacitus, who seizes ery opportunity to rebuke the luxury and extravagance of his countryhile he describes the rude sylvan life of the ancient inhabitants of GerMy object being simply to rescue from oblivion a number of facts to a portion of the American race, I have omitted all superfluous comes indulged in by the author, and, in order to bring kindred subjects ommon heads, I have now and then used some freedom in the arrangef the matter, which is not always properly linked in the original. h the second part of the book has chiefly furnished the material for production, I have transferred to the English text, and inserted in the places, all those passages in the other divisions, and even in the two ices that have a bearing upon ethnology, giving thus unity and comss to the subject, which induced me to prepare these pages. For the have preserved, so far as feasible, the language of the author. Not |