ribers was 360."

It was on these conditions that Montgolfier commenced his balloon of 126
feet high and 100 feet in diameter, made of a double envelope of cotton
cloth, with a lining of paper between. A strength and consistency was
given to the structure by means of ribbons and cords.

The work was nearly finished when Roziers went up in his fire-balloon
from La Muette. Immediately the Comte de Laurencin pressed Montgolfier
to allow him to go up in the new machine. Montgolfier was only too glad
of the opportunity--refused up to this time by the king--of going up
himself. From thirty to forty people made application to go with the
aeronauts; and on the 26th of December, 1678, Roziers, the Comte de
Dampierre, and the Comte de Laporte, arrived in Lyons with the same
intention. Prince Charles also arrived; and as his father had taken one
hundred subscriptions, his claim to go up could not be refused.

But while the public papers were full of ascents at Avignon, Marseilles,
and Paris, it is impossible to describe the vexation of Roziers, when
he discovered that Montgolfier's new balloon was not intended to carry
passengers, and had not been, from the first, constructed with that
view. He suggested a number of alterations, which Montgolfier adopted at
once.

On the 7th of January, 1784, all the pieces of which the balloon was
composed were carried out to the field called Les Brotteaux, outside the
town, from which the ascent was to be made. This event was announced to
take place on the 10th and at five o'clock on the morning of that day;
but unexpected delays occurred, and in the necessary operations the
covering was torn in many places.

On the 15th the balloon was inflated in seventeen minutes, and the
gallery was attached in an hour--the fire from which the heated air was
obtained requiring to be fed at the rate of 5 lbs. of alder-wood per
minute; but the preparations had occupied so much time, that it was
found, when everything was complete, that the afternoon was too far
advanced for the ascent to be made. This machine was destined to suffer
from endless misfortunes. It took fire while being inflated, and,
several days afterwards, it was damaged by snow and rain. Put nothing
discouraged Roziers and his companions. Places had been arranged in the
gallery for six persons. After the balloon was at last inflated,
Prince Charles and the Comes de Laurencin, Dampierre, and Laporte threw
themselves into the gallery. They w