ked Mr. Coxwell to help me to read
the instruments, as I experienced a difficulty in seeing them. In
consequence of the rotary motion of the balloon, which had continued
without ceasing since the earth was left, the valve line had become
twisted, and he had to leave the car, and to mount into the ring above
to adjust it. At that time I had no suspicion of other than temporary
inconvenience in seeing. Shortly afterwards I laid my arm upon the
table, possessed of its full vigour; but directly after, being
desirous of using it, I found it powerless. It must have lost its power
momentarily. I then tried to move the other arm, but found it powerless
also. I next tried to shake myself, and succeeded in shaking my body. I
seemed to have no legs. I could only shake my body. I then looked at the
barometer, and whilst I was doing so my head fell on my left shoulder. I
struggled, and shook my body again, but could not move my arms. I got
my head upright, but for an instant only, when it fell on my right
shoulder; and then I fell backwards, my back resting against the side of
the car, and my head on its edge. In that position my eyes were directed
towards Mr. Coxwell in the ring. When I shook my body I seemed to have
full power over the muscles of the back, and considerable power over
those of the neck, but none over my limbs. As in the case of the arms,
all muscular power was lost in an instant from my back and neck. I dimly
saw Mr. Coxwell in the ring, and endeavoured to speak, but could not
do so; when in an instant intense black darkness came over me, and the
optic nerve lost power suddenly. I was still conscious, with as active a
brain as whilst writing this. I thought I had been seized with asphyxia,
and that I should experience no more, as death would come unless we
speedily descended. Other thoughts were actively entering my mind when I
suddenly became unconscious, as though going to sleep. I could not
tell anything about the sense of hearing: the perfect stillness of the
regions six miles from the earth--and at that time we were between six
and seven miles high--is such that no sound reaches the ear. My last
observation was made at 29,000 feet, about fifty-four minutes past
one. I suppose two or three minutes elapsed between my eyes becoming
insensible to seeing the fine divisions and fifty-four minutes past one,
and that other two or three minutes elapsed before I became unconscious;
therefore I think that took place about