M. GARNERIN's ACCOUNT OF HIS ASCENT FROM ST. GEORGE'S PÅ RADE, NORTH AUDLEY-STREET, and DESCENT WITH A PARACHUTE, SEPT. 21, 1852. THE experiment of my thirty-firft afcent, and of my fifth defcent in a parachute, took place on Tuesday laft, on a very fine day, and in the prefence of an immenfe crowd of spectators, who filled the streets, windows, and houfes, and the fcaffoldings erected round the place of my departure, which, alas! was the only Apot not crowded with spectators! It is neceffary, when I undertake the experiment of the parachute, that I fhould know the Itate of the atmo. fphere, in order to enable me to judge of the course I am to take; and alfo to adopt the precautions proper to ensure fuccefs. About three in the afternoon, I had the fatisfaction of having a firft indication from the agreeable effect of a very pretty Montgolfier balloon, which was tent off from the environs of St. George's Parade, and which took a direction over Mary-la-bonne fields... 1 The fuccefs of this experiment ought not to prevent me from exprefling my opinion of the dangers that may refult to the general fafety from the daily abuse of thofe night experiments, which are not always directed by perfons converfant with the fubject. One fhudders when one thinks, that a ma chine of this kind may fall, and fall on fire, upon the cordage of a hip, and thus involve, in one great conflagra tion, all that conftitutes the wealth of one of the first Cities in the world. The ufe of thefe machines was prohibited in France; and the Confular Government confided to me alone the direction of night balloons, which I conceived and introduced into the national fetes. addrefs, by the afflance of the most diftinguithed perfonages. The parachute was gradually fufpended, and the breeze, which was very gentle, did not produce the least obfacle.-At length I hattened to ballast my cylindrical bark, and to place myfelf in it; a fight which the public contemplated with deep interelt-it feemed at that moment as if every heart beat in unifon; for, though I have not the advantage of fpeaking English, every one undertood my figns. I aftertained the height of the barometer, which was at 29 inches. I now preffed the moment of my departure, and the period of fulfilling my engagements with the Britifh public. All the cords were cut; I rofe amidst the most expreffive filence, and, launching into infinite space, dilcovered from on high the countless multitude that fent. up their fighs and prayers for my fafety. My parachute, in the form of a dome over my head, had a majestic effect. I quickened my afcending impulfe, and rofe through light and thin vapours, where the cold informed me that I was entering into the upper region. I followed attentively the route I was taking, and perceived that I had reached the extremity of the City, and that inmenfe fields and meadows offered themfelves for my descent *. I examined my barometer, which I found fallen to 23 inches-the fky was clear, the mo ment favourable, and I threw down my flag to endeavour to fhew to the people affembled that I was on the point of cutting the cord that fulpended me between Heaven and Earth. I made every neceffy difpofition, prepared my ballait, and measured with my eye the vast pace that separated me from the rest of the human race. I felt my courage confirmed by the certainty that my combinations were juft. I then took out my knife, and with a band firm, from a confcience vid of reproach, and which had never been lifted again any ane but in the field of vilary, I cut the cord. My balloon role, and I felt myself precipitated with a velocity which was checked By the fudden unfolding of my parachute. I faw that all my cricul tions were just, and my mind retained calm and erone. I endeavoured to me." . Convinced of the direction of the wind, I haftened the filling of the balloon, and at five P. M. I filled the pi. lot balloon which Mrs. Sheridan did me the honour to launch. It feemed to me that I was conciliating the fa. vour of Heaven by the interference of the Graces. This pilot balloon afcend ed quickly, and was foon out of fight, marking out my career towards the North-ealt. Whilt the anxious crowd were following the path of my little pilot, I fufpended the parachute to the balloon: this painful and difficult operation was executed with all posible According to M. Garnerin's calculation, he had beef' to the height of 4515+ French feet, on Tuesday last. dulate my gravitation, and the ofcilla tion which I experienced increased in proportion as I approached the breeze that blows in the middle regions; nearly ten minutes had elapfed, and I felt that the more time I took in defcending, the later I thould reach the ground. At length I perceived thousands of perfons, fome on horieback, others on foot, following me, all of whom encouraged me by their wishes, while they opened their arms to receive me. I came near the earth, and, after one bound, I landed, and quitted the parachute, without any shock or accident. The first perfon that came to me preffed me in his arms, but without lofing any time, I employed myfelf in detaching the principal circle of the parachute, anxious to fave the inftrument that had fo well guarantied me; but a crowd foon furrounded me-laid hold of me, and carried me in triumph, till an indifpofition, the confequence and effect of the ofcillation 1 had experienced, obliged the proceffion to top. I was then feized with a painful vomiting, which I ufually experience for feveral hours after a deIcent in a parachute. The interval of a moment, however, permitted me to get on horseback; a numerous cavalcade approached to keep off the crowd, whole enthusiasm and tranfports in commoded me not a little. The Duke of York was among the horsemen; and the procession proceeded with great difficulty in the midst of the crowd, who fhouted forth their applaufe, and had before them the tri-coloured flag which I had thrown down, and which was carried by a Member of Parliament. Among the prodigious concourfe of perfons on foot, I remarked Lord Stanhope, from whom I had received the counfels of a fcientific man, and who penetrated through the crowd to thake hands with me. At length, after feveral incidents, all produced by the univerfal interelt with which I was honoured, I withdrew from the crowd without any other accident than that of having had my right foot jammed between the horfe I rode and a horseman who preffed too close to me. My parachute was preferved as well as could be expected, a few of the cords only were cut It is now exhibiting at the Pantheon, where a great concourfe of perfons have been to examine it. I have just learned that my balloon defcended on the 22d (Wednefday), at Mr. Abraham Hareing`s, near Frencham Mill, three miles beyond Farnham, in Surry; where it is in fafety. "Among the congratulations I have had the honour of receiving from the most diftinguished pertons, I have not had any more flattering than those I have received from Sir Sidney Smith; who came to me, with General Doug. las, "on purpofe," as he faid to me, "to shake hands with a brave man.". This compliment is of the greatest value from the mouth of one of the braveit foldiers in Europe. "I now enjoy the pleafure of having fulfilled my engagements with the public; to whom I owe every acknowledgement and thanks for the encouragement I have received from them, and for the confidence which they placed in my promile at a time when I was obliged to defer the experiment of the parachute. It is with this grateful fente of their patronage that I am going to make a new afcent at Bristol. "Yet, feeling, as I do, these fentiments of gratitude, will it be too much to ask the public to revenge with their contempt the infult to my honour and my moral character that I have received from a public paper, which, upon advices from a correfpondent whofe veracity they ought to have fufpected, has asked, whether I did not play an infamous part in the French revolution? There are in France but two, my brother and myself, of the name of Garnerin, and we have played no other part than that which honour may avow in all countries, and at all times. It was upon the frontiers, and in the bofom of her armies, that we endeavoured to be useful to our country. I might refer, in England, to inconteftable evidence relative to my condu&t. I am fure His Royal Highnefs the Duke of York would be difpofed to do me the juftice I deserve, if he recollect the action of Marchiennes, in the night of the 31st of October 1793; in which I had the honour of difputing, with a handful of men, that polt, after it had been furprised by a trong detachment of his army. The action was extremely bloody, and terminated in a surrender, which made me His Royal Highness's prifoner, and occafioned me thirty one months' imprifonment in the prifons of Austria.” Thursday Sept. 23. [For M. Garnerin's Account of his Afcent from Bath, fee page 180.] * See page 224. VESTIGES, COLLECTED AND RECOLLECTED, BY JOSEPH MOSER, ESQ; NUMBER III. RUINS OF THE PRIORY OF THE HOLY piece of ground three hundred feet in TRINITY, DUKE'S PLACE. (WITH A PLATE.) : THE print which forms part of the embellishments of this Magazine exhibits a picturefque view of one of the laft veftiges of the Priory of the Holy Trinity, once the greatest ornament, as well as the most important religious establishment, in the ward of Aldgate. To be very particular with refpect to a place upon which fo much has been written and faid, and the neighbourhood of which the reader will find alluded to in a fubfequent article of the work, would, perhaps, be deemed fuperfluous yet it is neceffary, in purfuit of our comparison betwixt ancient and modern times, to remark, that this Priory was founded on the fpot upon which Trinity Chrift Church, now called St. James, Duke's Place, is erected, by Matilda, daughter of Malcolm, King of Scotland, and wife to Henry the Firft, in the fame place where Siredus had begun to erect a church in honour of the Cross and St. Mary Magdalen, of which the Dean and Chapter of Waltham were wont to have thirty fhillings. The Queen was to acquit her church of this incumbrance, and, in remuneration, gave them a mill. This donation was confirmed by the King, and the Priory bestowed upon Norman, the firft Canon Regular of England. This Priory, which was built upon a # length, in procefs of time became a very large church, rich in lands and ornaments, the Prior whereof was an Alderman of London, viz. of Portfoken Ward, who fat in Court, and rode with the Mayor and his brethren, in fcarlet and other liveries, until the year 1531, the 23d of Henry the VIIIth, when it was furrendered to that Monarch †, who gave it to Sir Thomas Audley, Speaker of the Parliament against Cardinal Wolfey, and afterwards Lord Chancellor of England, who demolished the church, and built a large manfion upon its foundation, wherein he died. This house and its appurtenances defcended, by his marriage with Lord Audley's daughter and heir, to Thomas Duke of Norfolk 1, and was then called Duke's Place; which name a great part of its fite and garden ftill retains. It appears that the fpot from which the view was taken was formerly, and is ftill, called Mitre Court, probably from the mitre which the Bishop of London caused to be affixed to the walls of the Priory, to thew his fupe. rior jurifdiction; but in confequence of a fire that happened at its entrance into Aldgate, in the night of the 31ft of October 1800, it has been confiderably improved. A ftone tablet has been placed against the fide wall of the corner houfe on the right, part of which appears in the print, with this inscription: Henry Fitz-Alwin, Draper, firft Mayor of London, who continued in his office from the firit of Richard the Firft until the fitteenth of John, more than twenty-four years, and who died 1212, was buried in the priory church of the Holy Trinity, Aldgate. + When Henry fent for the Prior upon this occafion, he comended him greatly for his learning and hospitality, and said, that he was worthy of much higher dignity, to which he promised to prefer him. The priory was accordingly furren dered. Sir Thomas Audley, who seems to have profited by the spoils of the Church, had alfo a grant of the Charter-house. This Nobleman was the fon of John Duke of Norfolk, who was killed at the battle of Bofworth Field, valiantly fighting for King Richard the Third. The demy-lion fhot through the mouth with an arrow, his creft, was till lately on a houfe in Duke's-place. VOL. XLII. SEPT. 1802. "Widened |