The New Hampshire Gazette And General Advertiser

From the Norwich Packet,--Feb. 24, 1784.

Mr. Trumbull, Sir,

Two days past Joseph Coit, Esq; of this town received a letter from his son, Mr. Daniel Lathrop Coit, dated at Paris (in France) December 2, 1783; in which he informs of a most extraordinary exhibition which took place the day before. Mr. Coit having consented to entertain the public thro' the channel of your paper, I request the favor of your publishing the following paragraph from the above mentioned letter, the authenticity of which may be fully relied on; your compliance will oblige your friend and humble servant,

WILLIAM HUBBARD.

THE attention of the public was yesterday called on to view a prodigy not before heard of in the world, and had it been related of antiquity we could not have believed it but with pretty good evidence.

It was no less than to see two men, placed in a beautiful car, ascend from the ground, in the presence of thousands, to about five hundred yards in the air, and then sail on the wings of the wind about 9 leagues. To stop here without proceeding further, I presume you would even call my veracity in question, though I am not used to telling stories that cannot be believed.

The machine was thus constructed; a large globe which they term a balloon, is made of silk, covered with paint, and filled with inflammable air, which is lighter than the common air, and of course will rise in it.-- There is a netting goes over the top of the globe which descends about half way down. and then has a firm rim of rope. leather, or something sufficiently strong to support the car, which is fixed a few feet below the ball : from this rope descends a number of cords which are fastened to the car in such a manner as to make it perfectly secure, and from the car goes a conductor or tube into the bottom of the ball,through which the light air (formed by vitriolic acid and some other substances that occasion a fermentation) is injected into the ball. and when the ball is sufficiently extended it becomes lighter than that quantity of common air. and of course rises in it : the ball itself was 26 feet in diameter. and is said to occupy the space of about 800 pounds of common air.--This sight was new and pleasing, and many thousand spectators assembled. and universally testified their pleasure to see it succeed so well. By the help of the conductor they communicate more air. or let out a part as they please. and of course as they render themselves,or rather the ball, more or less heavy. they rise and fall at pleasure.-The principal difficulty they labor under is to steer themselves. which they are not yet able to do, & I apprehend will find it a difficult matter ever to attain to, as the fluid in which they move must always go as fast as they do themselves.-- The wind was small, and they sailed along very prettily- they were about two hours and an half in going nine leagues.

Whether any thing advantageous will be the result of this new art of flying or not, remains yet to be determined.

Several have been dispatched in the air without any navigators, but this is their master piece. and crowns the inventors with applause. The novelty of the thing is so great that it engroes half the talk and attention of the city.--I confess it gave me as much pleasure as any thing in the way of curiosity that I have yet seen.