A number of balloons were remarkable for the beauty and elegance
which we have already spoken of. Among the most beautiful we may
mention the "Flesselles" balloon and Bagnolet's balloon.
Of the ascents which immediately succeeded those that have been
treated in the first part of our volume, and which are the most
memorable in the early annals of aerostation, that of the 17th of
January, 1784, is remarkable. It took place at Lyons. Seven
persons went into the car on this occasion--Joseph Montgolfier,
Roziers, the Comte de Laurencin, the Comte de Dampierre, the
Prince Charles de Ligne, the Comte de Laporte d'Anglifort, and
Fontaine, who threw himself into the car when it had already
begun to move.
A most minute account of this experiment is given in a letter of
Mathon de la Cour, director of the Academy of Sciences at
Lyons:--"After the experiments of the Champ de Mars and
Versailles had become known," he says, "the citizens of this town
proposed to repeat them" and a subscription was opened for this
purpose. On the arrival of the elder Montgolfier, about the end
of September, M. de Flesselles, our director, always zealous in
promoting whatever might be for the welfare of the province and
the advancement of science and art, persuaded him to organise the
subscription.
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