Thejournalist，whofirstspeaksoftheenormousconcoursethatgatheredtoseetheascent，notonlywithinVauxhallGardens，butoneveryvantagegroundwithout，proceedstotellofhisinterviewwithMr。Cockinghimself，who，whenquestionedastothedangerinvolved，remarkedthatnoneexistedforhim，andthatthegreatestperil，ifany，wouldattendtheballoonwhensuddenlyrelievedofhisweight。TheproprietorsoftheGardens，asthehourapproached，didtheirbesttodissuadetheover—confidentinventor，offering，themselves，totaketheconsequencesofanypublicdisappointment。Thiswasagainwithoutavail，andso，towards6p。m。，Mr。Green，accompaniedbyMr。Spencer，asolicitorofwhomthishistorywillhavemoretotell，enteredtheballoon，whichwasthenletupabout40
feetthattheparachutemightbeaffixedbelow。Alittlelater，Mr。Cocking，castingasidehisheavycoatandtossingoffaglassofwine，enteredhiscarand，amiddeafeningacclamations，withthebandplayingtheNationalAnthem，theballoonandaeronautsabove，andhehimselfinhisparachuteswingingbelow，mountedintotheheavens，passingpresently，inthegatheringdusk，outofviewoftheGardens。
ThesequelshouldbegatheredfromMr。Green’sownnarrative。
Previoustostarting，650lbs。ofballasthadtobediscardedtogainbuoyancysufficienttoraisethemassivemachine。
This，togetherwithanother100lbs。，whichwasalsorequiredtobeejectedowingtothecoolingoftheair，waspassedoutthroughacanvastubeleadingdownwardsthroughaholeintheparachute，aningeniouscontrivancewhichwouldpreventthesandthrownoutfromtheballoonfallingontheslenderstructureitself。Onquittingtheearth，however，thislattersetupsuchviolentoscillationsthatthecanvastubewastornaway，andthenitbecamethetroublesometaskoftheaeronautstomakeuptheirballastintolittleparcels，and，asoccasionrequired，tothrowtheseintospaceclearoftheswingingparachutebelow。