being at an inconsiderable elevation, and passing rapidly before the wind, he was at once hid from view by the

acclamations of several thousand spec-very beautifully from the garden; but tators. In about five minutes he attained a sufficient elevation, when he let down the affrighted animal, who reached the earth in safety. He, him- || intervening objects. Having opened self, continued to rise a few minutes longer, when he opened the valve, and gently descended in the village of Mantua, one or two miles distant, ou the west bank of the Schuylkill.

SIXTH ASCENSION.

the valve of the balloon, he descended near a small pond of water about a mile from Vauxhall, to which place he returned in the course of the day.

Mr. Guille's own account of the ascension, as given in a letter to the editor of the Masonic Register, is as follows:

"My last ascension in New-York, took place on the 6th of June, at a very unfavourable time. The wind which prevailed throughout the day, retarded my operations considerably, and the conductor, [made of silk] which led the gas into the Balloon, was several times torn by its violence, which frequently so great as to require ten men to hold the Balloon in its proper place. In addition to the gas which escaped by the writhings of the

During the winter, Mr. Guille returned to New-York, and as the season grew milder, made preparations for another ascension at the Vauxhall garden in that city. After several postponements, the 6th of June, 1821, was finally determined upon as the day on which it would take place. On this occasion, the afternoon was excessively warm, and the clouds of dust almost insupportable: yet the streets leading to the garden were com pletely thronged with the populace; aud carriages of every description fu-Balloon, a great quantity of atmos

was

pheric air entered it, and considerably impeded my efforts. But by consum ing an extraordinary quantity of Oil of Vitriol, I was enabled to inflate the Balloon sufficiently to carry my own weight. I ascended at five o'clock, but the wind being too strong, did not permit me to ascend very high, as it carried me along with much rapidity. Observing that I was fast approaching the [Hudson] river, I in about two minutes opened the valve of my Balloon. On coming to the ground, I re ceived scarcely any shock, but was dragged along about half a mile, and was at length stopped by two persons vise it is whom I found there; otherwise probable I should have been carried into the water. My greatest elevation was nearly 200 toises. I am certain that if the wind had not been unfavour able, I should have made a very fine ascension; but I could not contend against the elements, notwithstanding the earnest desire I had, to give satis faction to the American people." C. GUILLE

riously driving for, or with, passengers, gave lively animation to the scene, and proved that the public curiosity remained unabated. It was the intention of Mr. Guille, previously to his own ascension, to have sent off a gigantic figure of a man, as an avant courier in order to ascertain the direction which the balloon itself would take. But the body of the figure, however, proving too heavy, it was decapitated, and the head alone dispatched into the aerial regions, where it soon disappeared. It had also been intended that Madam Guille should have ascended to a considerable height over the heads of the spectators, and afterwards be drawn back to the garden by the cords which retained the balloon. But as the wind was blowing with some violence, and in the direction of a row of trees, it was evident that her return would have been attended with imminent danger, and the design was accordingly abandoned. Mr. Guille himself entered the car at the appointed hour, and rose

From the MasSACHUSETTS CENTINEL, of January 15, A. D. 1795.

PROGRESS OF BALLOONS.

Assist me, ye muses, (whose harps are in tune)
To tell of the flight of the gallant balloon!
As high as my subject permit me to soar,
To heights unattempted, unthought of before.

The earth, on its surface, has all been survey'd,
The sea has been travell'd-and deep in the shade,
The kingdom of Pluto has heard us at work,
When we dig for his metals wherever they lurk.

But who would have thought that invention could rise,
To find out a method to soar to the skies,
And pierce the bright regions, which ages assign'd,
To spirits embodied, and flights of the mind.

Let the gods of Olympus their revels prepare,
By the aid of some pounds of inflammable air
We'll visit them soon-and forsake this dull ball,
With coat, shoes and stockings, fat carcase and all.

How France is distinguish'd in Louis's reign!
What cannot her genius and courage attain?
Throughont the wide world have her arms found the way,
And art to the stars is extending her sway.

At sea let the British their neighbours defy-
The French shall have frigates to traverse the sky-
In this navigation more fortunate prove,
And cruise at their ease in the climates above.

If the English should venture to sea with their fleet,
A host of balloons in a trice they shall meet,
The French from the zenith their wings shall display,
And souse on these sea dogs, and bear them away.

Ye sages, who travel on mighty designs,
To measure meridians and parallel lines-
The task being tedious, take heed, if you please,
Construct a balloon, and you'll do it with ease.

And ye, who the heaven's broad concave survey,
And, aided by glasses, its secrets betray,
Who gaze the night through, at the wonderful scene,
Yet still are complaining of vapours between

Ah, seize the conveyance, and fearlessly rise,
To peep at the lanthorns that light up the skies;
And floating above, on our ocean of air,
Inform us, by letter, what people are there.

In Saturn, advise us if snow ever melts-
And what are the uses of Jupiter's belts;
And (Mars being willing) pray send us word, greeting
If his people are fonder of fighting than eating.

Our folks of good morals it wofully grieves,
That Mercury's people are villains and thieves,
You'll see how it is but I'll venture to show,
For a dozen among them, twelve dozen below.

From long observation, one proof may be had
That the men in the Moon are incurably mad;
However, compare us, and if they exceed,
They must be surprisingly crazy indeed.

But now to have done with our planets and moons,
Come, grant me a patent for making balloons,
For I find that the time is approaching-the day-
When horses shall fail, and the horsemen decay.

Post riders, at present (call'd centaurs of old)
Who brave all the seasons, hot weather and cold,
In future shall leave their dull ponies behind,
And travel, like ghosts, on the wings of the wind.

The stageman, whose gallopers scarce have the power Through the dirt to convey you ten miles in an hour, When advanc'd to balloons shall so furiously drive, You'll hardly know whether you're dead or alive.

The man who from Boston sets out with the sun,
If he has a fair wind gets to New-York at one.
At Gunpowder Ferry drink whiskey at three,
And at six be at Edenton ready for tea.

(The machine shall be order'd, we hardly need say,
To travel in darkness as well as by day)
At Charleston by ten he for sleep shall prepare,
And by twelve the next day be, the devil knows where!

When the ladies grow sick of the city in June,
What a jaunt they shall have in the flying balloon;
Whole mornings ings shall see them at toilets preparing;
And forty miles high be their afternoon's airing.

Yet more with its fitness for commerce I'm struck-
What loads of tobacco shall fly from Kentuck;
What packs of best beaver-bar-iron and pig,
What budgets of leather from Bonocco-cheague!

If Britain should ever disturb us again,

(As they threaten to do in the next George's reign) No doubt they will play us a set of new tunes, And pepper us well from their fighting balloons.

To market the farmers shall shortly repair,
With their hogs and potatoes, wholesale, through the air,
Skim over the water as light as a feather,
Themselves and their turkies conversing together.

Such wonders as these from balloons shall arise
And the giants of old that assaulted the skies,
With their Ossa on Pelion shall freely confess
That all they attempted was nothing to this.

MASONIC P. S.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE MASONIC REGISTER.

The "Quere" contained in the last number of your Register, is particularly well timed and worthy of attention. It has lately been the subject of much complaint, that sojourning brethren of respectability and rank in the states where they reside, have frequently been put off with some frivolous "pretence," and sometimes repelled without any. Such usage is unjust, and exceedingly vexatious to any Mason who knows what attention he has a right to expect as a visiter, and who is feelingly alive to every claim and privilege of a brother.

Every lodge ought to be as "free" to the stranger who is worthy, as to a member; or the term "free" is an empty, unmeaning word, and "Free Masonry" a farce; and the master of every lodge ought to recollect, that it is not for him to display

"The insolence of office," but to "entertain strangers."

A PAST MASTER.

MASONIC CEREMONY.

On the 16th of April last, the corner stone of a new Independent Methodist church, was laid in Lexington, Kentucky. The ceremony was performed in the true Masonic style, under the direction of the M. W. Henry Clay, grand master of the grand lodge of Kentucky. A large and respectable procession moved from the lodge room to the scite of the building, where a suitable address was delivered on the occasion, by the most worshipful grand

master.

LITERARY.

NEW MASONIC MAGAZINE.

Proposals are issued by WILLIAM GIEBES HUNT, Esq. most excellent deputy grand high priest of the grand chapter of Kentucky, for publishing, at Lexington, a periodical work, to be entitled, "The Masonic Miscellany, and Ladies' Literary Magazine;"

to be issued in monthly numbers, each containing forty octavo pages, at three dollars a year; "invariably to be paid on the delivery of the first number." At least one half of the proposed work is to be devoted to MASONIC subjects, and the remainder to "GENERAL LITERATURE, and particularly to the amusement of the LADIES." MASONRY, perhaps, never stood on more commanding ground than it does at the present day; prejudice, bigotry, and superstition, are gradually sinking before its rays, in almost every part of the world, and the most illustrious characters are proud to be initiated into its mysteries. The general diffusion of Masonic light, is an object much to be desired; and the well known talents of companion Hunt, together with his extensive Masonic acquirements, render him a very suitable person to conduct a work of the kind proposed.

UNIVERSITY OF OHIO.

The "American Friend," of the 11th of May, contains a report of the trustees of this institution, in which they state, that "they have brought it upon a respectable footing, and that it holds out advantages inferior to few, if any, seminaries in the western country." The college is situated on a beautiful rise of ground in the village of Athens.

"THE LITERARY COMPANION."

We have lately seen proposals for a new paper, under this title, the first number of which will be issued on Saturday, the sixteenth of the present month. It is intended to be published weekly, in the octavo form, containing sixteen pages. It is designed chiefly for the female part of the community; and will accordingly comprise such subjects as may be more particularly interesting to them. The "fashions, dress and amusements, public and private, foreign and domestic," will consequently receive due attention. A