I much fear you will think me very ungrateful after the kindness you have shown in copying my long and unintelligible letter and sending it to me. I was disappointed in getting into the Freeman and the day it was to appear the letter of Lady Franklin to Gale was put in the Freeman. I then withdrew my letter to make some slight alterations, as you will see. Do not think I was not pleased with what you wrote I was much so, and feel much obliged for the pains you took with it. Do what you can in getting it in all the papers you can and if you could send the account to any of the London monthly publications, you could date it from the Rotunda Dublin in my name, saying I should feel obliged if they would give it a place in their columns etc etc. Sign it John Hampton, Aeronaut. As for the account you sent about Gypson’s lecture, it is like the man, it cannot be understood, there is no meaning in it. When I see you we will have some talk about this and things of the same kind.
I am very sorry that poor Mons. Arban, the French aeronaut has lost his life. He was, without doubt a brave man.13
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Pray do not let your papers appear till after you have seen me as I think it will be to your advantage, or I hope so. If it please God I will see you on Christmas but if you are engaged let me know and I will make it your time. Mind, you must not put yourself out of the way for us. I have written to Lady Franklin and enclosed the letter from the Freeman offering my services, should more than one be wanted to go out.
From Mr Hampton, 23 Jervis Street, Dublin, December 3, 1849.
I received your letter and the Sun newspaper. I fear you must have had much labour in copying so many letters. I was in hopes the Leeds newspaper would have inserted the letter from the Freeman and that you could have cut out from the papers as many as you wanted to send to other journals, not for you to write so many as you have. I thank you for taking so much pain. I should like to know if it is in the Mechanic’s Magazine and the other papers you have sent to. You seem to have access to some Reading Rooms and can see those papers, if so you will see if they have inserted the letters you sent or not. It cannot be expected that all will do so. I have had a letter from Lady Franklin and she seems much pleased at my letter, you shall see it when I see you. My letter has appeared in the Cheltenham papers, also in Wolverhampton, and in the Limerick Chronicle, but this was only an abridged account not worth notice. I do not know if the Cork papers have noticed it or not yet. It has also gone to America and will be inserted there. I will bring with me some of my plans to show you.
From J. MacSweeny Esq., M.D, Cork, December 18, 1849.
In looking over my papers I find that I did not answer your last letter, I hope that you will excuse me. Matters relating to an unfortunate joint stock company diverted much of my attention from Aerostation. Since you wrote to me I have got the pamphlet giving an account of the voyage of Mr Windham Sadler across the Irish channel in 1817. I will be happy to send you an abstract if you have not yet read a copy of the pamphlet. You have probably got from Mr Hampton an account of his aerial trip from Cork, and an account of his voyage from Limerick, if not, let me know, and I will send you a statement. I am not quite sure of your present address. I hope that this will reach you.
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To J. MacSweeny Esq., Meanwood Road, Leeds, December 21, 1849.
I received your letter yesterday and was indeed much pleased to see it, for not having heard from you since I last wrote I was afraid I had given some offence, I am glad however that this has not been the case, for I have no one here that I can converse with on the subject of Aerostation. You appear to be aware of my being in communication with Mr Hampton. I have corresponded with that gentleman since last July, I have not yet seen him, but hope to do so today or tomorrow, for he has promised to call and see me. Mr Hampton kindly sent me the particulars of his ascents and failures at Dublin, Cork and Limerick, and also the pamphlet published by him in 1844, which I mentioned in a former letter. The title of the pamphlet is ‘Disclosures relating to the loss of the Albion Balloon’. Mr Green treated poor Hampton shamefully, however he has not prevented his again ascending.
We have had two ascents made from Leeds since I last wrote to you, one by Gale and Goulston and the other by Charles and Henry Green. I dare say you would see a short notice of each ascent in The Sun, for I sent the particulars to that paper and the account of Green’s ascent appeared in The Cork Constitution copied from The Sun.
I am glad to hear you have procured the pamphlet of Sadler’s voyage across the Channel. I have not yet seen it, but should much like to do so. I have repeatedly tried to procure it but have failed to do so. Since I last wrote to you I have procured the particulars of a great number of voyages performed by Green and his son, Gale, Coxwell, Hampton, Gypson and Wadman the Bristol aeronaut. I have accounts of 12 ascents made by Richard Green, who was drowned in the Bristol Channel, two ascents from New York by Dr Morrill, two from New Orleans and three from New York by Victor Verdalle a Frenchman who ascends without car, hung by the heels by a cord with his head towards the earth, smoking a cigar, foolish fellow!
Gale was lecturing in Aerostation at Birmingham about a fortnight ago. He exhibited a machine which he calls an aerial locomotive which floated round the lecture room, but I have not yet seen a description of this machine. I suppose it is the one which was exhibited at Cremorne last year. I see there is a notice of Crosbie, the Irish aeronaut, in the memoirs of Sir Johan Barrington, giving a description of his person. I have go an engraving of Tytler’s Edinbugh Fire balloon.
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In the early part of this year I commenced making a balloon but for want of means I was obliged to give it up when only half done. It now remains in that state.
From Mr Wm. Shoberl. 20 Great Marlborough Street, London, December 26, 1849.
William Shoberl was the proprietor of a well patronised publishing business. His father was the celebrated author Frederic Shoberl. One is left to speculate as to the particulars of Brown’s rejected manuscript on Aerostation.
Absence from town and other circumstances have prevented me from replying earlier to your recent obliging communication. I have now to acquaint you that I duly received your work on Aerostation, which I have read with considerable pleasure but I regret to state that I do not think a sufficient number of purchasers could be found to cover the expenses upon the work in these times, which are so very inauspicious to literary speculations. Under these circumstances I am sorry I cannot avail myself of your obliging offer. The manuscript shall be disposed of in any manner you may be pleased to direct.
From J. MacSweeny Esq., Cork, December 26, 1849.
I received your letter, and I now send you the pamphlet of Sadler’s voyage, as I am sure you would wish to see it, chart and all. You can copy it at your leisure and send it back to me. However, before you do so you can write to me.
I have seen a drawing of the Edinburgh Fire balloon but I would like to see your sketch of it. Aerostation is destined yet to produce great changes in the state of mankind in different parts of the world. Sails used in conjunction with drags will lead to important results. The reversible drags described in my essay, namely the plank drag and the spar drag are well fitted for a sailing balloon. Mr Hampton is zealous and enterprising. He ought to try to be the first to actually sail a sail balloon and to direct it by the sails, as it can be done when drags are used. The possibility of directing balloons should be boldly proclaimed in every quarter.
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1 The Balloon or Aerostatic Magazine. Henry Coxwell, London, 1845.
2 Disclosures relating to the loss of the Albion Balloon, London, 1844.
3 This was the case;