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APPENDIX.
To VINCENT LUNARDI, Esq.

Sir,
I send you this by my servant, that I may learn from yourself what I am extremely anxious to hear, that your health has not suffered by your late fatigues, that your Balloon arrived in London without injury, and at the same time to acquaint you with the further steps I have taken in your business.

Yesterday morning I made to the very spot where your Balloon in its passage touched the ground, and where your cat was landed, and with the assistance of several people who were witnesses, particularly of a person whom you may recollect to have been near the Balloon at the time on horseback, and of the very girl who picked up the cat, have ascertained the place with a sufficient precision. They pointed out the part also where your grapple dragged, and mentioned some other circumstances, the most of which I propose to collect into a formal deposition, and shall attend them again to-day to obtain their more solemn confirmation of the facts.

Yesterday, at my request, five of the harvest-men, mentioned in the deposition of Elizabeth Brett (which you have with you) attended me here, and have in the same formal mode deposed to the time, manner, and place of your last descent, and to the fact of their coming to the assistance of Elizabeth Brett, as stated by her. This desposition shall accompany the other, which I am to take 
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to-day, and you will make such use of them as you may find necessary. I cannot, however, avoid saying, that admiration and astonishment seem so thoroughly to have taken possession of all ranks of people instead of that incredulity which your friend, Mr. Sheldon, apprehended, that these supplemental proofs are hardly required. If finally they should, however, be thought requisite, it will give me particular pleasure in having procured them. Whatever you may be advised by your Friends in London to give to the public, will, I have no doubt, be well considered. It cannot be detailed in terms too plain and simple. You must be sensible that the facon de parler here and in France are extremely different, and that truth has never received advantage from unnecessary ornament. You will recollect too, that the account will be read by thousands, who were not witnesses of the facts. You will make such use of the subjoined memorandum as you think necessary.

Your general course from the spot of your departure, in the Artillery Ground, to that of your first descent, was something more than one point on the compass to the westward of the north, and the general course of your second voyage was three points on the compass to the eastward of the north from the place of your first departure, or something more than four points on the compass to the eastward of the north from the place of your first descent; observe, I speak of your general course, with a reference to the best maps which I have by me. What deviations or traverses you might make from time to time in both voyages, as you certainly must have made many, you will best judge. As a proof of this, you will recollect that the field in which the last letter with the belt 
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annexed was found, lies about one mile an a half to the eastward, being a point to the south of the spot where you finally landed: if, therefore, the belt and letter dropped in any thing like a perpendicular direction, the course you took after the dropping of this letter must have been west with a point to the north. I mention this by the bye for your consideration.

With respect to the identical spots on which you made the two descents you may wish to know the literal fact.

That where you made your first descent, that is, where your gallery came to the ground, and where, or near to which, you put out the cat, is a large ploughed field, belonging to John Hunter, Esq. of Gubbins, in the county of Hertford. The field itself is part of the lately inclosed common of North Mimms, in the manor of the Duke of Leeds. The field is about half a mile to the eastward of the sixteen-mile stone, on the road leading from London to Hatfield, and adjoining to the road leading from the said turnpike-road, to the northward on the left. The particular spot in the field is on the east side, very near to the boundary line between the manors of Northaw and North Mimms. For the present a common hedge-stake only marks the spot, but with your leave and the permission of Mr. Hunter, I propose to erect a stone there, with a suitable inscription to record the fact; as I shall likewise do on the spot of your last descent, if, as I have no doubt, I can obtain permission of the proprietor. It is remarkable that the field where you made your first descent is called Italy, from the circumstance which attended the late inclosure, of a large quantity of roots, rubbish, &c. having been collected there, and having continued burning for many days. The common people having 
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heard of a burning mountain in Italy, gave the field that name. You hardly conceived, when you dropped, that you was so near to any thing that had connexion with Naples.

The place of your final descent is imperfectly described in Elizabeth Brett's deposition, but is in fact as there stated, in the parish of Stondon, about half a mile to the northward of the twenty-four mile stone, on the road that leads from London to Cambridge, through Ware and Puckeredge.

If you wish to have any further conversation with me, on these matters, I can come to London conveniently after Wednesday next, and will attend you with pleasure, if you give me notice.

The inclosed scraps of paper were found in the field where you first descended, near the part where your grapple took up the corn. Whether you threw them from the Balloon you will recollect.

I have no tidings of the two first letters - probably to-day I may hear something of them, as I shall meet many persons assembled from different parts of the country

Adieu,

Most sincerely yours,

W. BAKER.

Bayford, near Hertford, September 18, 1784.


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