AIRSHIPS.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE " SPELT...TOE:]
Snt,—It may interest your readers to know that naval airships were prophesied at the end of the eighteenth century, but more as a joke than seriously. As is well known, balloons were a favourite decoration for all manner of things—plates, dishes, snuff-boxes, bonbonnieres, &c.---and among various curiosities appertaining to the Revolution which were ex- hibited in the Salle des Etats of the Tuileries during the Centenary Exhibition of Paris in 1889, there was a print representing a combat of ships held up in the clouds by balloons. It was coloured, and formed part of the collection of M. Jeancourt-Galignani ; and was described in the cata- logue as follows :—" Combat aerien de deux vaisseaux chacun de 100 pieces de canon, a arcs-d'acier an lieu de poudre canon et de 1,000 hommes d'equipage, l'an 100 de l'invention des machines aerostatiques, gravure en couleur par Xuanez." The prophet was not far out in his reckoning.—I am, Sir, &c.,
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