twenty minutes before seven
The ship was no longer visible , having drifted away , apparently to the eastward . I now began to experience , at intervals , severe pain in the head , especially about the ears -- still , however , breathing with tolerable freedom . The cat and pigeons seemed to suffer no inconvenience whatsoever . `` At twenty minutes before seven , the balloon entered a long series of dense cloud , which put me to great trouble , by damaging my condensing apparatus and wetting me to the skin . This was , to be sure , a singular recontre , for I had not believed it possible that a cloud of this nature could be sustained at so great an elevation . I thought it best , however , to throw out two five-pound pieces of ballast , reserving still a weight of one hundred and sixty-five pounds . Upon so doing , I soon rose above the difficulty , and perceived immediately , that I had obtained a great increase in my rate of ascent .