It　was　a　bold　and　sensational　exhibition；　and　on　the　expiration　of　his　engagement　the　young　athlete；　profiting　by　home　training；　felt　fully　qualified　to　attempt　any　aerial　feat　connected　with　the　profession　of　an　aeronaut。　　And　at　this　juncture　an　eminent　American　cyclist；　visiting　the　father's　factory；　suggested　to　Stanley　a　business　tour　in　South　America。
  As　an　extra　attraction　it　was　proposed　that　a　young　lady　parachutist　should　be　one　of　the　company；　so；　after　a　few　satisfactory　trial　exhibitions　in　England；　the　party　made　their　way　to　Rio；　Brazil。　　Here　an　ascent　was　arranged；　and　by　the　day　and　hour　appointed　the　balloon　was　successfully　inflated　with　hydrogen；　an　enormous　concourse　collected；　and　the　lady　performer　already　seated　in　the　sling。　　Then　a　strange　mischance　happened。　　By　some　means；　never　satisfactorily　explained；　the　young　woman；　at　the　moment　of　release；　slipped　from　her　seat；　and　the　balloon；　escaping　into　the　air；　turned　over　and　fell　among　the　people；　who　vindictively　destroyed　it。　　Then　the　crowd　grew　ungovernable；　and　threatened　the　lives　of　the　aeronauts；　who　eventually　were；　with　difficulty；　rescued　by　the　soldiery。
  This　was　a　bad　start；　but　with　a　spare　balloon　a　fresh　attempt　at　an　ascent　was　arranged；　though；　from　another　cause；　with　no　better　success。　　This　time　a　furious　storm　arose；　before　the　inflation　was　completed；　and　the　balloon；　carrying　away；　was　torn　to　ribbons。　　Yet　a　third　time；　with　a　hot　air　balloon　now；　a　performance　was　advertised　and　successfully　carried　out；　but；　immediately　after；　Mr。　Spencer's　American　friend　succumbed　to　yellow　fever；　and　the　young　man；　being　thrown　on　his　own　resources；　had　to　fight　his　own　way　until　his　fortunes　had　been　sufficiently　restored　to　return　to　England。
  A　few　months　later　he　set　sail　for　Canada；　where　for　several　months　he　had　a　most　profitable　career；　on　one　occasion　only　meeting　with　some　difficulty。　　He　was　giving　an　exhibition　on　Prince　Edward's　Island；　not　far　from　the　sea；　but　on　a　day　so　calm　that　he　did　not　hesitate　to　ascend。　　On　reaching　3；000　feet；　however；　he　was　suddenly　caught　by　a　strong　land　breeze；　which；　ere　he　could　reach　the　water；　had　carried　him　a　mile　out　to　sea；　and　here　he　was　only　rescued　after　a　long　interval；　during　which　he　had　become　much　exhausted　in　his　attempts　to　save　his　parachute　from　sinking。
  Early　in　1892　our　traveller　visited　South　Africa　with　a　hot　air　balloon；　and；　fortune　continuing　to　favour　him；　he　subsequently　returned　to　Canada；　and　proceeded　thence　to　the　United　States　and　Cuba。　　It　was　at　Havannah　that　popular　enthusiasm　in　his　favour　ran　so　high　that　he　was　presented　with　a　medal　by　the　townsfolk。　　It　was　from　here　also　that；　a　little　while　after；　tidings　of　his　own　death　reached　him；　together　with　most　gratifying　obituary　notices。　　It　would　seem　that；　after　his　departure；　an　adventurer；　attempting　to　personate　him；　met　with　his　death。
  In　November；　1897；　he　followed　his　elder　brother's　footsteps　to　the　East；　and　exhibited　in　Calcutta；　Singapore；　Canton；　and　also　Hong…Kong；　where；　for　the　first　and　only　time　in　his　experience；　he　met　with　serious　accident。　　He　was　about　to　ascend　for　the　ordinary　parachute　performance　with　a　hot　air　balloon；　which　was　being　held　down　by　about　thirty　men；　one　among　them　being　a　Chinaman　possessed　of　much　excitability　and　very　long　finger　nails。　　By　means　of　these　latter　the　man　contrived　to　gouge　a　considerable　hole　in　the　fabric　of　the　balloon。　　Mr。　Spencer；　to　avoid　a　disappointment；　risked　an　ascent；　and　it　was　not　till　the　balloon　had　reached　600　feet　that　the　rent　developed　into　a　long　slit；　and　so　brought　about　a　sudden　fall　to　earth。　　Alighting　on　the　side　of　a　mountain；　Mr。　Spencer　lay　helpless　with　a　broken　leg　till　the　arrival　of　some　British　bluejackets；　who　conveyed　him　to　the　nearest　surgeon；　when；　after　due　attention；　he　was　sent　home。　　Other　remarkable　exploits；　which　Mr。　Stanley　Spencer　shared　with　Dr。　Berson　and　with　the　writer　and　his　daughter；　will　be　recorded　later。
  CHAPTER　XXIII。　NEW　DEPARTURES　IN　AEROSTATION。
  After　Mr。　Coxwell's　experiments　at　Aldershot　in　1862　the　military　balloon；　as　far　as　England　was　concerned；　remained　in　abeyance　for　nine　long　years；　when　the　Government　appointed　a　Commission　to　enquire　into　its　utility；　and　to　conduct　further　experiments。　　The　members　of　this　committee　were　Colonel　Noble；　R。E。；　Sir　F。　Abel；　Captain　Lee；　R。E。；　assisted　by　Captain　Elsdale；　R。E。；　and　Captain　（now　Colonel）　Templer。　　Yet　another　nine　years；　however；　elapsed　before　much　more　was　heard　of　this　modernised　military　engine。
  But　about　the　beginning　of　the　eighties　the　Government　had　become　fully　alive　to　the　importance　of　the　subject；　and　Royal　Engineers　at　Woolwich　grew　busy　with　balloon　manufacture　and　experiment。　　Soon　〃the　sky　around　London　became　speckled　with　balloons。〃　　The　method　of　making　so…called　pure　hydrogen　by　passing　steam　over　red…hot　iron　was　fully　tested；　and　for　a　time　gained　favour。　　The　apparatus；　weighing　some　three　tons；　was　calculated　to　be　not　beyond　the　carrying　powers　of　three　service　waggons；　while　it　was　capable　of　generating　enough　gas　to　inflate　two　balloons　in　twenty…four　hours；　a　single　inflation　holding　good；　under　favourable　circumstances；　for　a　long　period。　　At　the　Brighton　Volunteer　Review　of　1880；　Captain　Templer；　with　nine　men；　conducted　the　operations　of　a　captive　reconnoitring　balloon。　　This　was　inflated　at　the　Lewes　gas　works；　and　then　towed　two　and　a　half　miles　across　a　river；　a　railway；　and　a　line　of　telegraph　wires；　after　which　it　was　let　up　to　a　height　of　1；500　feet；　whence；　it　was　stated；　that　so　good　a　view　was　obtained　that　〃every　man　was　clearly　seen。〃　　Be　it　remembered；　however；　that　the　country　was　not　the　South　African　veldt；　and　every　man　was　in　the　striking　English　uniform　of　that　date。
  Just　at　this　juncture　came　the　Egyptian　War；　and　it　will　be　recalled　that　in　the　beginning　of　that　war　balloons　were　conspicuous　by　their　absence。　　The　difficulties　of　reconnaissance　were　keenly　felt　and　commented　on；　and　among　other　statements　we　find　the　following　in　the　war　intelligence　of　the　Times：
  〃As　the　want　of　a　balloon　equipment　has　been　mentioned　in　letters　from　Egypt；　it　may　be　stated　that　all　the　War　Department　balloons　remain　in　store　at　the　Royal　Dockyard　at　Woolwich；　but　have　been　recently　examined　and　found　perfectly　serviceable。〃　　An　assertion　had　been　made　to　the　effect　that　the　nature　of　the　sand　in　Egypt　would　impede　the　transport　of　the　heavy　material　necessary　for　inflation。　　At　last；　however；　the　order　came　for　the　despatch　of　the　balloon　equipment　to　the　front；　and　though　this　arrived　long　after　Tel…el…Kebir；　yet　it　is　recorded　that　the　first　ascent　in　real　active　service　in　the　British　Army　took　place　on　the　25th　of　March；　1885；　at　Suakin；　and　balloons　becoming　regarded　as　an　all…important　part　of　the　equipment　of　war；　they　were　sent　out　in　the　Bechuanaland　Expedition　under　Sir　Charles　Warren；　the　supply　of　gas　being　shipped　to　Cape　Town　in　cylinders。
  It　was　at　this　period　that；　according　to　Mr。　Coxwell；　Lord　Wolseley　made　ascents　at　home　in　a　war　balloon　to　form　his　own　personal　opinion　of　their　capabilities；　and；　expressing　this　opinion　to　one　of　his　staff；　said　that　had　he　been　able　to　employ　balloons　in　the　earlier　stages　of　the　Soudan　campaign　the　affair　would　not　have　lasted　as　many　months　as　it　did　years。　　This　statement；　however；　should　be　read　in　conjunction　with　another　of　the　same　officer　in　the　〃Soldier's　Pocket　Book；〃　that　〃in　a　windy　country　balloons　are　useless。〃　　In　the　Boer　War　the　usefulness　of　the　balloon　was　frequently　tested；　more　particularly　during　the　siege　of　Ladysmith；　when　it　was　deemed　of　great　value　in　directing　the　fire　of　the　British　artillery；　and　again　in　Buller's　advance；　where　the　balloon　is　credited　with　having　located　a　〃death…trap〃　of　the　enemy　at　Spion　Kop。　　Other　all…important　service　was　rendered　at　Magersfontein。　　The　Service　balloon　principally　used　was　made　of　goldbeaters'　skin；　containing　about　10；000　cubic　feet　of　hydrogen；　which　had　been　produced　by　the　action　of　sulphuric　acid　on　zinc；　and　compressed　in　steel　cylinders。　　A　special　gas　factory　was；　for　the　purpose　of　the　campaign；　established　at　Cape　Town。
  It　is　here　that　reference　must　be　made　to　some　of　the　special　work　undertaken　by　Mr。　Eric　S。　Bruce；　which　dealt　with　the　management　of　captive　balloons　under　different　conditions；　and　with　a　system　of　signalling　thus　rendered　feasible。　　Mr。　Bruce；　who；　since　Major　Baden…Powell's　retirement　from　the　office；　has　devoted　his　best　energies　as　secretary　to　the　advancement　of　the　British　Aeronautical　Society；　was　the　inventor　of　the　system　of　electric　balloon　signalling　which　he　supplied　to　the　British　Government；　as　well　as　to　the　Belgian　and　Italian　Governments。　　This　system　requires　but　a　very　small　balloon；　made　of　three　or　four　thicknesses　of　goldbeaters'　skin；　measuring　from　7　to　10　feet　in　diameter；　and　needing　only　two　or　three　gas　cylinders　for　inflation。　　Within　the　balloon；　which　is　sufficiently　translucent；　are　placed　several　incandescent　lamps　in　metallic　circuit；　with　a　source　of　electricity　on　the　ground。　　This　source　of　electricity　may　consist　of　batteries　of　moderate　size　or　a　portable　hand　dynamo