und。　　This　source　of　electricity　may　consist　of　batteries　of　moderate　size　or　a　portable　hand　dynamo。　　In　the　circuit　is　placed　an　apparatus　for　making　and　breaking　contact　rapidly；　and　by　varying　the　duration　of　the　flashes　in　the　balloon　telegraphic　messages　may　be　easily　transmitted。　　To　overcome　the　difficulty　of　unsteadiness；　under　circumstances　of　rough　weather；　in　the　captive　balloon　which　carried　the　glow　lamps；　Mr。　Bruce　experimented　with　guy　ropes；　and　gave　a　most　successful　exhibition　of　their　efficiency　before　military　experts　at　Stamford　Bridge　grounds；　though　a　stiff　wind　was　blowing　at　the　time。
  It　must　be　perfectly　obvious；　however；　that　a　captive　balloon　in　a　wind　is　greatly　at　a　disadvantage；　and　to　counteract　this；　attempts　have　been　made　in　the　direction　of　a　combination　between　the　balloon　and　a　kite。　　This　endeavour　has　been　attended　with　some　measure　of　success　in　the　German　army。　　Mr。　Douglas　Archibald；　in　England；　was　one　of　the　first　to　advocate　the　kite　balloon。　　In　1888　he　called　attention　to　the　unsatisfactory　behaviour　of　captive　balloons　in　variable　winds；　dropping　with　every　gust　and　rising　again　with　a　lull。　　In　proof　he　described　an　expedient　of　Major　Templer's；　where　an　attempt　was　being　made　to　operate　a　photographic　camera　hoisted　by　two　tandem　kites。　　〃The　balloon；〃　he　writes；　〃went　up　majestically；　and　all　seemed　very　satisfactory　until　a　mile　of　cable　had　been　run　out；　and　the　winder　locked。〃　　It　was　then　that　troubles　began　which　threatened　the　wreckage　of　the　apparatus；　and　Mr。　Archibald；　in　consequence；　strongly　recommended　a　kite　balloon　at　that　time。　　Twelve　years　later　the　same　able　experimentalist；　impressed　with　the　splendid　work　done　by　kites　alone　for　meteorological　purposes　at　least；　allowed　that　he　was　quite　content　to　〃let　the　kite　balloon　go　by。〃
  But　the　German　school　of　aeronauts　were　doing　bigger　things　than　making　trials　with　kite　balloons。　　The　German　Society　for　the　Promotion　of　Aerial　Navigation；　assisted　by　the　Army　Balloon　Corps；　were　busy　in　1888；　when　a　series　of　important　ascents　were　commenced。　　Under　the　direction　of　Dr。　Assmann；　the　energetic　president　of　the　aeronautical　society　above　named；　captive　ascents　were　arranged　in　connection　with　free　ascents　for　meteorological　purposes；　and　it　was　thus　practicable　to　make　simultaneous　observations　at　different　levels。　　These　experiments；　which　were　largely　taken　up　on　the　Continent；　led　to　others　of　yet　higher　importance；　in　which　the　unmanned　balloon　took　a　part。　　But　the　Continental　annals　of　this　date　contain　one　unhappy　record　of　another　nature；　the　recounting　of　which　will；　at　least；　break　the　monotony　attending　mere　experimental　details。
  In　October；　1893；　Captain　Charbonnet；　an　enthusiastic　French　aeronaut；　resolved　on　spending　his　honeymoon；　with　the　full　consent　of　his　bride；　in　a　prolonged　balloon　excursion。　　The　start　was　to　be　made　from　Turin；　and；　the　direction　of　travel　lying　across　the　Alps；　it　was　the　hope　of　the　voyagers　eventually　to　reach　French　territory。　　The　ascent　was　made　in　perfect　safety；　as　was　also　the　first　descent；　at　the　little　village　of　Piobesi；　ten　miles　away。　　Here　a　halt　was　made　for　the　night；　and　the　next　morning；　when　a　fresh　start　was　determined　on；　two　young　Italians；　Signori　Botto　and　Durando；　were　taken　on　board　as　assistants；　for　the　exploit　began　to　assume　an　appearance　of　some　gravity；　and　this　the　more　so　when　storm　clouds　began　brewing。　　At　an　altitude　of　10；000　feet　cross…currents　were　encountered；　and　the　course　becoming　obscured　the　captain　descended　to　near　the　earth；　where　he　discovered　himself　to　be　in　dangerous　proximity　to　gaunt　mountain　peaks。　　On　observing　this；　he　promptly　cast　out　sand　so　liberally　that　the　balloon　rose　to　a　height　approaching　20；000　feet；　when　a　rapid　descent　presently　began；　and　refused　to　be　checked；　even　with　the　expenditure　of　all　available　ballast。
  All　the　while　the　earth　remained　obscured；　but；　anticipating　a　fall　among　the　mountains；　Captain　Charbonnet　bade　his　companions　lie　down　in　the　car　while　he　endeavoured　to　catch　sight　of　some　landmark；　but；　quite　suddenly；　the　balloon　struck　some　mountain　slope　with　such　force　as　to　throw　the　captain　back　into　the　car　with　a　heavy　blow　over　the　eye；　then；　bounding　across　a　gulley；　it　struck　again　and　yet　again；　falling　and　rebounding　between　rocky　walls；　till　it　settled　on　a　steep　and　snowy　ridge。　　Darkness　was　now　closing　in；　and　the　party；　without　food　or　proper　shelter；　had　to　pass　the　night　as　best　they　might　on　the　bare　spot　where　they　fell；　hoping　for　encouragement　with　the　return　of　day。　　But　dawn　showed　them　to　be　on　a　dangerous　peak；　10；000　feet　high；　whence　they　must　descend　by　their　own　unassisted　efforts。　　After　a　little　clambering　the　captain；　who　was　in　a　very　exhausted　state；　fell　through　a　hidden　crevasse；　fracturing　his　skull　sixty　feet　below。　　The　remaining　three　struggled　on　throughout　the　day；　and　had　to　pass　a　second　night　on　the　mountain；　this　time　without　covering。　　On　the　third　day　they　met　with　a　shepherd；　who　conducted　them　with　difficulty　to　the　little　village　of　Balme。
  This　story；　by　virtue　of　its　romance；　finds　a　place　in　these　pages；　but；　save　for　its　tragic　ending；　it　hardly　stands　alone。　　Ballooning　enterprise　and　adventure　were　growing　every　year　more　and　more　common　on　the　Continent。　　In　Scandinavia　we　find　the　names　of　Andree；　Fraenkal；　and　Strindberg；　in　Denmark　that　of　Captain　Rambusch。　　Berlin　and　Paris　had　virtually　become　the　chief　centres　of　the　development　of　ballooning　as　a　science。　　In　the　former　city　a　chief　among　aeronauts　had　arisen　in　Dr。　A。　Berson；　who；　in　December；　1894；　not　only　reached　30；000　feet；　ascending　alone；　but　at　that　height　sustained　himself　sufficiently；　by　inhaling　oxygen；　to　take　systematic　observations　throughout　the　entire　voyage　of　five　hours。　　The　year　before；　in　company　with　Lieutenant　Gross；　he　barely　escaped　with　his　life；　owing　to　tangled　ropes　getting　foul　of　the　valve。　　Toulet　and　those　who　accompanied　him　lost　their　lives　near　Brussels。　　Later　Wolfert　and　his　engineer　were　killed　near　Berlin；　while　Johannsen　and　Loyal　fell　into　the　Sound。　　Thus　ever　fresh　and　more　extended　enterprise　was　embarked　upon　with　good　fortune　and　ill。　　In　fact；　it　had　become　evident　to　all　that　the　Continent　afforded　facilities　for　the　advancement　of　aerial　exploration　which　could　be　met　with　in　no　other　parts　of　the　world；　America　only　excepted。　　And　it　was　at　this　period　that　the　expedient　of　the　ballon　sonde；　or　unmanned　balloon；　was　happily　thought　of。　　One　of　these　balloons；　the　〃Cirrus；〃　among　several　trials；　rose　to　a　height；　self…registered；　of　61；000　feet；　while　a　possible　greater　height　has　been　accorded　to　it。　　On　one　occasion；　ascending　from　Berlin；　it　fell　in　Western　Russia；　on　another　in　Bosnia。　　Then；　in　1896；　at　the　Meteorological　Conference　at　Paris；　with　Mascart　as　President；　Gustave　Hermite；　with　characteristic　ardour；　introduced　a　scheme　of　national　ascents　with　balloons　manned　and　unmanned；　and　this　scheme　was　soon　put　in　effect　under　a　commission　of　famous　namesAndree；　Assmann；　Berson；　Besancon；　Cailletet；　Erk；　de　Fonvielle；　Hergesell；　Hermite；　Jaubert；　Pomotzew　（of　St。　Petersburg）；　and　Rotch　（of　Boston；　Mass。）。
  In　November；　1896；　five　manned　balloons　and　three　unmanned　ascended　simultaneously　from　France；　Germany；　and　Russia。　　The　next　year　saw；　with　the　enterprise　of　these　nations；　the　co…operation　of　Austria　and　Belgium。　　Messrs。　Hermite　and　Besancon；　both　French　aeronauts；　were　the　first　to　make　practical　trial　of　the　method　of　sounding　the　upper　air　by　unmanned　balloons；　and；　as　a　preliminary　attempt；　dismissed　from　Paris　a　number　of　small　balloons；　a　large　proportion　of　which　were　recovered；　having　returned　to　earth　after　less　than　100　miles'　flight。　　Larger　paper　balloons　were　now　constructed；　capable　of　carrying　simple　self…recording　instruments；　also　postcards；　which　became　detached　at　regular　intervals　by　the　burning　away　of　slow　match；　and　thus　indicated　the　path　of　the　balloon。　　The　next　attempt　was　more　ambitious；　made　with　a　goldbeaters'　skin　balloon　containing　4；000　cubic　feet　of　gas；　and　carrying　automatic　instruments　of　precision。　　This　balloon　fell　in　the　Department　of　the　Yonne；　and　was　returned　to　Paris　with　the　instruments；　which　remained　uninjured；　and　which　indicated　that　an　altitude　of　49；000　feet　had　been　reached；　and　a　minimum　temperature　of　…60　degrees　encountered。　　Yet　larger　balloons　of　the　same　nature　were　then　experimented　with　in　Germany；　as　well　as　France。
  A　lack　of　public　support　has　crippled　the　attempts　of　experimentalists　in　this　country；　but　abroad　this　method　of　aerial　exploration　continues　to　gain　favour。
  Distinct　from；　and　supplementing；　the　records　obtained　by　free　balloons；　manned　or　unmanned；　are　those　to　be　gathered　from　an　aerostat　moored　to　earth。　　It　is　here　that　the　captive　balloon　has　done　good　service　to　meteorology；　as　we　have　shown；　but　still　more　so　has　the　high…flying　kite。　　It　must　long　have　been　recognised　that　instruments　placed　on　or　near　the　ground　are　insufficient　for　meteorological　purposes；　and；　as　far　back　as　1749；　we　find　Dr。　Wilson；　of　Glasgow；　employing　kites　to　determine　the　upper　currents；　and　to　carry　thermometers　into　higher　strata　of　t