；　employing　kites　to　determine　the　upper　currents；　and　to　carry　thermometers　into　higher　strata　of　the　air。　　Franklin's　kite　and　its　application　is　matter　of　history。　　Many　since　that　period　made　experiments　more　or　less　in　earnest　to　obtain　atmospheric　observations　by　means　of　kites；　but　probably　the　first　in　England；　at　least　to　obtain　satisfactory　results；　was　Mr。　Douglas　Archibald；　who；　during　the　eighties；　was　successful　in　obtaining　valuable　wind　measurements；　as　also　other　results；　including　aerial　photographs；　at　varying　altitudes　up　to　1；000　or　1；200　feet。　From　that　period　the　records　of　serious　and　systematic　kite　flying　must　be　sought　in　America。　　Mr。　W。　A。　Eddy　was　one　of　the　pioneers；　and　a　very　serviceable　tailless　kite；　in　which　the　cross…bar　is　bowed　away　from　the　wind；　is　his　invention；　and　has　been　much　in　use。　　Mr。　Eddy　established　his　kite　at　Blue　Hillthe　now　famous　kite　observatoryand　succeeded　in　lifting　self…recording　meteorological　instruments　to　considerable　heights。　　The　superiority　of　readings　thus　obtained　is　obvious　from　the　fact　that　fresh　air…streams　are　constantly　playing　on　the　instruments。
  A　year　or　two　later　a　totally　dissimilar　kite　was　introduced　by　Mr。　Lawrence　Hargrave；　of　Sydney；　Australia。　　This　invention；　which　has　proved　of　the　greatest　utility　and　efficiency；　would；　from　its　appearance；　upset　all　conventional　ideas　of　what　a　kite　should　be；　resembling　in　its　simplest　form　a　mere　box；　minus　the　back　and　front。　　Nevertheless；　these　kites；　in　their　present　form；　have　carried　instruments　to　heights　of　upwards　of　two　miles；　the　restraining　line　being　fine　steel　piano　wire。
  But　another　and　most　efficient　kite；　admirably　adapted　for　many　most　important　purposes；　is　that　invented　by　Major　Baden…Powell。　　The　main　objects　originally　aimed　at　in　the　construction　of　this　kite　related　to　military　operations；　such　as　signalling；　photography；　and　the　raising　of　a　man　to　an　elevation　for　observational　purposes。　　In　the　opinion　of　the　inventor；　who　is　a　practiced　aeronaut；　a　wind　of　over　thirty　miles　an　hour　renders　a　captive　balloon　useless；　while　a　kite　under　such　conditions　should　be　capable　of　taking　its　place　in　the　field。　　Describing　his　early　experiments；　Major；　then　Captain；　Baden…Powell；　stated　that　in　1894；　after　a　number　of　failures；　he　succeeded　with　a　hexagonal　structure　of　cambric；　stretched　on　a　bamboo　framework　36　feet　high；　in　lifting　a　mannot　far；　but　far　enough　to　prove　that　his　theories　were　right。　　Later　on；　substituting　a　number　of　small　kites　for　one　big　one；　he　was；　on　several　occasions；　raised　to　a　height　of　100　feet；　and　had　sent　up　sand　bags；　weighing　9　stone；　to　300　feet；　at　which　height　they　remained　suspended　nearly　a　whole　day。
  This　form　of　kite；　which　has　been　further　developed；　has　been　used　in　the　South　African　campaign　in　connection　with　wireless　telegraphy　for　the　taking　of　photographs　at　great　heights；　notably　at　Modder　River；　and　for　other　purposes。
  It　has　been　claimed　that　the　first　well…authenticated　occasion　of　a　man　being　raised　by　a　kite　was　when　at　Pirbright　Camp　a　Baden…Powell　kite；　30　feet　high；　flown　by　two　lines；　from　which　a　basket　was　suspended；　took　a　man　up　to　a　height　of　10　feet。　　It　is　only　fair；　however；　to　state　that　it　is　related　that　more　than　fifty　years　ago　a　lady　was　lifted　some　hundred　feet　by　a　great　kite　constructed　by　one　George　Pocock；　whose　machine　was　designed　for　an　observatory　in　war；　and　also　for　drawing　carriages　along　highways。
  CHAPTER　XXIV。　　ANDREE　AND　HIS　VOYAGES
  Among　many　suggestions；　alike　important　and　original；　due　to　Major　Baden…Powell；　and　coming　within　the　field　of　aeronautics；　is　one　having　reference　to　the　use　of　balloons　for　geographical　research　generally　and　more　particularly　for　the　exploration　of　Egypt；　which；　in　his　opinion；　is　a　country　possessing　many　most　desirable　qualifications　on　the　score　of　prevailing　winds；　of　suitable　base；　and　of　ground　adapted　for　such　steering　as　may　be　effected　with　a　trail　rope。　　At　the　Bristol　meeting　of　the　British　Association　the　Major　thus　propounded　his　method：　〃I　should　suggest　several　balloons；　one　of　about　60；000　cubic　feet；　and；　say；　six　smaller　ones　of　about　7；000　cubic　feet；　then；　if　one　gets　torn　or　damaged；　the　others　might　remain　intact。　　After　a　time；　when　gas　is　lost；　one　of　the　smaller　ones　could　be　emptied　into　the　others；　and　the　exhausted　envelope　discharged　as　ballast；　the　smaller　balloons　would　be　easier　to　transport　by　porters　than　one　big　one；　and　they　could　be　more　easily　secured　on　the　earth　during　contrary　winds。　　Over　the　main　balloon　a　light　awning　might　be　rigged　to　neutralise；　as　far　as　possible；　the　changes　of　temperature。　　A　lightning　conductor　to　the　top　of　the　balloon　might　be　desirable。　　A　large　sail　would　be　arranged；　and　a　bifurcated　guide　rope　attached　to　the　end　of　a　horizontal　pole　would　form　an　efficient　means　of　steering。　　The　car　would　be　boat…shaped　and　waterproof；　so　that　it　could　be　used　for　a　return　journey　down　a　river。　　Water　tanks　would　be　fitted。〃
  The　reasonableness　of　such　a　scheme　is　beyond　question；　even　without　the　working　calculations　with　which　it　is　accompanied；　but；　ere　these　words　were　spoken；　one　of　the　most　daring　explorers　that　the　world　has　known　had　begun　to　put　in　practice　a　yet　bolder　and　rasher　scheme　of　his　own。　　The　idea　of　reaching　the　North　Pole　by　means　of　balloons　appears　to　have　been　entertained　many　years　ago。　　In　a　curious　work；　published　in　Paris　in　1863　by　Delaville　Dedreux；　there　is　a　suggestion　for　reaching　the　North　Pole　by　an　aerostat　which　should　be　launched　from　the　nearest　accessible　point；　the　calculation　being　that　the　distance　from　such　a　starting　place　to　the　Pole　and　back　again　would　be　only　some　1；200　miles；　which　could　be　covered　in　two　days；　supposing　only　that　there　could　be　found　a　moderate　and　favourable　wind　in　each　direction。　　Mr。　C。　G。　Spencer　also　wrote　on　the　subject；　and　subsequently　Commander　Cheyne　proposed　a　method　of　reaching　the　Pole　by　means　of　triple　balloons。　　A　similar　scheme　was　advocated　in　yet　more　serious　earnest　by　M。　Hermite　in　the　early　eighties。
  Some　ten　years　later　than　this　M。　S。　A。　Andree；　having　obtained　sufficient　assistance；　took　up　the　idea　with　the　determined　intention　of　pushing　it　to　a　practical　issue。　　He　had　already　won　his　spurs　as　an　aeronaut；　as　may　be　briefly　told。　　In　October；　1893；　when　making　an　ascent　for　scientific　purposes；　his　balloon　got　carried　out　over　the　Baltic。　　It　may　have　been　the　strength　of　the　wind　that　had　taken　him　by　surprise；　but；　there　being　now　no　remedy；　it　was　clearly　the　speed　and　persistence　of　the　wind　that　alone　could　save　him。　　If　a　chance　vessel　could　not；　or　would　not；　〃stand　by；〃　he　must　make　the　coast　of　Finland　or　fall　in　the　sea；　and　several　times　the　fall　in　the　sea　seemed　imminent　as　his　balloon　commenced　dropping。　　This　threatened　danger　induced　him　to　cast　away　his　anchor；　after　which　the　verge　of　the　Finland　shore　was　nearly　reached；　when　a　change　of　wind　began　to　carry　him　along　the　rocky　coast；　just　as　night　was　setting　in。
  Recognising　his　extreme　danger；　Andree　stood　on　the　edge　of　the　car；　with　a　bag　of　ballast　ready　for　emergencies。　　He　actually　passed　over　an　island；　on　which　was　a　building　with　a　light；　but　failed　to　effect　a　landing；　and　so　fell　in　the　sea　on　the　farther　side；　but；　the　balloon　presently　righting　itself；　Andree；　now　greatly　exhausted；　made　his　last　effort；　and　as　he　rose　over　the　next　cliff　jumped　for　his　life。　　It　was　past　7　p。m。　when　he　found　himself　once　again　on　firm　ground；　but　with　a　sprained　leg　and　with　no　one　within　call。　　Seeking　what　shelter　he　could；　he　lived　out　the　long　night；　and；　being　now　scarce　able　to　stand；　took　off　his　clothes　and　waved　them　for　a　signal。　　This　signal　was　not　seen；　yet　shortly　a　boat　put　off　from　an　islandthe　same　that　he　had　passed　the　evening　before…　…and　rowed　towards　him。　　The　boatman　overnight　had　seen　a　strange　sail　sweeping　over　land　and　sea；　and　he　had　come　in　quest　of　it；　bringing　timely　succour　to　the　castaway。
  Briefly　stated；　Andree's　grand　scheme　was　to　convey　a　suitable　balloon；　with　means　for　inflating　it；　as　also　all　necessary　equipment；　as　far　towards　the　Pole　as　a　ship　could　proceed；　and　thence；　waiting　for　a　favourable　wind；　to　sail　by　sky　until　the　region　of　the　Pole　should　be　crossed；　and　some　inhabited　country　reached　beyond。　　The　balloon　was　to　be　kept　near　the　earth；　and　steered；　as　far　as　this　might　be　practicable；　by　means　of　a　trail　rope。　　The　balloon；　which　had　a　capacity　of　nearly　162；000　cubic　feet；　was　made　in　Paris；　and　was　provided　with　a　rudder　sail　and　an　arrangement　whereby　the　hang　of　the　trail　rope　could　be　readily　shifted　to　different　positions　on　the　ring。　　Further；　to　obviate　unnecessary　diffusion　and　loss　of　gas　at　the　mouth；　the　balloon　was　fitted　with　a　lower　valve；　which　would　only　open　at　a　moderate　pressure；　namely；　that　of　four　inches　of　water。
  All　preparations　were　completed　by　the　summer　of　1896；　and　on　June　7th　the　party　embarked　at　Gothenburg　with　all　necessaries　on　board；　arriving　at　Spitzbergen　on　June　21st。　　Andree；　who　was　to　be　accompanied　on　his　aerial　voyage　by　two　companions；　M。　Nils　Strindberg　and　Dr。　　Ekholm；　spent　some　time　in　selecting　a　spot　that　would　s