6 Biographical Account of Dr Wilson y 



found in his posthumous papers, published in the second vo- 

 lume of the Edinburgh Essays, Physical and Literary. With 

 this young person Mr Wilson then lived in the closest intimacy. 

 Of several philosophical schemes which occurred to them in 

 their social hours, Mr Wilson proposed one, which was to ex- 

 plore the temperature of the atmosphere in the higher regions, 

 by raising a number of paper kites, one above another, upon 

 the same line, with thermometers appended to those that were 

 to be most elevated. Though they expected, in general, that, 

 kites thus connected might be raised to an unusual height, 

 still they were somewhat uncertain how far the thing might 

 succeed upon trial. But the thought being quite new to 

 them, and the purpose to be gained of some importance, they 

 began to prepare for the experiment in the spring of 1749. * 



Mr Wilson's house at Camlachie was the scene of all the 

 little bustle which now became necessary ; and both Mr Mel- 

 vill and he, alike dexterous in the use of their hands, found 

 much amusement in going through the preliminary work, till 

 at last they finished half-a-dozen large paper- kites, from four 

 to seven feet in height, upon the strongest, and at the same 

 time, upon the slightest construction the materials would ad- 

 mit of. They had also been careful, in giving orders early, 

 for a very considerable quantity of line, to be spun of such 

 different sizes and strength as they judged would best answer 

 their purpose ; so that one fine day, about the middle of July, 

 when favoured by a gentle steady breeze, they brought out 

 their whole apparatus into an adjoining field, amidst a nume- 

 rous company, consisting of their friends and others, whom 

 the rumour of this new and ingenious project had drawn from 

 the town. 



They began with raising the smallest kite, which, being ex- 

 actly balanced, soon mounted steadily to its utmost limit, car- 

 rying up a line very slender, but of a strength sufficient to 

 command it. In the meantime, the second kite was made 

 ready. Two assistants supported it between them in a slop- 

 ing direction, with its breast to the wind, and with its tail laid 



• As no public notice has hitherto been taken of this matter, though Mr 

 Wilson had always some thoughts of doing so, it is hoped the following de- 

 tail will not prove unacceptable or tedious to the reader. 



