1826.] Biographical Account of Dr, Wilson, 325 



was Mr. Thomas Melvill, so well known by his mathematical 

 talents, and by those fine specimens of genius which are to be 

 found in his posthumous papers, published in the second volume 

 of the Edinburgh Essays, Physical and Literarjr. 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 explore 

 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 admit of. They 

 had also been careful, in giving orders, early, for a very consi- 

 derable 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 numerous 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 

 exactly balanced, soon mounted steadily to its utmost limit, 

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

 command it. In the mean time, the second kite was made 

 ready. Two assistants supported it between them in a sloping 

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

 evenly upon the ground behind, whilst a third person, holding 

 part of its line tight in his hand, stood at a good distance 

 directly in front. Things being so ordered, the extremity of the 

 line belonging to the kite already in the air, was hooked to a 

 loop at the back of the second, which, being now let go, 

 mounted very supetbly, and in a little time also took up as much 

 line as could be supported with advantage; thereby allowing its 

 companion to soar to an elevation proportionally higher. 



* 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 detail will not prove unac- 

 ceptable or tedious to the reader. 



