EXPLORING THE UPPER AIR 



well deserved. There was not one chance in a 

 million, said Fergusson, that such a search would 

 be successful. When this idea seemed to have been 

 sufficiently exploited we had the pleasure of telling 

 our aerologist of our amazing good fortune, which 

 we owed entirely to Belknap's keen observation. 



As we sought to explain the failure of the de- 

 flating device in this instance, we were forced to 

 the conclusion that the hydrogen as it was genera- 

 ted rapidly in the water of the gasometer, had 

 forced spray into the balloon, and this having 

 settled against the valve froze it solid before the 

 balloon had reached the high and cold altitude of 

 3,000 meters. Taking precaution against a recur- 

 rence of this failure, we later made another high 

 ascent upon a quiet day, but as the balloon rose 

 above the amphitheatre it was carried out of our 

 view behind the rim before the deflating level had 

 been reached. The upper winds were less quiet 

 than we had supposed, and this time the equip- 

 ment was permanently lost to us. 



59 



