WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY. 295 



As the whole of the assistants volunteered to go anywhere with 

 Mr. BuUocke, their services were accepted, and on December 11 they 

 moved up to the camp at De Aar. But when thev arrived at De Aar, 

 they found that no arrangements had been made to supply poles, kites, 

 or balloons, which, as you all know, are an essential part of the 

 apparatus, and none could be obtained on the spot. To get over the 

 ditticulty, they manufactured some kites, and in this they had the 

 h(>arty assistance of two officers, viz, Major Baden-Powell and Captain 

 Kennedy, R. E., who have often helped me in my experiments in 

 England. (Major Baden-Powell, it will he remembered, is a brother 

 of the gallant defender of Maf eking.) 



The results which they obtained were not at first altogether satis- 

 factory, but this is accounted for by the fact that the working was 

 attempted without poles or proper kites, and afterwards with poles of 

 insufficient height, while the use of the kites was very difficult, the 

 kites being manufactured on the spot with very deficient material. 

 The wind being so variable, it often happened that when a kite Avas 

 flying at one station there was not enough wind to fly a kite at the 

 other station with which they were attempting to communicate. It is 

 therefore manifest that their partial failure was due to the lack of 

 proper preparation on the part of the local military authorities, and 

 has no bearing on the practicability and utility of the system when 

 carried out under normal conditions. 



It was reported that the difficulty of getting through from one 

 station to another was due to the iron in the hills. If this had not 

 been cabled from South Africa, it would hardly be credible that any 

 one should have committed himself to such a very unscientific opinion. 

 As a matter of fact, iron would have no greater destructive effect on 

 these Hertzian waves than an}' other metal, the rays apparently get- 

 ting very easily around or over such obstacles. A fleet of 30 ironclads 

 did not affect the rays during the naval maneuvers, and during the 

 yacht race I was able to transmit m}^ messages with a))solute success 

 across the very high buildings of New York, the upper stories of 

 which are iron. 



However, on getting the kites up, the}' easily communicated from 

 De Aar to Orange River, over a distance of some 70 miles. I am glad 

 to say that, from later information received, they have been able to 

 obtain poles, which although not quite high enough for long distances 

 are sufficiently useful. We have also sent a number of Major Baden- 

 Powell's kites, which are the only ones I have found to be of real 

 service. 



Stations have been established at Modder River, Enslin, Belmont, 

 Orange River, and De Aar, which work well and will be invaluable in 

 case the field telegraph line connecting these positions should be cut 

 by the enemy. 



It is also satisfactorv to note that the militarv authorities have 



