134 EXPLORATION OF THE UPPER ATMOSPHERE 



most interesting of the six ascents made during our stay at Nassau. The 

 lowest temperature recorded was 65, with a surface temperature of 78 ; 

 the lowest pressure was 26.30 inches, with 30.03 inches at the surface. 



On the day preceding our departure from Nassau, namely, on July 6, we 

 determined to try the experiment of flying one of our kites from the deck of a 

 moving vessel. The practicability of this method had already been fully 

 demonstrated by Mr. Eotch, Director of the Blue Hill Observatory, near Boston, 

 and by others who followed his initiative, in the North Atlantic waters. We 

 hoped by this method of artificially " raising a breeze " to attain a higher 

 altitude than we had reached in the light land winds, and at the same time 

 counted upon adding to our knowledge of the temperature and humidity con- 

 ditions over the ocean in these latitudes. There was very little material to 

 select from in the way of steam locomotion, wind being the motive power for 

 practically all the water craft in this vicinity. The choice lay between a large 

 and powerful steam tug belonging to the company running the regular line 

 of steamers between New York, Nassau, and Havana, but for which a pro- 

 hibitive charge was demanded, and a small steam launch used for conveying 

 passengers across the channel to a pleasure resort on Hog Island. The smaller 

 vessel was chosen. At 11 a. m. we left the harbor of Nassau on the Alicia 

 with the larger of the two kites and the complete outfit. The party accompany- 

 ing me comprised, in addition to the crew of three men, niy colleague, Mr. J. E. 

 Routh, who took charge of the nephoscope for the altitude observations, Rev. 

 Mr. Lament, who acted as recorder, and two natives at the reel. Leaving 

 the channel we steamed out to the north of Hog Island, a long and narrow strip 

 of land lying to the north of the Island of New Providence. Going a mile or 

 two beyond land, we steamed into the wind with a velocity of about 5 to 6 

 knots an hour. The boat was small and somewhat top-heavy, and there was a 

 considerable ground-swell; between the rolling and pitching of the boat and 

 the resulting physiological effects it was with difficulty that we kept ourselves 

 and the reel right side up. Barring a slight delay caused by the snapping, at 

 the moment of ascent, of the small steel safety line attached to the kite, which 

 had to be replaced by a piece of twine, there were no hitches or accidents. 

 The kite rose swiftly and steadily to an elevation of about 4000 feet. With a 

 vessel of greater speed we could doubtless have reached a higher elevation. 

 The surface wind was about 12 miles per hour; to this we added about 5 miles, 

 the speed of our launch. It seems doubtful from our experience during five 

 ascents, whether it would be possible greatly to exceed this limit at this season 



