44 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. [February, 1908. 
convection current came their way. Then away they went, pulling 
out string at about five miles ar hour, almost straight up, and soon 
they were outof sight. I had nothing except the string moving 
away into space until, perhaps. 2,000 feet had been pulled out. 
Then it would slacken and | bevan taking it in. On these 
occasions I was never able to geta pull on the kite ne By the 
time I had the string in the kite was amongst the t From 
that fact I inferred that, as soon as the kite ceased tis alk it got 
into a downward current which br ought it is gret to the ground 
again. 
here was one item of information which I obtained from 
these observations, and it was this: If there were any clond 
about, there was always one just above one of these convection 
ascensional currents. The cloud had the appearance of air ri~ing 
changes take place, that is, at the height of abont 3 ,000 fee One 
of these being of the nature of a check to the noun con- 
vection currents which begin near the earth’s surface, the upward 
current ceases and the downward current begins. Up to the level of 
the cloud we have an gt ae current in the centre surrounded 
by descending air on all sides. ile the kite remained in the 
central part it moved aecnin: when it pial out of that it moved 
downwards about as rapidly, I don’t suppose the kites I observed 
ever reached half way to the top. If they had reached as far as 
the cloud, they would have gone no further. My belief is that at 
that cloud the movement ends. 
Watching such small objects in the heat and glare of an Indian 
summer day meant, I found, that T would soon not be able to see at 
all. I dep ee discontinued it. 
the idea remained that it would be possible ve collect 
Siete information by inexpensive means, I turned my thoughts 
to paper balloons, and it is some of the information that I have so 
collected that I propose to put before the Society in this paper. 
had no thonght of imitating the wealthy meteorologists in 
other parts of the world, who could send into space a silk balloon 
with an equipment of self-registering apparatus, trusting to have 
the balloon, etc., returned by the finder. I had no money for — 
work, even if there had been much likelihood of such a balloo 
ever being returned by the astonished Indian finder. All I penn 
of its position with the best assistance and best instruments avail- 
able. of these seem easy, but in reality many difficulties arose 
gas, the provision gas; and, last but not acy tnking observations 
which would give the position of the balloon at regular intervals. 
This last 0 could only be done by Raia observers, and the 
observers be trained. 


