There is a publication called the “Aeronautical Annual,” edited by James Means, Boston, Mass. In No. ‘Z and 3 of that work, Mr. Octave Chanute goes exhaustively into the question of sailing flight, and specifies every letter and article that bears on the subject. This paper may be said to take up the running where Mr. Chanute leaves off. My reasons for not writing to that periodical straight, are that publication would be delayed for many months; and the state of the art is such that at any moment some one of the many who are investigating this subject may drop on the facts stated in this paper, take out a master patent which would rule the construction of all future flying machines, and tax us all round for our good, as the protectionists say, thus throwing our work back for years. I therefore, with your permission, read this paper, and show the models that work as I describe, and thereby destroy the novelty of the invention for all time.

The Kite, one of the oldest of inventions, familiar to everyone and to every nation under the sun, is nevertheless but little understood. It has always been the custom to look upon this contrivance as a toy and nothing else. Very seldom indeed, until the last few years, has it been put to any practical use. Yet it is full of promise, and those few who have made regular and careful experiments in this line have all been impressed with the satisfactory results obtained. A kite sailing in a wind gives a very considerable pull on its line, which pull can be converted into lifting power or tractive power. This appliance may then be used for lifting great weights, such as that of a man, lagh into the air, or it may be used for towing carts or boats. Kites can be made to ascend to very great heights, carrying up automatically registering meteorological instruments, or may carry a string to communicate with places a long distance off.

A full account has recently been published of one of the longest balloon voyages ever undertaken. (In point of duration it has been beaten at least once.) The ascent was made on October 19th last, at Leipzig, in the great balloon belonging to MM. L. Godard and E. Surcouf, which had been used for captive work throughout the summer at that place. At the close of the Exhibition it was decided to let the balloon go free. It was therefore specially fitted for the event, the large annular car being replaced by a smaller rectangular one. A novel feature was an “equilibriator” or guide rope of steel wire with a leaden core. This was 11 mm. in diameter, 50 metres long, weighing 25 kilogs, and was attached to the end of a hempen rope 100 metres long and 25 mm diameter.