Finally Hall paused
and began to put his kite together. It was a small box-shaped affair,
very light in construction, with paper sides.
"In order to diminish the chances of Dr. Syx noticing what we are
about," he said, as he worked away, "I have covered the kite with
sky-blue paper. This, together with distance, will probably insure us
against his notice."
In a few minutes the kite was ready. Having ascertained the direction
of the wind with much attention, he stationed me with my transit on a
commanding rock, and sought another post for himself at a distance of
two hundred yards, which he carefully measured with a gold tape. My
instructions were to keep the telescope on the kite as soon as it had
attained a considerable height, and to note the angle of elevation and
the horizontal angle with the base line joining our points of
observation.
"Be particularly careful," was Hall's injunction, "and if anything
happens to the kite by all means note the angles at that instant."
As soon as we had fixed our stations Hall began to pay out the string,
and the kite rose very swiftly.
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