lready been devised, attached
to the main line, and an apparatus for snapping all the shutters
simultaneously; and photograph, not only the whole horizon as seen
from the deck of a vessel, but, because of the greater elevation, many
miles beyond. A battle-ship provided with this photographing device
would enjoy as great an advantage as if it were able at will to
stretch out its mainmast into a tower of observation a mile high.

It is true that some of the lenses in the circular camera, the
ones facing the sun, might give imperfect pictures; but in whatever
position the sun might be, at least one hundred and eighty degrees
of the horizon would be clearly photographed. And by taking such
observations in the early morning, and again in the middle of the
afternoon, it would be possible to cover the whole circuit, and thus
be aware of the approach of an enemy's ships long before they would
have been visible to a telescope used on the deck. In such a circular
camera each lens would be numbered, and the position of each would be
accurately determined with regard to the points of the compass by the
use of guy-cords stretching from the main line to the framework of the
apparatus. Thus, on looking at the number of a lens, the photographer
would immediately know from which direction any vessel whose image was
shown might be coming.

Nor is the use of the kite in war limited to the services it would
render in photography; it might easily do more than that, and become a
most efficient and novel engine of destruction. As has been shown, it
is merely a question of carpenter work to send up a tandem of kites
that will swing a heavy load high in the air. Suppose that load were
dynamite, with an arrangement for dropping it over any desired spot.
Mr. Eddy suggests that this might be effected by means of a slow match
made by soaking a cotton string in saltpetre, which would be lighted
on despatching the load of dynamite, and would burn at a regular rate,
say one foot in five minutes, so that the length of the match could be
timed to meet the necessities of the case. On burning to its end,
the match would ignite a cord holding the dynamite in a pasteboard
receptacle, one side of which would fall down like the front of a
wall-pocket as soon as the restraining cord was burned through; and
immediately the dynamite in the box would be launched toward its
destination. Mr. Eddy has already carried out an experiment similar
to this, in setting l