leading part at last of the
theory of explosive engines. These things are to be found in the
Philosophical Transactions, the Mathematical Journal, and less
frequently in one or two other such publications, and they needn't
detain us here. Indeed, I doubt if I could write about them here. One
acquires a sort of shorthand for one's notes and mind in relation to
such special work. I have never taught; nor lectured, that is to say,
I have never had to express my thoughts about mechanical things in
ordinary everyday language, and I doubt very much if I could do so now
without extreme tedium.

My work was, to begin with, very largely theoretical. I was able to
attack such early necessities of verification as arose with quite little
models, using a turntable to get the motion through the air, and
cane, whalebone and silk as building material. But a time came when
incalculable factors crept in, factors of human capacity and factors of
insufficient experimental knowledge, when one must needs guess and
try. Then I had to enlarge the scale of my operations, and soon I had
enlarged them very greatly. I set to work almost concurrently on the
balance and stability of gliders and upon the steering of inflated bags,
the latter a particularly expensive branch of work. I was no doubt moved
by something of the same spirit of lavish expenditure that was running
away with my uncle in these developments. Presently my establishment
above Lady Grove had grown to a painted wood chalet big enough to
accommodate six men, and in which I would sometimes live for three
weeks together; to a gasometer, to a motor-house, to three big
corrugated-roofed sheds and lock-up houses, to a stage from which to
start gliders, to a workshop and so forth. A rough road was made. We
brought up gas from Cheaping and electricity from Woking, which place
I found also afforded a friendly workshop for larger operations than
I could manage. I had the luck also to find a man who seemed my
heaven-sent second-in-command--Cothope his name was. He was a
self-educated-man; he had formerly been a sapper and he was one of the
best and handiest working engineers alive. Without him I do not think I
could have achieved half what I have done. At times he has been not so
much my assistant as my collaborator, and has followed my fortunes to
this day. Other men came and went as I needed them.

I do not know how far it is possible to convey to any one who has not
experienced it, the p