ep to the course--on two or three
occasions Vedrines lost his way--and doubtless his naval training in
map-reading and observation gave him the advantage over his rival.

The third historic flight was made by Mr. Harry Hawker, in August, 1913.
This was an attempt to win a prize of L5000 offered by the proprietors
of the Daily Mail for a flight round the British coasts. The route was
from Cowes, in the Isle of Wight, along the southern and eastern coasts
to Aberdeen and Cromarty, thence through the Caledonian Canal to Oban,
then on to Dublin, thence to Falmouth, and along the south coast to
Southampton Water.

Two important conditions of the contest were that the flight was to be
made in an all-British aeroplane, fitted with a British engine. Hitherto
our aeroplane constructors and engine companies were behind their rivals
across the Channel in the building of air-craft and aerial engines, and
this country freely acknowledged the merits and enterprise of French
aviators. Though in the European War it was afterwards proved that the
British airman and constructor were the equals if not the superiors of
any in the world, at the date of this contest they were behind in many
respects.

As these conditions precluded the use of the famous Gnome engine, which
had won so many contests, and indeed the employment of any engine made
abroad, the competitors were reduced to two aviation firms; and as
one or these ultimately withdrew from the contest the Sopwith Aviation
Company of Kingston-on-Thames and Brooklands entered a machine.

Mr. T. Sopwith chose for his pilot a young Australian airman, Mr. Harry
Hawker. This skilful airman came with three other Australians to
this country to seek his fortune about three years before. He was
passionately devoted to mechanics, and, though he had had no opportunity
of flying in his native country, he had been intensely interested in the
progress of aviation in France and Britain, and the four friends set out
on their long journey to seek work in aeroplane factories.

All four succeeded, but by far the most successful was Harry Hawker.
Early in 1913 Mr. Sopwith was looking out for a pilot, and he engaged
Hawker, whom he had seen during some good flying at Brooklands.

In a month or two he was engaged in record breaking, and in June, 1913,
he tried to set up a new British height record. In his first attempt he
rose to 11,300 feet; but as the carburettor of the engine froze, and as
the pilot