ad not then arrived,
and there appeared no reasonable prospect of its invention.

Perseverance, however, was the dominant feature of Count Zeppelin's
character; he refused to be beaten. His difficulties were formidable.
In the first place, he had to master the whole science of aeronautics,
which implies some knowledge of mechanics, meteorology, and electricity.
This in itself was no small task for a man of over fifty years of age,
for it was not until Count Zeppelin had retired from the army that he
began to study these subjects at all deeply.

The next step was to construct a large shed for the housing of his
air-ship, and also for the purpose of carrying out numerous costly
experiments. The Count selected Friedrichshafen, on the shores of Lake
Constance, as his head-quarters. He decided to conduct his experiments
over the calm waters of the lake, in order to lessen the effects of a
fall. The original shed was constructed on pontoons, and it could be
turned round as desired, so that the air-ship could be brought out in
the lee of any wind from whatsoever quarter it came.

It is said that the Count's private fortune of about L25,000 was soon
expended in the cost of these works and the necessary experiments. To
continue his work he had to appeal for funds to all his friends, and
also to all patriotic Germans, from the Kaiser downwards.

At length, in 1908, there came a turning-point in his fortunes. The
German Government, which had watched the Count's progress with great
interest, offered to buy his invention outright if he succeeded in
remaining aloft in one of his dirigibles for twenty-four hours. The
Count did not quite succeed in his task, but he aroused the great
interest of the whole German nation, and a Zeppelin fund was
established, under the patronage of the Kaiser, in every town and city
in the Fatherland. In about a month the fund amounted to over L300,000.
With this sum the veteran inventor was able to extend his works, and
produce air-ship after air-ship with remarkable rapidity.

When, war broke out it is probable that Germany possessed at least
thirteen air-ships which had fulfilled very difficult tests. One had
flown 1800 miles in a single journey. Thus the East Coast of England,
representing a return journey of less than 600 miles was well within
their range of action.

CHAPTER X. A Zeppelin Air-ship and its Construction

After the Zeppelin fund had brought in a sum of money which probably
ex