Page:My Airships.djvu/182

 "1st August 1901. "MONSIEUR SANTOS-DUMONT,—Here is a medal of St Benedict that protects against accidents. "Accept it, and wear it at your watch-chain, in your card-case, or at your neck. "I send it to you, thinking of your good mother, and praying God to help you always and to make you work for the glory of our country.

As the newspapers have often spoken of my "bracelet" I may say that the thin gold chain of which it consists is simply the means I have taken to wear this medal, which I prize. The air-ship, as a whole, was damaged very little, considering the force of the wind and the nature of the accident. When it was ready to be taken out again I nevertheless thought it prudent to make several trials with it over the grassy lawn of the Longchamps racecourse. One of these trials I will mention, because it gave me—something rare—a fairly accurate idea of the air-ship's speed in perfect calm. On this occasion Mr Maurice Farman followed me round the racecourse in his automobile at its second speed. His estimate was between 26 and 30 kilometres (16