126 



ATMOSPHERIC ELECTRICITY. 



VIIL 



General Results of Beccarias Observations upon the Electricity 

 of the Atmosphere during serene weather j together with those 

 of Romayne and Henley. Abstracted by a Correspondent, 

 (R.B) 



To William Nicholson, Esq. 

 SIR, 



AFTER the systematic arrangements of clouds by M. 

 Luke Howard , and his speculations upon their formation 

 and disappearance, which I consider as having greatly enlarged 

 and regulated our knowledge and means of making atmospheric 

 researches, — and particularly from the probability that the dis- 

 position, and even the notions of clouds, may be in a great 

 measure referable to the ordinary phenomena of electrified 

 bodies, I have thought it would be of service to the inquiries of 

 other observers, to send you an abstract which I made for myself, 

 of the facts and remarks of these very diligent and faithful 

 observers j whose works, from their extent, their dispension, and 

 even their date, though well esteemed by philosophers, are at 

 present less likely to be referred to. At all events, I submit 

 to your judgment, and am, without farther preface, 



Sir, 

 Your most obliged reader, 

 R.B. 



Value of The numerous and important observations of Father Giam- 



Beccaria's batista Eeccaria, on Atmospherical Electricity, render his con- 

 observations, clusiohg . on thls su bject highly estimable. His treatise annexed 

 to the English translation of his Artificial Electricity deserves to 

 be consulted. At present, 1 shall do little more than give his 

 propositions or general results. 

 Apparatus, a The apparatus by which those results were obtained, was 

 long insulated se ttled on the pleasant hill of Garzegna, in the neighbourhood 

 to'the auuos- 6 of Mondovi -, from which the whole compass of the Alps, as 

 phere. well 



