Mr Watt's Experiment with the Magnetic Needle. 381 



vations I have made on the magnetometer, and this experiment 

 go far to demonstrate that these suggestions were correct. 



I would now add that the south pole of the magnet seems to 

 be attracted by the sun, and the celestial influences which are 

 sent to the earth by the heavenly bodies with their light ; and 

 the north seems attracted to the earth, or the terrestrial influen- 

 ces, which it must ever be sending forth by its reflected light, 

 its heat and electricity. 



The south pole acts, seemingly, as a constant conductor in the 

 same manner as an iron rod does to the electric fluid. And it is 

 worthy of remark, that all bars of iron become magnetic, not on- 

 ly by simply standing in a perpendicular position, but by hav- 

 ing only one end elevated like an inclined plane above the other, 

 and the elevated end is universally the south pole, and the de- 

 pressed extremity the north. This is even the case with all our 

 lire-irons, the Ibwer ends repelling the north pole of the needle, 

 and the upper the south. 



The experiment above stated almost proves that the dip of the 

 north pole of the needle is not caused by any change in the 

 weight, as the needle used is so placed that both the poles are 

 beyond the fulcrum, or points of suspension ; and upon the 

 principle of the lever, such a great difference of position would 

 not likely take place. But be this as it may, it does not alter the 

 aspect of the fact stated in respect to the pointing of the needle. 



I would farther remark, that it has been mentioned by M. Pre^ 

 vost and oth^r writers, that probably there are two sorts of mag- 

 netism ; and that the sun was likely the source of one of them. 



I conceive that the experiments I have lately detailed, aflbrd 

 us much reason for concluding that this is actually the case. 

 And there are also some grounds for believing that not only the 

 sun, but also the moon and the combined influence of the pla- 

 nets and stars, exert a certain degree of influence on the pheno- 

 mena of magnetism. 



I would therefore beg to st^te that all the observations I have 

 made, regard principally the solar or celestial magnetism. 



The compass, when moving round the globe, in the direction 

 of the meridional lines, seems to preserve nearly that position 

 which it would do, if moving round a ball of iron as proved 

 by Mr Barlow. With this difference, however, that the solar 



JANUARY — MAECH 1829. C C 



