LAWS OF GALVANISM, 241 



galvanic obfervations, which principally originate from a very 

 pleafureabie converfation I have lately had with my friend 

 Mr. J. Gough, of Kendal. To you. Sir, this gentleman, as 

 a philofopher and mathematician, is well known. Although 

 deprived of fight in very early infancy, it is amazing to ob* 

 ferve the rapidity with which he proceeds in geometrical in« 

 veftigalions. Independent of this very ftriking acquifition, 

 he is the beft botanift and natural hiftorian this country pof- 

 fefles. To thefe branches of knowledge he adds very con- 

 fiderable claffical knowledge ; and in his pneumatic enquiries 

 he places no dependance upon any of the gafes which he does 

 not prepare himfelf. To converfe with fuch a perfon is to be 

 improved. To fome ledlures I delivered on galvanifm a few 

 days ago, at Kendal, I was honoured with his attendance; 

 and in tonfequence of the law I was attempting to explain, 

 relative to the powers of galvanifm on metallic bodies, I was 

 favoured, the fubfequent day, with the following letter from 

 a very intelligent and well-informed profeffional gentleman at 

 Kendal, Mr. Harrifon, brother-in-law to Mr. Gough ; the 

 particulars of which I dare fay you will find fufficiently in- ^ 



terefting to merit infertion in your valuable Journal. 



To C. WILKINSON. 



Dear Sir, Kendal, Nov, 5, 1804. 



I MENTIONED to you yeflerday my doubts refpedting the inyeftjgatlon of 



law of galvanifm, which you have laid down in Nicholfon's^!.P°^"°^ . 



, „ ,, , ^ , ^ , .... different piles m 



Journal for March 1, 1804 ; where you lay, that the ignitmg burning wire. 



powers in batteries of the fame total furface, are as the fquares 

 of the furfaces of the elementary plates, fingly taken in each : 

 This, if I miftake not, you repeated in your lecture oflaft night ; 

 at which time I exprefled ray doubts to Mr. Gough, and we 

 afterwards examined the data given in the paper before-men- 

 tioned ; on which we made the following calculations, and 

 found that your conclufion was ftridly true according to your 

 data, but that the forces of different batteries expofing un- 

 equal furfaces, will be in the ratio compounded of the number 

 of plates in each battery, and the fixth power of the fides of 

 the elementary plates fingly taken in each. The data yoa 

 have given are the following : IQO plates of four in, fq. ig- 

 VoL. IX, — December, 1804-. R nit«d 



