On the ^IAGNET or LOADSTONE. 



JtIaVING at feveral times examined the Loadflone, ^^■ithollt 

 committing my obfervations thereon to writing, I at length deter- 

 mined to make and note down a feries of regular obfervations on 

 the fubjed:. 



I took two Loadrtones, each of them weighing fome pounds, 

 and fufpended them to a balance, in order to fee what tendency 

 they might have to iron : I then brought a piece of iron very near 

 to the Loadftone, but I did not perceive that the balance to which 

 it was fufpended, did at all move from its pofition. 



After this I took one of the before-mentioned Loadftoncs, in or- 

 der to fee how much weight of iron it was capable of lifting. 

 The firll trial I made, \\'as with the key of my houfe door ; this 

 the Magnet would not lift, but after I had filed off a little of the 

 key from that part where the Magnet was to be applied, that by 

 this means the fatty fubftance, left by repeated handling on the key, 

 might be cleaned away, then the key adhered to the magnet. Upon 

 obferving this, I no longer wondered that the Loadllone, when it 

 was before applied to the iron, had not fhewn any attractive power, 

 as if it had not much virtue, becaufe I confidcred that this balance 

 had been put to all forts of \ifes in weighing.' 



I put a piece of this Loadftone, about the fize of a filbert, into 

 a glafs tube, and clofed the orifice of the glafs by the help of fire. 

 1 then brought the Loadllone near to a fea-compafs, and I found 

 that the needle of the compafs was as much attracted by the Load- 

 ilone, as if it had been on the outfide of the glafs. 



I then broke the glafs, and taking that part in which the Mag- 

 net was placed, I clofed both ends with a blow-pipe, leaving fo 

 much cavity or portion of air within, as, in my Judgment, woidd 

 be fufficient to keep the glafs and the INIagnet in it from finking m 



