39 
this remarkable property of oil, but also of the various incidents 
which had led to the discovery. An extract from this letter, and 
also from two others on the same subject—one from Dr. Brownrigg 
to Dr. Franklin, and the other from the Rey. Mr. Farish of Carlisle - 
to Dr. Brownrigg—was inserted in Vol. 64 of the Philosophical 
Transactions for the year 1774. 
Through the good offices of our townsman, Mr, F. W. Banks 
_ (now resident in London), I had these extracts copied out by one 
of the officials at the British Museum, as well as an obituary notice 
of Dr. Brownrigg from the “Gentlemen’s Magazine,” but I find 
them too lengthy to insert in full, but extract the following :— 
(Extract from a Letter of Dr. Brownrigg to Dr. Franklin, dated 
Ormathwaite, Fanuary 27th, 1773.) 
By the enclosed from an old friend, a worthy clergyman at Carlisle, whose 
great learning and extensive knowledge in most sciences would have more 
distinguished him had he been placed in a more conspicuous point of view ; 
you will find that he had heard of our experiment on Derwent Lake, and has 
thrown together what he could collect on that subject; to which I have 
subjoined one experiment from the relation of another gentleman. 
(Extract from a Letter of Rev. Mr. Farish to Dr. Brownrigg.) 
‘I was some time ago with Mr. Dun, who surprised me with an account of an 
_ experiment you had tried upon the Derwentwater, in company with Sir John 
, Pringle and Dr. Franklin. According to his representation, the water, which 
had been in great agitation before, was instantly calmed upon pouring in only 
3 a small quantity of oil, and that to so great a distance round about the boat 
as seems a little incredible. I have since had the same account from others, 
but I suspect all of a little exaggeration. Pliny mentions this property of oil 
_ as known particularly to the divers, who made use of it in his days in order to 
_ have a more steady light at the bottom. The sailors, I have been told, have 
observed something of the same kind in our days—that the water is always 
‘remarkably smoother in the wake of a ship that hath been newly tallowed 
than it is in one that is foul. 
Old Pliny does not usually meet with all the credit I am inclined to think he 
deserves. I shall be glad to have an authentic account of the Keswick experi- 
ment ; and if it comes up to the representations that have been made of it, I 
_ Shall not much hesitate to believe the old gentleman in another more wonderful 
phenomenon he relates, of stilling a tempest only by throwing up a little vinegar 
_ in the air. 
