168 A'G €.O°UANGT Or tT nie 
elafs bottle, fealing-wax, &c. Yet I cannot obferve the 
leaft diminution of this quality by placing the tub which 
contains the fifh on glafs bottles; it continues the fame in 
all refpe&ts. So that whether it has an unaccountable fa- 
culty of colleGting a quantity of the fluid from the fur- 
rounding waters, or through the body of the perfon touch- 
ing it, or has in its own body a large fund whieh it can 
difcharge at pleafure, I am greatly at a lofs to think or 
imagine. 
Although it has no effect on the human body when 
touched witha piece of wood, or indeed any other fubftance 
not metallic; yet an accident difcovered to me, that on 
fome occafions the effect would be fenfible through wood. 
For one morning while I was ftanding by, as. afervant was 
emptying the tub, which he had lifted intirely from the 
ground, and was pouring off the water to renew it, andthe 
fith left almoft dry, the negro received fo violent a fhock 
as occafioned him to let the tub fall, and calling another 
to his affiftance, I caufed them both to lift the tub free from 
the ground, when pouring off the remains of the water 
they both received fmart fhocks and were obliged to defift 
from emptying the tub in that manner. This I afterwards 
tried myfelf and received the like fhock. This fifh in- 
deed was one of the largeft I have feen and but newly 
caught. For I obferve that after being fometime confined 
in a tub and wanting perhaps their natural food, they lofe 
much of the ftrength of this extraordinary quality. Iam 
fometimes apt to conjecture, that this animal has the pow- 
er of communicating the ftroke when, and with what de- 
gree of force it will; and that it ferves him as a weapon of 
- defence againft his enemies. For I have often obferved that 
on firft taking hold of it, the fhock is tolerable; but as foon 
as he perceives himfelf the leaft confined, it is much more 
violent. This I experienced to my coft, as I one day took 
hold of it, about the middle of the fifh, I lifted it partly out 
of the water, when ona fudden I received fo {mart a fhock 
that 
