190 ESSAYS ann OBSERVATIONS 
So ufeful a propofal deferves to be exa- 
mined: variety of experiments may give hints 
for new improvements. For this reafon the 
following obfervations are communicated, tho’ 
not fo compleat as might be wifhed, being 
the refult of one trial only. 
Ir feldom thunders in this northern clime. 
In une 1752, there feemed to be fome thun- 
der at a diftance from Edinburgh; but, from 
the beginning of Fu/y to the beginning of 
OGfober, we had nothing almoft but conti- 
nual rains. The laft fummer was uncom- 
monly warm and dry; and yet we had only 
afew claps of thunder at Edinburgi, one e- | 
vening: and my attempts for making any of 
thofe experiments were entirely unfuccefsful 
till Saturday’s night September 15. when we 
had a very great ftorm. 
I vsEp a round iron rod, two tenths of an 
inch diameter, about eleven feet long, fharp- 
ened at one end; the other end was inferted 
into a glafs-tube; and that tube ftood in a 
common glafs-bottle, which I held in my 
hand. 
I usep alfo another rod about three feet 
long, (harpened in like manner, at one end ; 
which ftood with the other end in a glafs- 
. tube, 
