194 ESSAYS ann OBSERVATIONS 
It would feem that experiments ofthis 
kind may be made without danger, when 
the thunder is at a moderate diftance, 
Tue lightning expands itfelf, as it flies ; 
and, by expanfion, lofes its vigor. 
Pern aps there is one fimple and eafy way 
of protecting mafts and fpires from thunder, 
viz. to fix horizontally, upon the higheft parts 
of them, a flat round piece of wood, of a 
foot diameter, or more, in order to prevent 
thofe blazing fires from fixing upon them, 
and accumulating. 
Tuis ftorm paffed dire&tly over Radin 
burgh, and came on from the fouth by weft, 
as nearly as could be eftimated. There was 
a great deal of lightning, that night, above 
fixty miles to the weftward; but no thunder 
heard. At Glafgow, there was very much 
lightning, and a few diftant faint claps of 
thunder. On the road from Belford or Ber- 
wick, it lightned inceflantly; but two claps 
of thunder only were heard, and thofe very 
faint: fo that there is reafon to think, that 
the fire of this f{torm {pread over the breadth 
330 miles, at leaft. I with I could alfo 
give fome account where this thunder began, 
and how far it run before it was extinguifhed. 
On 
