Eleclric'ily and Galvanism explained. 195 



began to draw, and continued to do so while the strain was ap- 

 plied. 



Third, having removed the anchor of 43 cwt. and laid down 

 one of 23 cwt. instead, at the distance of 15 fathoms behind the 

 large anchor, tlie same purchase was again applied, when both 

 anchors came home. 



The block, after having drawn about seven or eight inches, 

 became fixed, but the anchors had drawn 13 feet, and kept 

 coming home as long as the purchase was continued, and until 

 it was evident that the block was superior to the anchors. 



The foregoing trials were made under the inspection of Ad- 

 miral Sir Edward Thornbrough, K.C.B.; Rear Admiral Halkett, 

 Commissioner the Hon. Sir George Grey, bart.; Captain Hewitt; 

 the Master Shipwright, Master Attendant, Engineer and Me- 

 chanist, &c. J. Park. 



Reference to the Engraving of Mr, J. Park's Cast-iron 



Mooring Block, Plate II. 

 A AAA, the extent of the lower flat of the block. 

 BBBB, the extent of the upper flat. 

 C C, for lowering the block into its place. 



D, the neck of the block, to which the chain is attached. 



E, the shackle which connects the mooring chain to the block. 

 Side View. — F G gives the block an inclination to dive into 



the ground when strain is applied. 



XXXI. Electricity and Galvanism explained on the mechanical 

 Theory of Matter and Motion. By Sir Richard Phillips. 



In no branch of philosophy have superstition and the love of 

 the n)arvellous revelled in greater luxury of variety and absurdity, 

 than in every existi.ng disquisition, observation, and theory of the 

 classes of phaenomena called Electrical. 



Theories assuming miraculous principles which never had ck- 

 istence, and which are inconsistent with that supreme power for 

 whose support they were weakly invented, and then a course ot 

 reasoning by false analogies, have led to all these absurdities. 

 The philosophical electrician talks flippantly of his fluids and his 

 fires — his negatives and his positives — his charges, surcharges, 

 and discharges — his saturations and non-saturations — his attrac- 

 tions and repulsions — and other conjurations — and believes that 

 he can bottle up this fluid sui generis ; that a cloud can be sur- 

 charged with it ; that bodies contain more or less than their na- 

 tural (jnantity; and a hundred other ecpial errors. It is there- 

 fore to be feared, that he will be as much enraged at the writer 

 Bb2 of 



