128 ELECTRICITY. [Lesson xxi. 



electrified body that is of the conducting kind, and 

 deposited its fluid into it, and then if the distance 

 be but small, as about two or three inches, it will 

 return to the electrified metal as before, and be 

 repelled from it again. 



If a round piece of metal be electrified, and any 

 pointed piece of metal be held near it, the point 

 will draw off the fire from the electrified metal, if 

 that which has the point be supported by any con- 

 ducting substance. 



If the middle of a wire, that is pointed at both 

 ends, be fixed to a stick of wax, and either of the 

 points be held near the metal which is kept in 

 an electrified state by the machine, that point will 

 draw off the fire from the metal, and the fire will 

 run off from the other point into the air. From 

 this \v learn, what is very remarkable, that metal- 

 lic points throw off, as well as attract Electric Fire. 

 Should this experiment be made in a dark room, 

 the Electric Matter drawn from the metal would 

 appear like a round spark on the point that at- 

 tracts, and would be seen going off in the form of 

 a cone from the other point. 



If a large globe of metal be electrified positively, 

 it will retain the Electric Fire for some considerable 

 time. For the surrounding air prevents the accu- 

 mulated fire from issuing so fast from the globe as 



it otherwise would If two globes of metal 



be hung by silk lines, or placed on wax, at about 

 two feet from each other, and one globe be then 

 electrified, and the other be hung, or placed, rather 

 nearer it j the .former will soon lose part of the 



Electric 





