468 THE INTELLECTUAL RISE IN ELECTRICITY. 



light at once flash therein. This he supposes to be due to 

 the frictional action of the effluvia emanating from the 

 rubbed electric, but in fact it was a demonstration of 

 electric induction. 



After many more experiments variations of one kind 

 and another he is confirmed in his belief of the effects 

 happening in the field of force, and states it in the follow- 

 ing explicit terms: It is (the italics are his own) 



"Not only a Communication, but a Continuity of the 

 Matter which occasions the Motion of the Threads. The 

 Progress of it seems to be in a straight and direct track ; 

 in which the Matter is push'd by the shortest Course from 

 the Approached Body to the Threads that are shaken by it. 

 And if the Threads are mov'd by influence of any Matter 

 emitted from the Glass, it appears to be impossible to ex- 

 plain how they should be so, and at sitch distances, with- 

 out a Continuity, So that the Case seems to be thus: 

 That the Effluvia pass along, as it were, in so many Phys- 

 ical Lines or Rays ; and all the Parts that compose them, 

 adhere and joyn to one-another, in such manner, that 

 when any of 'em are push'd, all in the same L/ine are 

 affected by the Impulse given to others." 



It is not necessary to review his concluding experiments 

 in detail, although some of them, such as the outlining of 

 his hand in fire on the inside of a globe partly lined with 

 sealing-wax, and the movements of threads electrified 

 within the cylinder following that of his finger outside of 

 it, are striking enough. The research extended over four 

 years, interrupted at times by other investigations, mainly 

 in pneumatics. It was a brilliant piece of work, and 

 probably the first thoroughly scientific investigation 

 electrical phenomena. 



Hauksbee's achievements attracted great attentio 

 Newton, after the publication of his Optics in 1704, e 

 perimented on a glass globe for himself, and the results a 

 pear in the second edition of that work, which was 

 published in 1717. He also felt the electric wind dashing 



