308 



tion that a month or two later, still in the summer of 1857, I re- 

 ceived specimens of wire which were in stock for submarine tele- 

 graphs, for some of the Mediterranean telegraphs, I believe, which 

 stood as low as 43 on that scale ; and, lastly, I may mention that I 

 have since met with specimens standing 2 or 3 per cent, above the 

 100 ; and an artificial alloy, which I had prepared, stood, so far as 

 I can estimate, as high as 111. 



2463. What was that alloy? The alloy consisted, so far as I can 

 recollect, of copper and *13 per cent, of lead. I have made experi- 

 ments upon a series of alloys, in all about 43 or 44, and have re- 

 cently repeated the examination so as to arrive at accuracy, within 

 certain limits ; and I expect, immediately, to be able to communicate 

 to the Royal Society, for publication, the results. A few months 

 ago I sent a provisional list of the specimens, showing the relative 

 conductivity of those alloys, but, possibly, requiring correction as to 

 the absolute conductivity stated. That list was communicated to 

 Mr. Latimer Clarke, and, I believe, a copy of it was laid before the 

 Committee. 



2464. (Professor Wheatstone.) "Were you quite certain that you 

 employed pure copper in your experiments ? I could not be quite 

 certain. 



2465. The copper might be alloyed with other things than 

 metals ; is it not very probable that it might contain some suboxide, 

 and that the mixing of lead afterwards with it might have reduced 

 the suboxide, and therefore have given it a higher conducting power 

 on that account ? That is possible. I cannot say that I am at all 

 satisfied that the experiments which I have made point out distinctly 

 the relation between the ascertained chemical combination and con- 

 ductivity. I may mention that one of my alloys was made with a 

 suboxide melted with the copper ; but the uncertainty of the pro- 

 cess of melting the suboxide and the uncertainty as to how much of 

 the oxidation may have disappeared in the melting, prevented me 

 from attributing much weight to the experiment. 



2466. (Chairman.) What was the result with that alloy; was it 

 a low result, or a high result ? A moderate result ; not a low result. 



2467. But not a high one ? A somewhat high result ; but I may 

 mention that in one series the highest conductivity was found with 

 a mixture of lead and iron ; fractions of a per cent, of lead, and 



