262 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 1705. 



i... The cause of this lubricity of the magnetism, I imagined might be, because 

 '•the sides or edges of the wire had received contrary poles by splitting : and 

 consequently were turned topsy-turvy, and that what was the north might then 

 be the south edge of the half. But I could never discover, but that the sides 

 of each end, or of any other part, were the same, when I held the loadstone 

 to one or the other side ; which indeed I always did, in every experiment, for 

 the greater certainty. 



I tried also the old experiment of touching wires, by rubbing them backwards 

 and forwards with one of the poles of the loadstone. Mr. Barlow discovered 

 the error of this way of touching; viz. that it weakens much or hurts the 

 touch. On the trial, I found what is said, not only to be true, but also that 

 the reason of it is, because the poles of the wire, or needle, so touched, are 

 not at the ends, but in, or near the middle of the wire or needle. Sometimes 

 one is near the centre, the other at one or both ends. For in some wires so 

 touched, both the ends of the wire would be attracted by one pole of the load- 

 stone, and repelled by the other. And in such case the repelling pole always 

 found a sympathetic part near the centre of the wire. In others (especially 

 where a verticity succeeded, as sometimes it will do, and that pretty strongly 

 too) the verticity would be inverted, and the ends of the wire be attracted and 

 repelled in a direct contrary manner to the natural form. And the reason of all 

 this will be manifest from these following experiments. 



I touched a wire from end to end with only one pole of the magnet. This 

 gave so strong a virtue, that I am almost of opinion, it is the best way of 

 touching. The consequence was, the end where I began, always turned con- 

 trary to the pole that touched it. I again touched the same wire, and others 

 too, with the other pole of the magnet, from the same end, and then that end 

 turned the contrary way. Ex. gr. Mark one end of a wire for the north-end, 

 and touch that wire, by drawing the north pole of the magnet several times 

 along the wire, from the north to the south end: this wire so touched shall 

 have a strong verticity; but the north end shall stand south. But if you touch 

 that, or another wire, (for it is all one, because the latter destroys the former 

 touch) by drawing the north pole of the magnet from the south to the north 

 end of the wire, then this north end will turn north. And so it will do the 

 same, if you touch with the southern pole from the north to the south. 

 i- Lastly, there is one experiment more that gives further light into the pre- 

 'fnises, viz. I touched an iron wire exactly in the middle with only one pole of 

 the loadstone, without drawing it backwards or forwards. The event was, that 

 in that place that pole of the wire was, and the two ends were the contrary 

 pole of the wire ; and were accordingly repelled or attracted by the poles of the 



