rOL. XXXVII.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 433 



cess; as also of the method and materials made use of, as mentioned above. 

 Mr. Wheler then proposed a silk line to support the line, by which the electric 

 virtue was to pass. This Mr. Gray told him might do better, on account of 

 its smallness: so that there would be less virtue carried from the line of com- 

 munication; with which, together with the apt method Mr. Wheler contrived, 

 and with the great pains he took; and the assistance of his servants, they suc- 

 ceeded far beyond expectation. 



The first experiment was made in the matted gallery .July 2, 17 29, about 10 

 o'clock in the morning. About 4 feet from the end of the gallery there was a 

 cross line, fixed by its ends to each side of the gallery, by two nails ; the middle 

 part of the line was silk, the rest at each end packthread ; then the line to 

 which the ivory ball was hung, and by which the electric virtue was to be con- 

 veyed to it from the tube, being 8O4- feet in length, was laid on the cross silk 

 line; so that the ball hung about 9 feet below it. Then the other end of the 

 line was by a loop suspended on the glass cane, and the leaf-brass held under 

 the ball on a piece of white paper; when the tube being rubbed, the ball at- 

 tracted the leaf- brass, and kept it suspended for some time. 



This experiment succeeding, and the gallery not permitting to go any further 

 in one length, Mr. Wheler thought of another expedient, by which they might 

 increase the length of the line; which was by putting up another cross line 

 near the other end of the gallery ; and over the silk part of both the lines there 

 was laid a line, long enough to be returned to the other end, where the ball 

 hung; and though now both ends of the line were at the same end of the 

 gallery, yet care was taken that the tube was far enough off from having any 

 influence on the leaf-brass, except what passed by the line of communication : 

 then the cane being rubbed, and the leaf-brass held under the ivory ball, the 

 electric virtue passed by the line of communication to the other end of the 

 gallery, and returned back again to the ivory ball, which attracted the leaf- 

 brass, and kept it suspended as before. The whole length of the line was 

 147 feet. 



They then thought of trying, whether the attraction would not be stronger, 

 without doubling or returning the line, which they found means of doing in 

 Mr. Wheler's barn, where they had a line of 124 feet long, 14 feet of which 

 hung perpendicular from the silk line: and now the attraction was stronger 

 than when the line was returned, as in the matted gallery. 



Julys, between 10 and 11 o'clock in the morning, they went again into 

 the barn, and repeated the last experiment, both with the tube and cane; but 

 the attraction was not so strong as the preceding evening, nor was there so 

 great a difference in the attraction, communicated by the solid cane and 



