VOL. XLVII.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 189 



ing the breadth ; which howevec would probably be remedied by a number of 

 these jets : but be that as it may, it is certain, that to augment the diameters, 

 and diminish the lengths of the smaller kind of cylinders, now used, could have no 

 such inconvenience, nor fail of being attended with an augmentation of force. 



XXX. Mr. John Bradley s Observation of the Occultation of Fenus by the Moon. 



Communicated by Mr. James Short, F.R.S. p. 201. 

 Mr. Gael Morris having favoured Mr. Short with the observation of the late 

 occultation of Venus by the moon, taken at Greenwich with great exactness by 

 Mr. John Bradley, he laid the same before the Royal Society, in order to show 

 its very near agreement with those phases, which Dr. Bevis observed at his house 

 in Surry-street, allowing for the difference of meridians. 



Apparent time. 

 1751 April 15, 22*' 41"" 45' The first contact; doubtful to 1 second. 

 42 18 Quite immerged. 

 23 15 3 6-1- Began to emerge. 

 16 8-1^ Wholly emerged. 

 16, 1 39 12 Venus passed the meridian. 



XXXI. An Account of Mr. Benjamin Franklins* Treatise, intitled. Expert- 

 ments and Observations on Electricity, made at Philadelphia in America. By 

 JVm. Watson, F.R.S. p. 202. 



Mr. Franklin's Treatise, lately presented to the Royal Society, consists of 4 

 letters to his correspondent in England, and of another part intitled, ' Opinions 



* Dr. Benjamin Franklin, one of the most celebrated philosophers and politicians of the 1 8th cen- 

 tury, was born at Boston in North America, in the year 1706. His father was a tallow-chandler 

 there, and young Franklin was taken from school at 10 years of age to assist him in that business. 

 But after two years spent in this situation, he was apprenticed to an elder brother, then a printer in 

 Boston, who in 1721 began to print a newspaper there j the copies of which our author was sent to 

 distribute, after having assisted in composing and printing it. On this occasion, our young philoso- 

 pher enjoyed the secret and singular pleasure of being the much admired author of many essays in 

 this paper ; a circumstance which he had the address to keep a secret, even from his brother himself j 

 and this when he was only 15 years of age. 



The frequent ill usage from his brother produced a separation between them, when our author, at 

 17 years of age, withdrew privately to New York, and thence to Philadelphia, where he worked 

 with a printer a short time. Here he was much noticed by Sir Wm. Keith, governor of the pro- 

 vince, who advised him to go to England to purchase printing materials, to commence the business 

 on his own account in Philadelphia, promising to advance him the money, and send him letters of 

 credit to London for that purpose. This promise however was never fulfilled, and Mr. F. was thus 

 thrown upon London at 18 years of age, without either money, friends, or credit. He soon found 

 employment however as a journeyman printer j and after continuing about 18 months in this station; 

 he returned to Philadelphia in 1726, along with a merchant of that town, as his clerk. But his 



