382 PHILOSOPHICAL TKANSACTIONS. [aNNO 1773. 



E. s. for the rejecting of points. And I am very sorr}-, in the course of this 

 letter, to have been under the necessity of mentioning any differences in opinion, 

 which passed between the members of the committee, to whom this important 

 matter was referred. I think however I shall stand excused to the society, and 

 the public, when it appears, as I hope it now sufficiently does, what my motive 

 has been ; namely, to state clearly, and impartially, the objections which I con- 

 ceived to lie against pointed conductors : and to diclose without any resen'e, the 

 principles on which such objections are grounded. 



p. s. Mr. Delaval, who was one of the committee, has given me leave to in- 

 sert his opinion on this subject; which is this: That he concurs with me in think-- 

 ing that such conductors as are elevated higher than the buildings to which they 

 are applied, or are pointed at the top, are improper and dangerous. He was de- 

 sirous of delivering his opinion at the committee: but as the meetings of it 

 were held in the summer only, his absence from London prevented his at- 

 tendance, rvfffi. .'I 



. I. I > 



X, lA Letter to Sir John Pringle, Bart., Pr. R. S., on pointed Conductors. Dated 



Dec. 17, 1772. p. 66. 



i Sir, 



Having heard and considered the objections to our report, concerning the 

 fixing pointed conductors to the magazines at Purfieet, contained in a letter 

 from Mr. Wilson to Sir Charles Frederick, and read to the r. s., we do hereby 

 acquaint you, that we find no reason to change our opinion, or vary from that 

 Report. We have the honour to be, &c. 



H. Cavendish, W. Watson, B. Franklin, J. Robertson. 



XJ. Astronomical Observations made at Chislehurst in Kent. By the Rev. F. 

 . JVollaston, F.R.S. p. 67. 



Mr. W. the last year sent to the Society an account of the going of an astro- 

 nomical clock with a wooden pendulum, for the year preceding ; with such ob- 

 servations as he had made in this place; the latitude of which is 51° 24' 33* n., 

 and its longitude 4' 39" = 18'.6 in time, east of the Royal Observatory at 

 Greenwich. The rate of the clock deduced from the observations of this last 

 year, will not be found so unifoim as the foregoing. To what cause to ascribe 

 it, he is not certain. He thinks not to heat: perhaps to the great drought of 

 the summer. However, its acceleration or retardation was not desultory, but 

 sufficient to be depended on for any intermediate time. The clock was cleaned 

 in November; and when set up again, lost, between the 18th and 28th, at the 

 rate of 7^B per day. The regulator was then altered, and clock set, and from 

 that time never meddled with. Then follow several observatioiis on the going of 



