156 Dr. A. Schuster on 



It was not long before Franklin's work found its appre- 

 ciation, as the following letter addressed to him will show : 



" Experwients" page 396. 



" And now, Sir, I must heartily congratulate you on the 

 " pleasure you must have in finding your great and well- 

 -founded expectations so far fulfilled. May this method 

 " of security from the destructive violence of one of the 

 " most awful powers of nature, meet with such further 

 " success, as to induce every good and grateful heart to bless 

 " God for the important discovery ! May the benefit thereof 

 " be diffused over the whole globe ! May it extend to the 

 " latest posterity of mankind, and make the name of 

 " Franklin, like that of Newton, immortal. 

 " I am, Sir, with sincere respect, 



" Your most obedient, most humble servant, 



"EBEN: KlNNERSLEY." 



In the answer to this letter, Franklin describes experi- 

 ments which he has made to discover the source of atmos- 

 pheric electricity, and it is of interest to find that he had 

 thought of the possibility that " negative electricity might 

 be produced by evaporation only." His experiments, 

 however, did not shew any effects. 



To those who believe that our own age has a special 

 claim to be called the " electrical age," the following may 

 be of interest. 



" Experiments" page 37. 



" Chagrined a little that we have been hitherto able to 

 " produce nothing in this way of use to mankind ; 

 " and the hot weather coming on, when electrical experi- 

 " ments are not so agreeable, it is proposed to put an end to 

 " them for this season, somewhat humorously, in a party of 

 " pleasure, on the banks of Skuylkil. Spirits, at the same 

 " time, are to be fired by a spark sent from side to side 

 " through the river, without any other conductor than the 

 " water ; an experiment which we sometime since performed, 



