Lightning Conductors to Powder Magazines. 493 



From Dr. O'Shaughnessy's published explanation, it ap- 

 pears that he stated the circumstance entirely from memory, 

 and so imperfect does his recollection appear to be, that he 

 cannot say whether the iron was shewn him by Capt. Fitz- 

 Gerald or Mr. Barnes. He understood one of these indivi- 

 duals to state, that this piece of iron was the spear head 

 of Britannia, and he himself asserts that it certainly was 

 fused. So treacherous is the memory, as a sole record of 

 such facts, and so probable do we consider it that some mis- 

 take has been made by Dr. O'Shaughnessy, that we still hesi- 

 tate in receiving his explanation as satisfactory. To con- 

 vince him that we are not now evincing a spirit of unfounded 

 or obstinate incredulity, we will state fully, and in detail, our 

 grounds for this continued doubt. 



Firstly. — We have personally examined with the utmost 

 care the identical piece of iron alluded to by Dr. O'Shaugh- 

 nessy, and failed in detecting the slightest indication of its 

 having been subjected to fusion. This iron forms now the 

 point of the spear of Britannia on Government House, and 

 we have no doubt that Dr. O'Shaughnessy, by application to 

 the proper authorities, could satisfy himself of the correct- 

 ness of our statement. It appeared to us however more than 

 probable that had indications of fusion originally existed, 

 they would have been obliterated before the iron was re- 

 placed in its former position, and we therefore obtained — 



Secondly > — The testimony of the individual by whom the 

 repairs were executed. In obtaining this, the precaution of 

 not giving him the slightest indication of the object of our 

 inquiries was observed, and he was simply requested to spe- 

 cify the nature and extent of the repairs he had made to the 

 spear head then before him. He assured us that no change 

 whatever had been made, with the exception of the repair 

 of a thin metallic strap by which the spear point was attached 

 to the wooden shaft, and which had been broken by the 

 fall of the arm of the figure ; he pointed out to us the rivets 



