ELECTRICITY 457 
between the stopper and coating of lead; this probably did 
not condense the damp of the air so readily as glass, and 
consequently the machine worked well when mine refused 
to work at all. 
Monday, 19th March 1770. The machine on being taken 
out of the box was found to have had the plate and 
one of the phials broken by some accident. The former 
was replaced by a spare one. Every part was perfectly dry 
and worked with great freedom, but a small proportion 
of electricity only could be excited, at most enough to 
strike through one card. During all our experiments the 
floor-cloth conducted as it had done before, though it 
had not been washed for some weeks, Our experiments 
were soon cut short by the wind, which was foul, freshening 
so much that we could not with safety let the machine 
stand. The day was rather hazy. 
Friday, 23rd March 1770. All the day was clear, and 
the evening also very fine. At sunset the machine was set 
up. It at first entirely refused to work, but after about a 
quarter of an hour some sparks were excited. The most, 
however, that we could do was to obtain a slight shock. 
The floor-cloth conducted as usual, which we ascertained by | 
resting upon a table or chair, in which case we did not feel 
the shock as we always did when standing upon the ground. 
