[347] ^ 
Upon this Hypothefisj which I know not that any one 
elfe has yet thought upon, I have invented a new fort of 
Needle tor the Compafs, which may have the fame alte - 
' rations as a Sphaericall Load-ftone, and at the fame time 
the fame conveniencies as the ordinary Needle hath. 
I caufed a Ring of three Inches diameter to be made of 
Steel Wire ; from which th.ere went three Radii of very 
fine Brais-wire meeting at the Center in a Cap perfectly 
like that of an ordinary Compafs, that fb this Circle: might 
reft on a Pin in its Center, and be at full liberty to turn 
round, its Center being fixt. This done I gave the Mag- 
neticall touch to this Steel Ring, by applying indifferently 
to a Fointthereof one of the Poles of a ftroiig Load- ftone, 
and the other Pole of the Stone to the oppolite Point, to 
give the greater Vertue to the Ring. 1 hen I obfcrved 
that the Ring was ftrongly Magneticall, and that the 
Point called the South Pole did readily turn it felf towards 
the North, and after feveral Vibrations flopped there; and 
that it had alfo the fame inclination towards the Pole 
which is found in Needles after they have been touched : 
Laftly I fixed upon the Ring a fmall Fleur de Lis of Brafij, 
in the Point which exaftly refpefted the North, the Ring 
"being firft well fettled. 
If the Poles of the Magnetick Vertue change in the 
Load-ftone after the fame manner as they do on the 
Earth ; itfeems likely that the fame thing fhould happen 
to this Ring, and that one Point thereof fhould alwais ex- 
actly refpeQ: the North. But to informe my felf if a 
Steel Ring had the fame effeds as a TerrelUj I made the 
following Experiment. Having touched a Steel Ring, and 
having laid it on a Paper, I ftrewed the filings of Steel 
upon it; and then gently fhaking the Paper, Ifaw that 
the direction of the Magneticall matter palTed direftly 
crofs the Ring from one Pole to the other, and that there 
were two Vortices on the fides, as it is obftrved in the 
Sph^ricall Magnet; which leems very furprifing: For 
X X accor- 
