Watfon. 311 
cleftricity. He became early enamoured 
with the phsenomena of this wonderful 
agent in nature; an attention to which had 
been fome time before excited, among the 
philofophers of Europe ; and particularly in 
England y by Mr. Stephen Gray, of the 
Charter -Houfe ; Granville Wheler, Efq; 
Dr. Desaguliers 5 and others. 
About the year 1744, Mr. Watson 
took it up, and made feveral important dif- 
coveries in it. At this time, it was no 
fmall advancement in the progrefs of elec- 
tricity, to be able to fire fpirit of wine. He 
was the firft in England who efFecfted this, 
and he performed it, both by the direcl^ 
and the repiilfive power of eleftricity. He 
afterwards fired inflammable air, gunpow- 
der, and inflammable oils, by the fame 
means. He alfo inftituted feveral other 
experiments, which helped to enlarge the 
power of the eledlrician i but the moft 
important of his difcoveries was, the prov- 
ing, that the eledric power was not created 
by the globe or tube, but only colledled by 
them. Dr. Franklin, and Mr. Wil« 
X 4 S0N5 
