( 100 ) 
greated or lead Variation, or whether I drew the Needle 
to one Side with a Key a few Degrees or a greater Num- 
ber, it would condantly return to the fame Place it 
flood at immediately before. Sometimes I have taken 
the Needle out of the Box, and put it in again, and 
this I have repeated fcveral times in the fpace of an 
Hour. At other times I have taken down the Box 
from off the Stool, and put it up again, but have found 
no Alteration in its Direction ; lo that I found it of 
no Confequetice, whether the Needle was drawn afide 
or let alone, the ihaking of the Floor by walking up- 
on it, or the trembling of the Houle by the Coaches 
in the Street, was ludicient to overcome the fmall 
Fri&ion upon the Point. When 1 made the Obferva- 
tions, I was very careful to have no Keys, nor Iron a- 
bout me, that could affed: the Needle. 
The Box was placed in the Room above the Diftance 
of fix Foot from the neared Wall, and above thirteen 
Foot from the Grate* in the Chimney, and no Iron 
could at any time be brought near it without my 
Knowledge. Yet, after all, I am not fatisfied that it 
was out of the reach of Iron, and that the Variation 
jhewn by it is the true Quantity ; but i am very fure 
there was no Change of Circumdances in the Room 
that could affe<d it, for if there were any fuch Materi- 
als in the Wall, or Floor, their Didances and Situati- 
ons continued the fame. But for a farther Confirma- 
tion of this Irregularity, I put one of the Needles into 
a Wooden Box, with a few Degrees divided as the o- 
ther, and placed it at the fame Meridian Line, at the 
Didance of three Foot and a half from the other, and 
found both Needles neaily agreed in their Alterations. 
The Needles were all touched by that excellent Load- 
done prefented to the Society by the Right Hoiltmra- 
ble 
