[ 53 ] 
A Line of Wire was laid along the Bridge, not 
only through its whole Length, but likewife turn- 
ing at the Abutments, reached down the ftone Steps 
on each Side of the River low enough for an Ob- 
ferver to dip into the Water an iron Rod held in 
his Hand. One of the Company then flood upon 
the Steps of the Weftminfter Shore holding this Wire 
in his left Hand, and an iron Rod touching the 
Water in his right: On the Steps facing the former 
upon the Surry Shore, another of the Company 
took hold of the Wire with his right Hand, and 
grafped with his left a large Phial almoft filled 
with Filings of Iron, coated with Sheet-Lead, and 
highly electrified by a glals Globe properly difpofed 
in a neighbouring Houfe. A third Obferver (land- 
ing near the fecond dipped an iron Rod held in his 
left Hand into the Water, and touching the iron 
Hook of the charged Phial with a Finger of his 
right Hand, the Electricity fnapped, and its Commo- 
tion was felt by all the three Obfervers, but much 
more by thofe upon the Surry Shore. The third 
Obferver here was no other wife neceflary, than that 
the River being full, the Iron was not long enough 
to be fixed in the Mud upon the Shore, and there- 
fore was in want of fome Support. The Experi- 
ment was repeated fcveral times, and the electrical 
Commotion felt acrofs the River 5 but the Gentle- 
men prefent being much molefted in their Opera- 
tions by a great Concourfe of People, who many 
times broke the conducting Wire, and otherwife 
greatly incommoded them, and the Evening grow- 
ing too dark for the Obfervers on different Sides of 
the Water to fee each other, they were prevented 
- - from 
