C 759 ] 
u of thunder, before expedted, was heard. ” Now 
I fhould be glad you would inform us, whether the 
ferenity in the air you mention, was fuch, as gene- 
rally follows, after the clouds in the fummer thunder- 
ftorms have difcharged feveral loud thunder-claps ; 
and whether any flafhes of lightning appeared in the 
fkies, after you had difcharged the cloud of its 
lightning by the kite, as commonly do after a thun- 
der-florm is over in a fummer’s night ? For if there 
were no appearance of fuch flafhes, then, I think, 
your aflertion, that all the eledtric fluid, or lightning, 
was drawn from the cloud, Hands fully proved ; but 
if there were fuch flafhes after, I conceive there 
muft have been fome of the eledtrical matter left 
behind. • - - 
Anfwer. During the time of my drawing the 
lightning from the cloud, and for fome little time 
afterwards, it rained ; by which means, the body of 
the cloud being diminilhed, a greater degree of fere- 
nity neceflarily fucceeded ; and the quantity of light- 
ning extradted from the cloud, or rather its atmo- 
fphere, proved fufficient to prevent any thunder in 
town that afternoon ; though there was a great ap- 
pearance of thunder before the kite was raifed. But 
whether the fame ferenity fucceeded, as frequently 
happens after a thunder-florm, and whether there 
were any flafhes of lightning feen in the evening, I 
cannot now recolledl. If fuch flafhes had afterwards 
been feen in the fkies, as is common in a fummer’s 
evening, efpecially after a thunder-florm, thofe might 
proceed from other clouds, which had pafled the 
town, at too great a diflance to be adted upon by the 
kite. 
If 
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