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and the greateft quantity of water falling in the cen* 
. ter of the fhower, the extremes may be greatly at- 
tradted to the center, in their palTage downward. 
There is one objedtion, which may be made to all I 
have been faying of the winds and weather ; that is, 
the great diftance of the tropic, and that the wind muft 
be a great time in coming to us from thence. But 
this objedlion will leffen, when the velocity of the 
wind is confidered, which in a frefh gale will move 
a degree in two hours ; which will foon bring it 
from the tropic to us. And this velocity, and a 
much greater, I proved by a machine, which I in- 
vented, and made, in the year 1733, to go upon 
wheels, by the force of wind. For I have been car- 
ried in it at the rate of more than a degree in two. 
hours, when the wind was upon the beam ; that is, 
when I could fail forward or backward upon the 
fame tradt, with equal facility ; fo that my motion 
going before the wind, muff have been much greater, 
which I then negledled to eftimate. 
And now, Gentlemen, I fear two things; that I 
have faid too much, and that I have faid too little. 
For if this letter appears with the fame face of truth 
to you as it docs to me, I have omitted many things, 
for fear of being too prolix, which I ought to have 
added. But, if I have written without a foundation 
in truth, I muft, long before you come to this part of 
my letter, appear prolix and impertinent ; and there- 
fore it may be time to conclude. Before I do which, 
I will affert one thing ; that is, that if any thing in 
this letter is found worth your acceptance, it is 
intirely my own ; for I have not borrowed a hngle 
hint. No more I did in my letter concerning the 
caufe 
