[ *97 ] 
ftances, and there the bufinefs would have ended > 
but the feeming contrariety of thefe appearances 
obliged me to purfue them farther. 
Not being able completely to fatisfy myfelf with 
my lad: conclufion, attended with the difficulties 
above mentioned, I kept di verifying the experi- 
ments, and introducing every circumftance that I 
could imagine might poffibly affeCt the refult of 
them ; and among the reft, I made the following 
experiments, which quite unhinged me again, and 
left me as much at a lofs as ever I had been 
before. 
Having fufpended a fine thread on an infulated 
brals rod, placed about .1 of an inch from another ' 
rod, which was likewife infulated, and one end of 
which was in contaCt with the coating of the jar ; 
and having electrified the rod that fupported the pith 
balls, and placed a rod loaded with the lame eleCtricity 
near them : I obferved that, upon every difeharge, 
the balls, which before were repelled, were inftantly 
attracted by the eleftrified rod ; and, that the refult 
was invariably' the fame, whether they and the rod 
were loaded with pofitive or negative electricity 
and alfo whether the jar was charged pofitively or 
negatively. I repeated the experiment for feveral 
hours, without the leaft variation in the event ; which 
clearly proved, that, in thefe circumftances, the 
eledricity of the rod that received the lateral explo- 
fion was difeharged by it. 
Afterwards, I repeated this experiment with fome 
little variety, and found the electricity of the rod 
only lefiened by the lateral explofion. Thefe expe- 
riments, however, by no means favoured the luppofi- 
tion 
