r ss ] 
moveable part, H, wliich might be raifed higher 
or lower. On the top of this moveable part was 
ferewed either a pointed wire, or a wire with a 
ball JJ.th of an inch diameter, and from the bottom 
of this ftand a chain paffed along the floor, till it 
was connected with the chain, which hung from 
the cufhion ; then I placed the conductor C, fo 
that the ball E was four inches diftance from the 
ball B, and having ferewed into the top of the 
moveable part, H, of theftand, G, a pointed wire, 
I moved it till the point was directly under the 
ball F, at the diflance of 3 or 4 inches ; and, on 
exciting the electrical machine, the fire paffed from 
the ball B, to the ball E, and, almoft at the fame 
inflant, ftruck on the point from the ball F. I 
increafed the diflance flowly between the point 
and the ball, F, till I found the utmofl diftance, to 
which it would ftrike to the point, which was fix 
inches; I continued to move the point to nine 
inches diftance or more; it then was luminous, 
and the fire continued to ftrike, from the ball B, 
to the ball E, which (hewed that the point car- 
ried off all the eleCtrical fire from the conductor, * 
C, otherwife it would not continue to ftrike from 
B to E. Then I removed the point, every thing 
elfe remaining as before, and, in its (lead, placed, 
a wire with a ball of ith of an inch diameter, at 
the top of it, at the diftance of 3 or 4 inches, 
directly under the ball F, in the (ame manner as 
the point; then, on encreafing this diftance flowly, 
the eleCtrical fire was found to ftrike to the ball 
at nine inches, which is half as far again as to the 
point, and with this remarkable difference, that 
the quantity of fire was much greater, and the ex- 
plofion 
