c 89 3 
plofion much Wronger and louder, at its linking 
the ball, than at its Unking the point. 
It may here be obferved, that a point cannot 
pofiibly be placed in circumftances more unfa- 
vourable, than thefe, to its operation as a point : 
the body of electric fluid falling upon it almoft 
inftantaneoufly, with the ftroke from B to E, fo 
that it had fcarce any meafurable time, wherein to 
aft, as a point, in diminifhing the quantity, before 
the whole fell upon it as upon a conductor. In 
the ufe of points to receive and conduft lightning, 
they generally aft on the eleftrical atmolphere of 
a cloud, while the cloud is yet at a diftance, di- 
minilhing gradually that atmofphere, before the 
cloud approaches near enough to give the ftroke, 
and thus diminifhing the ftroke, if not quite 
preventing it. If the fmall conduftor, C, is 
placed fo as to be in contaft with the large con- 
duftor, A, inftead of being four inches diftant, as 
before, the eleftrical fire will not ftrike to the 
point at any diftance whatever; but the point will 
' carry off filently all the eleftrical fire from the 
conduftors, as faft as the cylinder fupplies them, 
even if the point is placed at the diftance of ten 
inches or more. 
I am afraid I fhall have tired you with this 
minute detail ; but I have been thus particular, 
that any Gentlemen may fatisfy themfelves of the 
truth of thefe experiments. 
To this machine there was another large con- 
duftor, 1 2 inches diameter, and five feet long, which 
being applied with its points to the back of the 
cufhion, the machine was either negative or pofi- 
tive, only by hanging a chain on either conduftor. 
Vol.LXIV. N VIII. On 
