[ * 4 + 1 
Having cut off a few inches of fmall harpfi- 
chord-wire, he connected one end of it with the 
the loop, at the bottom of his eleftrical battery, 
coniifting of nine bottles ; the other end of the 
wire he faftened to his difeharging rod, which 
was terminated by a large round ball. Upon this 
ball he took the charge of his battery, when the 
whole of the fmall wire was inftantly melted. 
He then cut off another piece, of equal length 
with the former ; and, unferewing the ball, he 
fixed the fmall wire in its head, upon the upper 
end of his difeharging rod. The lower end of 
the rod was now in contact with the bottom of 
the battery. The apparatus being thus difpofed, 
he re-charged the battery, and took off the charge 
upon the end of the fmall wire, which was fharply 
pointed ; but, in this cafe, only a very little of the 
wire was melted ; proving, as he obferves, the 
preference due to points rather than knobs, as 
terminations to the conductors for the lightning 
on buildings, fhips, &c. The fame gentleman 
hath lately favoured me with the following ex- 
periment, and the inference refulting from it. 
“ Having charged a battery, and unlcrewed one 
“ of the knobs of the difeharging rod, I cemented 
“ a very fmall portion of leaf gold on that end, 
“ in fuch a manner as to adt like a point; then ap- 
“ plying the other end, or knob, fo as to commu- 
tc nicate with the coatings of the jars, I fuddenly 
“ brought the gold-leaf, as near the difeharging 
4 ‘ part of the battery, as could be done without 
“ danger of a ftroke; ftill advancing nearer, in 
“ proportion to the defeent of the index of your 
** elec- 
