C 44 ] 
in the roof. There is alfo a proof-houfe, adjoining 
to the end of one of the magazines, and a clock- 
houfe, at the distance of feet from them, which 
has a weathercock on an iron fpindle, and, probably, 
fome incompleat conductors within, fuch as the wire 
ufually extending up from a clock to its hammer, 
the clock, pendulum, rod, &c. 
The blowing up of a magazine of gun-powder 
by lightning, within a few years paft, at Brefcia in 
Italy, which demolifhed a confiderable part of the 
town, with the lofs of many lives, does, in our 
opinion, ftrongly urge the propriety of guarding fuch 
magazines from that kind of danger ; and fince it 
is now well known, from many obfervations, that 
metals have the property of conducting lightning, 
and a method has been difcovered of uling that pro- 
perty for the fecurity of buildings, by fo difpofing 
and fixing iron rods, as to receive, and convey away, 
fuch lightning as might otherwife have damaged 
them ; which method has been praCtifed near twenty 
years in many places, and attended with fuccefs, in 
all the inftances that have come to our knowledge, 
we cannot, therefore, but think it advifeable to pro- 
vide conductors of that kind for the magazines in 
queftion. 
In common cafes, it has been judged fufficient; 
if the lower part of the conductor were funk three 
or four feet into the ground, till it came to moift 
earth ; but this being a cafe of the greatefi: im- 
portance, we are of opinion that greater precaution 
ihould be taken. Therefore, we would advife, that, 
at each end of each magazine, a well Ihould be dug- 
in, 
