856 Mr . nairne’s Experiments to Jhew the 
“ conveying away the lightning fafely, without that ten- 
“ dencv to increafe or invite it.” 
In anfwer to this I can only fay, that, from thefe expe- 
riments of mine, the direct contrary appears to be the 
faCt ; that the point, inftead of increafing an actual dif- 
charge, prevents a difcharge where it otherwife would 
happen ; and that the blunted conductors tend to invite 
the clouds charged with lightning. 
The eleven firft experiments of Mr. Wilson’s are in- 
tended to fhew, that pointed conductors draw off the 
electricity from a cloud at a much greater diftance than 
thofe which are blunted. My ninth experiment proves 
the truth of thofe experiments of his ; the only difference 
is, that in mine the point aCted on my artificial cloud at 
a much greater diftance; from which it appears, to ufe 
his own words, p. 4. “ that a charged body is exhaufted 
“ of more of the fluid by a pointed than by a blunted 
u conductor.” In anfwer to his twelfth experiment, and 
on to the eighteenth, where the model of the houfe 
moved fwiftly, under his large artificial cloud, and where 
.the point was ftruck at five inches, and fometimes at a 
quarter of an inch further than his tfiree tenth ball^; 
I miaft obferve, that I have fometimes feen his apparatus 
at the Pantheon, with which he made his experiments, 
( 1 ) Page 8. 
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