Mr. cavendish on the Torpedo. 215 - 
it. I felt a ftiock, but rather weak ; and as well as I could 
judge, as ftrong as if the battery had been charged half 
as high, and the fhock received in the ufual way. 
I next took two thick pieces of that fort of leather 
which is ufed for the foies of fhoes, about the hze of the 
palm of my hand ; and having previoufly prepared them 
by fteeping in fait water for a week, and then prefling 
out as much of the water as would drain off eafily, re- 
peated the experiment with thefe leathers placed under 
my hands. The fhock was weaker than before, and about, 
as ftrong as if received in the ufual way with the battery 
charged one-third part as high. As it would have 
been troublefome to have trod on the torpedo and land,. 
I chofe this way of trying the experiment. The pieces of 
leather were intended to reprefent fhoes, and in all pro- 
bability the fhoes of perfons who walk much on the wet 
fand will conduct electricity as well as thefe leathers. I 
think it likely, therefore, that a perfon treading in this 
manner on a torpedo, even with fhoes on, but more fo 
without, may be thrown down, without any extraordi- 
nary exertion of the animal’s force, conlidering how 
much the effeCt of the fhock would be aided by the fur- 
prize. 
One of the fifhermen that Mr. walsh employed 
affured him, that he always knew when he had a tor- 
pedo in his net, by the fhocks he received while the 
fifh was at feveral feet diftance ; in particular, he faid, 
that in drawing in his nets with one of the largeft in 
them, he received a fhock when the fifh was at twelve 
feet 
