Method of making artificial Loadfones. 53. 
impreffion of a feal upon the feveral pieces ; one of which 
is in the Britifh Mufeum. 
This pafte was then put upon wood, and fometimes 
on tiles, in order to bake or dry it before a moderate fire,, 
at a foot diftance or thereabouts. 
The doctor found, that a moderate fire was molt pro- 
per, becaufe a greater degree of heat made the competi- 
tion frequently crack in many places. 
The time required for the baking or drying of this 
pafte was generally five or fix hours before it attained a 
fufficient degree of hardnefs. When that was done, and 
the feveral baked pieces were become cold, he gave them 
their magnetic virtue in any direction he pleafed, by 
placing them between the extreme ends of his large ma- 
gazine of artificial magnets for a few feconds or more, as 
he faw occafion. 
By this method the virtue they acquired was fuch, 
that when any one of thole pieces was held between two 
of his beft ten guinea bars, with its poles purpofely in- 
verted, it immediately of itfelf turned about to recover 
its natural direction, which the force of thofe very pow- 
erful bars was not fufficient to counteract. 
I am, &c*. 
