new inflammable Air or Gafs, &c. 3 83 
this purpofe I poured fame drops of aether into a ftrong 
glafs tube, and directed an electrical explofion from a 
Leyden phial through it; but, to my mortification, no 
explofion happened. I then threw a bit of cotton, dipped 
in aether, into the fame tube, but it would not take fire. 
Though thefe fir ft trials proved unfuccefsful, I was too 
much perfuaded, that in fome way or other it muft fuc- 
ceed , to be difcouraged. Itried it in feveral different ways, 
and at laft, before the end of January, 1 fucceeded once or 
twice in producing a loud explofion, by throwing into the 
tube a little bit of paper dipped in aether. But as the 
experiment often failed (of which I could then find no 
reafon), I did not venture to fhew it to my friends till I 
had hit upon a method, the certainty of which would 
prevent my being expofed to fome confufion by exhi- 
biting an experiment which was fo apt to fail. However, 
I told Sir john pringle, Meff. nairne and blunt, and 
fome few others of my friends, early in the fpring, that 
I had found out a method of firing an inflammable air 
piilol wfithout being at the trouble of making inflam- 
mable air in the ordinary way; as I produced it at 
pleafure in an inflant, without any trouble or apparatus ; 
and that I would fhew them the experiment as foon as I 
was fure of fucceeding conftantly. In Jhe mean time I 
continued to produce this air before my acquaintance in 
E e e 2 the 
