146 Earl Stanhope’s Remarks on Mr. BrydoNe’s 
fiuid that formed the returning ftroke , had lels than twenty ftven 
lquare feet of furface in contact with the air. 
§ 29. The faCt is, that in the cafe of the returning ftroke, it 
is not fo much upon the quantity of electrical fluid, as upon 
the velocity * of that fluid, that the ftrength of that ftroke 
depends ; therefore, the ftrength of the returning Jtrcke de- 
pends lei's upon the quantity of furface ufed, than upon the 
Jlrength of the eleCtrical preflure of the elaftic eleCtrical atmo- 
fphere, fuperinduced upon the body ftruck, previous to the 
explofion. 
But, the eleCtrical preflure of the elaftic electrical atmofphere 
of the great thunder-cloud in Scotland muft have been im- 
menfe, when compared to the eleCtrical preflure of the elaftic 
eleCtrical atmofphere of a metallic prime conductor, of w r hat- 
ioever fhape; confequently, it is not at all furprifing that 
Lauder fhould have been killed (or that the other effeCts, re- 
lated by Mr. Brydone, fhould have been produced) by the 
returning ftroke ; inafmuch as it is not furprifing, that ejfedis 
fhould be proportionate to the caufes by which they are reflec- 
tively produced. 
§ 30. Mr. Brydone relates, that “ Lauder’s cart was 
higher on the bank” than the cart that followed him ; which, 
in fome degree, accounts for the man, fitting on the other cart, 
not having felt the returning ftroke. But, that is to be ac- 
counted for in another way, namely, by fuppofing the cloud to 
have been pending nearer to the earth, over the fpot where 
* See Principles of Ele&ricitv, from § 592 to § 602, inclufively; and parti- 
cularly & 601. 
Lauder 
