276 Mr. Nicholson’s Experiments and 
July, 1771? during the approach of a fevere th under -ftorm, 
and obferved himfelf to be furrounded by a rare medium of 
fire, which, as the cloud rofe nearer the zenith, and the kite 
role higher, continued to extend itfelf with fome gentle faint 
flafhes. Mr. Baldwin felt no other effedt than a general 
weaknefs in his joints and limbs, and a kind of liftlefs feeling ; 
all which he obferves might poffibly be the effedt of furprize, 
though it was fufficient to difcourage him from perfifting in 
any farther attempt at that time. He therefore drew in his 
kite, and retired to a (hop till the ftorm was over, and then 
went to his houfe, where he found his parents and friends 
much more furprifed than he had been himfelf ; who, after 
exprefting their aftonifhment, informed him, that he appeared 
to them (during the time he was railing the kite) to be in the 
midft of a large bright flame of fire, attended with flafhings; 
and that they expedted every moment to fee him fall a facrifice 
to the flame. The fame was obferved by fome of his neigh- 
bours, who lived near the place where he flood. 
This fadt is fimilar to another obferved by M. de Saussure 
on the Alps, and both are referable to my luminous ball with 
the lecond kind of brufh. The cloud mufthave been negative. 
With a 12-inch cylinder, and rubber of yl inches, a five- 
inch ball gave frequent flafhes, upwards of 14 inches long, 
and fometimes a fix-inch ball would flaflh. I do not mention 
the long fpark, becaufe I was not provided with a favourable 
apparatus for the two larger cylinders. The 7-inch cylinder 
affords a fpark of 10J inches at beft. The 9-inch cylinder, 
not having its condudtor infulated on a iupport fufficiently 
high, afforded flafhes to the table which was 14 inches diftant. 
And the 12-inch cylinder, being mounted only as a model or 
trial for conftructing a larger apparatus, is defedtive in feverai 
refpedts 
