B707-) | Mr. Howldy on an Eleftric Property of India Rubber. 
atable, or any even furface ; hold it there 
fteadily to prevent its flipping, and 
briikly rub it, ten or a dozen times, in. 
the fame direétion, with a piece of In- 
dia rubber. Now, upon attempting to 
lift the paper, it. will be found to adhere 
clofely to the table 5 and, being tuddenly 
railed, and again brought within a fmall 
diitance, it will be ftrongly attracted to 
the table. This is occafioned by a quan- 
tiy of eledivic fiud accumulated be:ween 
the table and the paper, by the friction 
of the rubber. For, on prefenting a 
conducting body, the paper will be at- 
tracted to it. Sparks, attended with a 
crackling noife, may be drawn from the 
paper in the ufual manner ; which, when 
viewed in the dark, appear more lumi- 
nous than might at firft be fuppofed. 
Jz muft be fuppofed, however, that 
unle(s the paper be lifted very expedi- 
tioufly from the table, the greater part 
of the fluid will efcape in doing it; and, 
confequently, the paper will exhibit buz 
{mall figns of eletiricity. Indeed, the 
quantity of Suid accumulated is always 
much greater than that which remains 
on the paper ; but in dry, froily weather, 
the befi time for making the experi- 
ment, I have found the quantity re- 
maining to be confiderable. I have fe- 
veral times endeavoured to excite the 
paper without having previoully warmed 
369 
jt at the fire; but though I have con- 
tinued the/friétion till the paper has 
grown warm, my endeavours have ne- 
ver fucceeded. I ara, fir, 
Hereford, Your humble fervant, 
Nov. 12,1797. Tuo. How py. 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, Arab 
] SEE, in the laft Monthly Magazine for 
October, an account of a new invent- 
ed inftrument for tranfplanting tyenips, 
by James Kirkpatrick. This a mitake, 
and which, if you will give me leave, I 
will reétify. 
The inftrument in queftion was in- 
vented, many vears ago, by Mr. Cusirr 
GRaY, a very refpectable farmer in 
Norfolk ; and you will find, in the fourth 
volume of papers, publithed by order of 
the Agricultural Society at Bath, a letter 
from me, addreffed to the fecretary, 
giving adefcription of it; fince which I 
have had many dozens of them made here, 
under my infpection, for the ufe of the 
members of the Bath fociery. 
Thinking it not right to deprive the 
inventor of fo good an inftrument of the 
merit he deferves, J have troubled you 
With this explanation. And remain, 
Ile Wight, Your mot obedient fervant, 
Nov. 7. jos. K1RKPATRICK. 

PROCEEDINGS OF PUBLIC SOCIETIES. 
THE 
AFRICAN 
ASSOCIATION. 
The public will perufe with much fatisfaction, the continuance of the proceedings of this refpefta- 
ble Affociation. 
We have been favoured, by one of the fubfcribers, with the following inter- 
“efting fub{tance of a quaito pamphiet, which has juft been printed, and privately circulatod 
among the members of the Affociation, 
7HEN the laft memoir of the Pro- 
ceedings of this Affociation came from 
the prefs, the progrefs of Major Houcu- 
TON was the fubject of juft exultation. 
He had reached Ferbanne on the river 
Falemé, in the dominions of the king 
of Bambouk, and had been received 
with extraordinary kindnefs by the king 
of that country, who had furnifhed him 
with a guide to Tombuctoo, and money 
to defray the expences of his.journey. 
In the major’s letter to Dr. LAIDLEY 
~ of the 6th of May, 1791, written from 
Medina, he appears to have entertained 
great confidence of fuccefs. ‘* J have 
received, (he obferves) the beft intelli- 
gence of the places I defign vifiting, from 
a /bereef here, who lives at Tombuétoo, 
and who luckily knew me when I was 
Britith coniul to the emperor of Moro- 
co, in 1772. I find, that inthe riverI am 
going to explore, they have decked veffls 
with mafis, with whieh they carry on trade 
from Tombudioo RASTWARD to the cenire 
of Africa. -I mean to embark in one of 
them from Genné, in Bambara, to Tom- 
buétoo.”’ 
Of the major’s fubfequent progrefs 
there is no certain account. The lateft 
intelligence received, immediately from 
himfelf, was dated the rft of September, 
1791, about fix weeks after the date of 
the laft letter from the king of Bam- 
bouk’s capital. This advice came in the 
following very fhort note to Dr. Larp- 
Ley, on the Gambia river ;—“ Major - 
“ Houghton’s compliments to Dr. Laidley, 
“isin good health; .on his way to Tom- 
* buctoo, robbed of all his goods, by 
“© Fenda Bucar’s fon.” 
This 

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