wards, it met with many other conductors. I will read part of what Dr. Watson says on this fact, who examined it very attentively :

"The lightning," says he, "first took a weathercock, which was fixed at the top of the steeple, and was conducted without injuring the metal or any thing else, as low as where the large iron bar or spindle which supported it terminated; there the metallic communication ceasing, part of the lightning exploded, cracked and shattered the obelisk which terminated the spire of the steeple, in its whole diameter, and threw off, at that place, several large pieces of Portland stone. Here it likewise removed a stone from its place, but not far enough to be thrown down. From thence the lightning seemed to have rushed upon two horizontal iron bars, which were placed within the building cross each other. At the end of one of these iron bars, it exploded again, and threw off a considerabe quantity of stone. Almost all the damage was done where the ends of the

iron bars had been inserted into the stone, or placed under it; and, in some places, its passage might be traced from one iron bar to another."

The thunder holds his black tremendous throne: From cloud to cloud the rending lightnings rage; Till, in the furious elemental war

Dissoly'd the whole precipitated mass

Unbroken floods and solid torrents pours.

THOMSON.

CONVERSATION XL.

On Atmospheric Electricity-Of Falling Stars-Of the Aurora Borealis-Of Water-spouts, and Whirlwinds -Of Earthquakes.

CHARLES. Does the air always contain electricity?

Tutor. Yes; and it is owing to the electricity of the atmosphere that we observe a number of curious and interesting phenomena, such as falling stars; the aurora boeralis, or northern lights; the ignis fatuus, or Will-with-the-wisp.

James.

I have frequently seen what people call falling stars, but I never knew that they were occasioned merely by elecrticity.

Tutor. These are seen chiefly in clear and calm weather: it is then that the elec tric fluid is probably not very strong, and passing through the air it becomes visible in particular parts of its passage, according to the conducting substances it may meet with. One of the most striking phenomena of this kind is recorded by Signior Beccaria. As he was sitting with a friend in the open air, an hour after sun-set, they saw a falling, or, as it is sometimes called, a shooting star, directing its course towards them, growing, apparently, larger and lar

ger,

till it disappeared not far from them, and, disappearing, it left their faces, hands, and clothes, with the earth and neighbouring objects, suddenly illuminated with a diffused and lambent light, attended with no noise at all.

Charles. But how did he know that this was only the effect of electricity?

Tutor. Because he had previously raised his kite, and found the air very much charged with the electric matter: sometimes

he saw it advancing to his kite like a falling star; and sometimes he saw a kind of glory round it, which followed it as it changed its place.

James. Since lofty objects are exposed to the effects of lightning, or the electric fluid, do not the tall masts of ships, run considerable risk of being struck by it?

Tutor. Certainly we have many instances recorded of the mischief done to ships. One of which is related in the Philosophical Transactions; it happened on board the Montague, on the 4th of November, 1748, in latitude 42° 48′ and 9° 3' west longitude, about noon. One of the quarter-masters desired the master of the vessel to look to the windward, when he ob served a large ball of blue fire, rolling apparently on the surface of the water, at the distance of three miles from them. It rose almost perpendicular when it was within forty or fifty yards from the mainchains of the ship, it then went off with an explosion, as if a hundred cannon had