I inclose you answers, such as my present hurry of business will
permit me to make, to the principal queries contained in your's of
the 28th instant, and beg leave to refer you to the latter piece
in the printed collection of my papers, for farther explanation
of the difference between what is called _electrics per se_, and
_non-electrics_. When you have had time to read and consider these
papers, I will endeavour to make any new experiments you shall
propose, that you think may afford farther light or satisfaction to
either of us; and shall be much obliged to you for such remarks,
objections, &c. as may occur to you.--I forget whether I wrote to you
that I have melted brass pins and steel needles, inverted the poles
of the magnetic needle, given a magnetism and polarity to needles
that had none, and fired dry gunpowder by the electric spark. I have
five bottles that contain eight or nine gallons each, two of which
charged are sufficient for those purposes: but I can charge and
discharge them altogether. There are no bounds (but what expence and
labour give) to the force man may raise and use in the electrical
way: for bottle may be added to bottle _in infinitum_, and all united
and discharged together as one, the force and effect proportioned to
their number and size. The greatest known effects of common lightning
may, I think, without much difficulty, be exceeded in this way, which
a few years since could not have been believed, and even now may
seem to many a little extravagant to suppose.--So we are got beyond
the skill of Rabelais's devils of two years old, who, he humourously
says, had only learnt to thunder and lighten a little round the head
of a cabbage.