[58] Cadwallader Colden, who was afterwards lieutenant-governor of
New-York. _Editor._
[59] This proposition is since found to be too general; Mr. Wilson
having discovered that melted wax and rosin will also conduct.
[60] A cold dry wind of North America.
[61] The experiment here mentioned was thus made. An empty phial
was stopped with a cork. Through the cork passed a thick wire,
as usual in the Leyden experiment, which wire almost reached the
bottom. Through another part of the cork passed one leg of a small
glass syphon, the other leg on the outside came down almost to the
bottom of the phial. This phial was first held a short time in the
hand, which, warming, and of course rarefying the air within, drove
a small part of it out through the syphon. Then a little red ink
in a tea-spoon was applied to the opening of the outer leg of the
syphon; so that as the air within cooled, a little of the ink might
rise in that leg. When the air within the bottle came to be of the
same temperature of that without, the drop of red ink would rest in
a certain part of the leg. But the warmth of a finger applied to the
phial would cause that drop to descend, as the least outward coolness
applied would make it ascend. When it had found its situation, and
was at rest, the wire was electrified by a communication from the
prime conductor. This was supposed to give an electric atmosphere to
the wire within the bottle, which might likewise rarefy the included
air, and of course depress the drop of ink in the syphon. But no such
effect followed.