ratus was attached to a bamboo with an iron prong, to be driven into the ground, and supported by four strings. He said he had never failed to obtain the fluid from this kite on a cloudless day. Once, in company with some scientific friends, he flew the kite on a fine day in Copenhagen Fields. It being very hot, they shifted the kite, to get some refreshment at Copenhagen House. The landlord said he had never seen so many big gentlemen fly a kite before; he supposed there must be something curious in it. They told him there was, and they believed he would not be able to hold it in. The sturdy Boniface laughed at this, and seemed to think it was impossible there could be a kite which he could not hold in. They asked him to try; he did so; but as soon as he touched it, he drew back in dismay, retreated into the house, and could not, on any account, be prevailed upon to come to fetch their money, bidding them throw it down on the ground, for he believed they were conjurors. After this, the lecturer gave an account of some ex

• A house of entertainment and tea-gardens, near Islington.- ED.

tensive apparatus erected at Broomfield, near Taunton, by Andrew Crosse, and the result of experiments performed with it, which I am not able to detail. From this he passed to explain the phenomena of thunder and lightning, and he gave some beautiful experiments by which they were imitated, and their identity with electricity proved. I am not sure that I shall be able to explain this beautiful apparatus correctly; but I will do so as well as I can,-premising, that I had not the opportunity of a very close inspection. This very rough diagram may serve to shew the principle.

7 This is an ingeniously contrived and unique instrument, of the president's own invention. It is scarcely possible to shew its construction very accurately on paper.-ED.

Let A B be a plate of glass, on which is pasted a piece of tin-foil, C D, to represent a thunder cloud, to which is attached a ball, E, not quite touching the table. When the cloud is charged to a certain degree by the ball, F, which is here placed as an adjacent cloud, it will discharge itself and force a passage to the earth, a segment of which is shewn at G H. If a plate of glass be put between the apparatus and the spectatorhaving the upper part transparent, and the lower obscured with a dense coating extending along the line I K and all the lower part-the appearance of summer evening lightning is exactly imitated; thus proving it to be the reflection of lightning under the horizon; not dangerous to those who see it, but equally dangerous with other lightning, to those who are near it. A piece of glass, on which various forms of clouds were painted, when interposed, produced a beautiful effect; the lightning appearing to pass from one cloud to another. Both glasses may be set on wooden strips, L M, for the convenience of being placed on a table.

The president then, by experiment, shewed the use of pointed conductors. He failed in

throwing down a tower, but succeeded in setting fire to a house-in blowing up a powder-magazine-and destroying a ship. He said, jocosely, We need not be alarmed for the house, as it was insured in the Phoenix. Surely, this was sufficient. He explained the Aurora Borealis, as electricity in the highest regions of the air; and he proved this, by sending the electric current through an exhausted tube. The effect was beautiful. The appearance of shooting stars was made, by partially exhausting the tube. The effect of whirlwinds was also attempted to be ascribed to electricity; and an experiment, by which particles of bran discovered a locomotive tendency, shewed this in miniature. The lecturer summed up the whole by a modest conclusion.

Near the end of the lecture, an experiment was brought forward, prepared by one of the trustees of the Institution. After some time of turning the machine and cracking sparks, I was afraid it would fail, but, at length, it fully answered. The room having been previously darkened, we then read on the glass plate the words, "Success to this Institution," illuminated by the

electric fluid. The cheers which followed this exhibition, were not an unapt imitation of thunder, as it follows the flash of lightning. Exeunt

omnes.

1834, 4mo. 6th.-I have at length matured my plans for the reading of the Greek New Testament, have got a book to write the words in, and bought a pocket New Testament. Of this I may speak hereafter. I propose to myself to translate a verse daily-more if I can. I also intend to read daily, a part of the English Bible, and have begun to-day with the first chapter of Genesis. By economy, I hope to find time to do a little each day. My ambition is, to read the Bible through; and the New Testament in Greek. Surely I can do one verse of the latter!

4mo. 14th.-Went yesterday to a housewarming-to my dear grandmother's new residence at Stoke Newington. Very cold days have kept me in a good deal. On seventh day, there were hailstones, nearly as large as marbles, thunder, and lightning.

On 7th day evening, I had a visit from my