In order that conductors for lightning may completely answer the end for which they are conftructed, it is certainly neceffary that a scrupulous attention fhould be paid to all thofe circumstances, which theory or experience have fhewn to be neceffary for the fafe and eafy conveyance of the electric fluid through them: particularly, as we have fhewn very fully in a former Article relative to this subject *, that there fhould be no inter ruption of continuity in the conducting fubftance; and that it should enter, to fome depth, into moift earth, or water.

In the present inftance, there was a failure in both these particulars. In the firft place, the leaden pipe, which carried off the rain water, and which was connected with the pointed iron rod fixed to one of the chimneys, was not continued to the earth; but terminated at the diftance of four feet from its furface: there the leaden pipe received the point of a rusty spit, which entered a few inches within it; and which feems to have been placed in that fituation, only pro tempore, and merely as an expedient. In the next place, the lower end of the fpit did not penetrate the earth, but merely refted upon it. In fact, the refiftance which the electric matter met with, in its paffage from the lower extremity of the leaden pipe, to the end or point of the spit inferted in it, and leaning against it, was rendered evident by the visible effects: for the pipe was burst or broke open, and partly melted, by the explofion, in that very part of it which was even with the point of the fpit.

Mr. Henley obferves on this occafion, with a view apparently to obviate any objections which might be urged, from this accident, against the preferable ufe of pointed conductors, that, at least in the present cafe, a fharp pointed conductor did not invite, or draw down upon itself the ftroke of lightning; which here preferably ftruck a chimney, or blunt body, at a pretty confiderable diftance from it. It must be owned at the fame time, that fuch pointed conductor may not be fufficient, by its filent attractive power, to protect the whole of a large building; one part of which is in actual contact with a very extenfive furface of metal leading from it to the conductor. He further remarks that two fuch conductors, with a communication of lead between them, would probably have protected the present building: and that, as the iron fpit, which was only three-quarters of an inch fquare, conducted the whole of the lightning, without fhewing any figns of having been even in the flighteft degree affected by it; an iron bar of that fize feems to be fully fufficient for the purpose..

See Monthly Review, vol. xlii. Mar. 1770, p. 201.

Article

Article 34._ Description and Ufe of a portable Wind Gage. By Dr. James Lind, Phyfician at Edinburgh.

Though it is difficult to describe philofophical inftruments without the affiftance of plates, we fhall endeavour to give the Reader a general idea of the present apparatus; which is fimple and easy of conftruction, and feems to be well adapted to the measuring the force or momentum of the wind, with a fufficient degree of accuracy.

Two glafs tubes, parallel to each other, each of them fix inches in length, and four-tenths of an inch in the bore, are connected together below, like the two legs of an inverted ly phon, by a small bent glass tube, the bore of which is only one-tenth of an inch in diameter; the whole fomewhat refembling the capital vowel U. To the top or open part of one of thefe tubes or legs, a tube of brafs is fixed, of the fame dia. meter, which is bent perpendicularly outwards, fo as to have its mouth open to the wind; to which it is always turned, as the whole apparatus, with a scale of degrees annexed to it, is made to fwing round on a spindle like a common weathercock.

The tubes being half filled with water (or any other proper liquor) in a calm place, the water will ftand in both of them at the fame height, or in the fame horizontal level. Here the point o of the scale is fixed. On adjusting the apparatus on its fpindle, the mouth of the bent tube of course turns towards the wind, which, in proportion to its strength, depreffes more or less the water on that fide, and equally elevates, if the tubes are of equal bore, the column of water in the other tube. The degrees or quantity of depreffion and elevation, obferved on the scale, being added together, give the height of a coJumn of water which the wind is at that time capable of fuftaining. Hence the force of the wind, on any given furface directly opposed to it, may be known as this force is equal to the weight of the column of water fuftained by the wind in the tubes of the wind-gage; respect being had to the quantity of furface acted upon, and the perpendicular height of the

column.

To give only one fpecimen of the force of the wind, in a particular hurricane, as indicated by this inftrument :-On the 9th of May 1775, the wind fupported a column of water, in the Author's wind-gage, fix inches feven-tenths in height. From a table calculated by the Author it appears that the force of the wind in this hurricane, which did great damage to the gardens in his neighbourhood, was equal to 34.921 pounds avoirdupois, on every square foot.

Article

Article 44. A Comparison of the Heat of London and Edinburgh. By John Roebuck, M. D. F. R. S. &c.

From the comparison of the Author's thermometrical obfervations at Edinburgh, fimultaneous to others made by Dr. Heberden at London, at eight in the morning, it appears from a mean of nine years observations taken at both these places, that the heat in the latter exceeded that of the former only one degree and four-tenths, of Fahrenheit's thermometer an excefs much less than might be expected from the difference of latitude, and not fufficient to account why nonpareils, golden rennets, peaches, nectarines, and many kinds of grapes, generally come to maturity near London, and scarce ever near Edinburgh, without the aid of artificial heat.'

The difficulty is afterwards in a great measure cleared up, as it appears, from fome obfervations taken in the afternoon, for three years, that the mean heat of the three fummer months in London, at that time of the day, exceeded the mean heat of the fame months, at the fame hour, in Edinburgh, by feven degrees and three-tenths. It is likewife afterwards suggested by the Author and Dr. Heberden, that probably the mean heat of good fprings in any country is very nearly the mean heat of the country. The mean heat of the fprings near Edinburgh seems to be 47°, and at London is 51°.

Articles 16, 17, 18, 19.] Of these four Articles we shall only take particular notice of the first; in which, after observ ing that little advantage has hitherto been derived from the minute labours of meteorological journalists, in confequence of their not having formed compendious abftracts of their volumi nous records, Dr. Horsley proceeds to point out a method of conftructing journals of this kind; which he firft exemplifies, by giving, in a table, an abridged view of the winds and rain. at London in the year 1774, compiled from the meteorological journals of the Royal Society. In four other tables he gives the ftate of the winds, fubdivided into quarters of the compafs; and, in the fixth, the number of fair and frofty days in each fortnight, and in the whole year. In a feventh table, he proposes to ascertain the influence of the winds on the barometer; and, in the eighth and ninth, the fuppofed influence of the moon on the weather. This last effect, which has been afcribed to the moon from the earliest antiquity, the Author takes fome pains to contravert; and to fhew that, even among the ancients, the moft fagacious obfervers did not confider the moon as the efficient caufe of a change of weather; but drew their prognoftics from the fhape of the horns, the degree and colour of her light, the coloured circles furrounding her, and other cir cumftances, merely as indications of the state of the atmo sphere.

ART.

ART. V. Liber Singularis De Byo Antiquorum, quo, ex Ægyptia lingua, res veftiaria Antiquorum, imprimis in S. Codice Hebræorum occurrens, explicatur: Addita ad calcem Mantife Egyptiaca V. Omnia curâ && Audio Joannis Reinoldi Forfler, LL. D. S. R. & A. S. 8vo. 3 s. 6 d. Londini. Cadell, &c. 1776.

Very learned and elaborate inquiry into the true Byas of the Ancients; in which the Author proposes to determine, among a great variety of contending authorities, whether this was a linen or cotton, or a mixture of both. In the refult of the inquiry he is of opinion, and not without fufficient evidence, that this was a kind of garment made of cotton and linen, or perhaps of cotton only. Many very curious researches are introduced, in the courfe of this work, refpecting the "res veftiaria," or the materials of the drefs of the Hebrews and Egyptians, and the antient inhabitants of other Eaftern nations. The ftate of Egypt, previous to the fettlement of the Hebrews in this country, and during their intercourfe with its inhabitants, is likewife inveftigated, and the Author has fhewn, that, from the earliest times of which we have any hiftorical records, it was diftinguished for its sciences and laws-its agriculture and manufactures-its commerce and opulence. He has alfo traced the connection which fubfifted between the Egyptians and Ifraelites, and the etymology of their respective languages, with a view of explaining many obfcure paffages of Scripture. We fhall give our Readers a fpecimen or two of his fuccefs in this way.

A

The Jewish law forbids " a garment mingled of linen and woollen," fee Leviticus, xix. 19. Commentators have been divided about the proper object and reafons of this law. Our Author apprehends that the Hebrew word (Shaatnetz) answers to the Egyptian Shentnes, and that it is used to describe the fame garment. This latter was a very gaudy and coftly vefture made of different-coloured wool and cotton; and, as he imagines, not unlike thofe that were appointed for the Jewifh high-prieft: fee Exod. xxviii. 6. The Egyptians appropriated coftly and fplendid garments of this kind to their deities; but the legiflator of the Ifraelites commands, that their chief prieft fhould wear them in performing the folemn rites of his office. If this etymology of the word be allowed, it will not be difficult to account for the above prohibition. Garments of this kind were too expenfive-the manufacture of them required too much time and labour in the infancy of the Arts among the children of Ifrael-and they were a fpecies of luxury very commone among the neighbouring nations, against which they were wifely cautioned and guarded. Befides, they were often painted with various figures of animals and plants which pertained to the worship of the Egyptian deities; and, unless they had been

prohibited

prohibited to the Ifraelites, might have enticed them to idolatry. Moreover, as the use of them was confined to the highprieft, he was hereby diftinguished from the rest of the people; and his external attire, being fuitable to the majefty and dignity of his office, and peculiar to himself, would naturally com→ mand admiration and reverence.

The title which Pharaoh beftows on Jofeph, Gen. xli. 15. viz. ny ny (Zaphnat-Paeneach) has very much puzzled interpreters. Most have agreed in rendering thefe words, occulti revelatorem; but, as our Author obferves, without any fufficient warrant. It is not at all improbable, that they were originally derived from the Egyptian; Sabe-nouti pa-enehich, Scriba vel fapiens divinus Spiritus æterni. And this interpretation is elucidated and confirmed by the opinion which the Egyptians are well known to have entertained of the interpreters of dreams, as being poffeffed of extraordinary wisdom and inspiration. Pharaoh had ordered his fervants to seek for one« in whom was the Spirit of God." Our Author apprehends that Jofeph himfelf refers to this title in chap. xliv. 5 and 15; and that this fenfe of the words is farther eftablished by the Greek and Coptic tranflation of them, ortop pain, which are the Greek expreffions for thofe Egyptian words that fignify fummum facerdotem fpiritus æterni.

The word 78 (Abrech) Gen. xli. 43, which was proclaimed before Jofeph, is derived (fays our Author) from the Egyptian Haprechek, a rege cinctus, feu veftitus: behold the man arrayed in royal veftments! And this fenfe is confirmed by a reference to the ftory of Haman and Mordecai, Esther vi. 11.

We cannot clofe this Article without obferving, that our Author has employed his extenfive reading and learning to nany very important purpofes of feripture criticifm in this per ormance; and that readers of very different views and tafte nay find great fatisfaction in the perufal of it,

ART. VI. Dr. Smith's Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations. Continued from our laft,

AVING, in a preceding Article, followed our Author's ingenious and elaborate investigation of the general naure and fources of wealth, through his firft Book, which treats of the Caufes of Improvement in the productive Powers of Labour, and of the Order according to which its Produce is aturally diftributed among the different Ranks of the People;' ve shall now give our Readers the fubftance of his obfervations in the Nature, Accumulation, and Employment of Stock; and n the different Progrefs of Opulence in different Nations.

Before