the clouds began to fly, and it lightened very much in the east-northeast. At sunrising the sky looked very red in the east near the horizon; and there were many black clouds both to the south and north of it. About a quarter of an hour after the sun was up, there was a squall to the windward of us, when, on a sudden, one of our men on the forecastle called out, that he saw something astern, but could not tell what. I looked out for it, and immediately saw a spout beginning to work within a quarter of a mile of us, exactly in the wind; we presently put right before it. It came very swiftly, whirling the water up in a pillar, about six or seven yards high. As yet I could not see any pendulous cloud from whence it might come; and was in hopes it would soon lose its force. In four or five minutes' time, it came within a cable's length of us, and passed away to leeward; and then I saw a long pale stream coming down to the whirling water. This stream was about the bigness of a rainbow. The upper end seemed vastly high, not descending from any dark cloud, and therefore the more strange to me, I never having seen the like before. It passed about a mile to the leeward of us, and then broke. This was but a small spout, and not strong nor lasting; yet I perceived much wind in it, as it passed by."- Vol. III. p. 223.

Account of another Spout.

"WE saw a spout but a small distance from us. It fell down out of a black cloud that yielded great store

* Probably if it had been lasting, a cloud would have been formed above it. These extracts from Dampier seem, in different instances, to favor both opinions, and, therefore, are inserted entire, for the reader's consideration.

of rain, thunder, and lightning. This cloud hovered to the southward of us for the space of three hours, and then drew to the westward a great pace, at which time it was that we saw the spout, which hung fast to the cloud till it broke, and then the cloud whirled about to the southeast, then to the northeast, where, meeting with an island, it spent itself, and so dispersed ; and immediately we had a little of the tail of it, having had none before." — Vol. III. p. 182.

FROM WILLIAM SHERVINGTON TO B. FRANKLIN.

On the Transit of Mercury across the Sun, May 6th, 1753, observed at Antigua.

SIR,

Antigua, 20 June, 1753.

Mr. Benjaman Mecom † having received half a dozen circulating letters from you relating to Mercury's transit over the sun the 6th of last May, he put them into my hands. One would have sufficed for our island, as we are not overburdened with men, who have a taste that way. I send you the result of my observation thereof.

Sunday, May 6th, at 6h. 7m. 51s., I observed the western limb of Mercury to touch the western limb of the Sun'; and at 6h. 10m. 37s. he touched the same with his eastern limb, and totally disappeared. Latitude of the place 17° north; longitude, by estimation, 61° 45' west from London.

This was taken by a Grahame's watch, and corrected

† A nephew of Dr. Franklin's, who was established as a printer in Antigua.- EDITOR.

= =

by two altitudes taken by a most exquisite quadrant. Viz. at 6h. 58m. 7s. I observed the distance of the Sun's upper limb from the zenith 72° 21′ 30′′; and at 9h. 31m. 5s. I observed the same 36° 17′. By the common process, I found the watch was 4m. 4s. too fast; therefore,

Pray impart your observation to your well-wisher,

WILLIAM SHERVINGTON.

DEAR SIR,

TO THOMAS CLAP.*

*

On Smeaton's Air-Pump.

Philadelphia, 8 November, 1753.

The first intimation I find of the new air-pump is in a piece of Mr. Watson's read to the Royal Society, February 20th, 1752, where, describing some experiments he made in vacuo, he says; "The more complete the vacuum, cæteris paribus, the more considerable were the effects; and here I should not do justice to real merit, were I silent in regard to Mr. Smeaton. This gentleman, with a genius truly mechanical, which enables him to give to such philosophical instruments, as he executes, a degree of perfection scarce to be found elsewhere; this gentleman, I say, has construct

* President of Yale College; eminent as a theologian, and for his attainments in mathematics, astronomy, and the various branches of natural philosophy.- EDITOR.

ed an air-pump, by which we are empowered to make Boyle's vacuum much more perfect than heretofore. By a well conducted experiment, which admits of no doubt as to its truth, I have seen by this pump the air rarefied to one thousand times its natural state; whereas, commonly, we seldom arrive at above one hundred and fifty. As the promotion of the mechanic arts is a considerable object of our excellent institution, if this gentleman could be prevailed upon to communicate to the Royal Society that particular construction of his air-pump, which enables it to execute so much more than those commonly in use, it would not fail to be an acceptable present."

So far Mr. Watson. In April following, was read a letter from Mr. Smeaton, in which he describes his improvement, and gives a draft of his pump; the whole too long to transcribe; but it appears to me, that the machine, being rather simplified than made more complex, can scarce cost more than one of the old sort, though the price is not mentioned. By only turning a cock it is at pleasure made a condensing engine; an advantage the others have not.

I have seen nothing of your searchers. Mr. Parker has received Bower, but writes me, that he is at a loss how to send it, and desires you would order somebody to call for it.

I shall send the dollars for Mr. Mix per next post; for I fancy you will not now buy this apparatus here, but choose the new air-pump from England.

With my respects to all friends, I am,

Dear Sir,

Your obliged humble servant,

B. FRANKLIN.

FROM JAMES BOWDOIN TO B. FRANKLIN.

Concerning the Light in Sea-Water.

READ AT THE ROYAL SOCIETY, DECEMBER 6TH, 1756.

12 November, 1753.

WHEN I was at the eastward, I had an opportunity of observing the luminous appearance of the sea when disturbed; at the head and stern of the vessel, when under way, it appeared very bright. The best opportunity I had to observe it was in a boat, in company with several gentlemen going from Portsmouth, about three miles, to our vessel lying at the mouth of Piscataqua River. Soon after we set off (it being in the evening) we observed a luminous appearance, where the oars dashed the water. Sometimes it was very bright, and afterwards, as we rowed along, gradually lessened, till almost imperceptible, and then re-illumined. This we took notice of several times in the passage. When I got on board the vessel, I ordered a pail, to be dipped up, full of sea-water, in which, on the water's being moved, a sparkling light appeared. I took a linen cloth, and strained some of the water through it, and there was a like appearance on the cloth, which soon went off; but on rubbing the cloth with my finger, it was renewed. I then carried the cloth to the light, but could not perceive any thing upon it which should cause that appearance.

Several gentlemen were of opinion, that the separated particles of putrid animal and other bodies, floating on the surface of the sea, might cause that appearance; for putrid fish, &c., they said, will cause it; and the sea animals which have died, and other bodies putrefied therein since the creation, might afford a