carried over land, and there let fall in a body; but this, I suppose, happens rarely. Stuart describes his spouts as appearing no bigger than a mast, and sometimes less; but they were seen at a league and a half distance. I think I formerly read in Dampier, or some other voyager, that a spout, in its progressive motion, went over a ship becalmed on the coast of Guinea, and first threw her down on one side, carrying away her foremast, then suddenly whipped her up, and threw her down on the other side, carrying away her mizen-mast, and the whole was over in an instant. I suppose the first mischief was done by the fore side of the whirl, the latter by the hinder side, their motion being contrary. I suppose a whirlwind, or spout, may be stationary, when the concurring winds are equal; but if unequal, the whirl acquires a progressive motion, in the direction of the strongest pressure. When the wind that gives the progressive motion becomes stronger below than above, or above than below, the spout will be bent, and, the cause ceasing, straighten again. Your queries, towards the end of your paper, appear judicious, and worth considering. At present I am not furnished with facts sufficient to make any pertinent answer to them; and this paper has already a sufficient quantity of conjecture. Your manner of accommodating the accounts to your hypothesis of descending spouts is, I own, ingenious, and perhaps that hypothesis may be true. I will consider it farther; but, as yet, I am not satisfied with it, though hereafter I may be. Here you have my method of accounting for the principal phenomena, which I submit to your candid examination. And, as I now seem to have almost written a book, instead of a letter, you will think it high time I should conclude; which I beg leave to do, with assuring you, that I am, Sir, &c. B. FRANKLIN. TO JAMES BOWDOIN. Relating to the Transit of Mercury in 1753. DEAR SIR, Philadelphia, 28 February, 1753. The enclosed is a copy of a letter and some papers I received lately from a friend, of which I have struck off fifty copies by the press, to distribute among my ingenious acquaintance in North America, hoping some of them will make the observations proposed. The improvement of geography and astronomy is the common concern of all polite nations, and, I trust, our country will not miss the opportunity of sharing in the honor to be got on this occasion. The French originals are despatched by express overland to Quebec. I doubt not but you will do what may lie in your power, to promote the making these observations in New England, and that we may not be excelled by the American French, either in diligence or accuracy. We have here a three-foot reflecting telescope, and other proper instruments; and intend to observe at our Academy, if the weather permit. You will see, by our Almanac, that we have had this transit under consideration before the arrival of these French letters.* The paper alluded to, of which fifty copies were struck off for distribution, was entitled, “Letters relating to a Transit of Mercury over the Dr. Colden's book was printed in England last summer, but not to be published till the meeting of Parliament. I have one copy, however, which I purpose shortly to send you. With great esteem and respect, I am, Sir, Your most humble servant, I received your favor of March 26th, and thank you for communicating to me the very ingenious letter from your friend, Mr. Todd, with whom, if it may be agreeable to him, I would gladly entertain a correspondence. I shall consider his objections till next post. I thank you for your hint concerning the word adhesion, which should be defined. When I speak of particles of water adhering to particles of air, I mean not Sun, which is to happen May 6th, 1753." It consisted of four large folio pages, and contained all the information necessary to enable a person little skilled in astronomy to observe the transit. A manuscript drawing was also attached to each copy, showing the line in which Mercury would pass over the sun's disc. The translation of these papers was made in New York under the direction of Mr. James Alexander, who sent them to Franklin. The French astronomers were desirous, that observations of the transit should be taken at Quebec. M. de Lisle, of the Academy of Sciences, drew up a memorial containing instructions for the purpose. This memorial, with letters from M. La Gallissonière, dated at Paris, October 10th, 1752, was sent unsealed to the governor of New York, with a request that they might be forwarded over land to Quebec. The governor put the papers into the hands of Mr. Alexander, who caused a translation to be made. a firm adhesion, but a loose one, like that of a drop of water to the end of an icicle before freezing. The firm adhesion is after it is frozen. I conceive that the original constituent particles of water are perfectly hard, round, and smooth. If so, there must be interstices, and yet the mass incompressible. A box filled with small shot has many interstices, and the shot may be compressed because they are not perfectly hard. If they were, the interstices would remain the same, notwithstanding the greatest pressure, and would admit sand, as water admits salt. Our vessel, named the Argo, is gone for the northwest passage; and the captain has borrowed my Journals of the last voyage, except one volume of a broken set, which I send you. I enclose a letter from our friend, Mr. Collinson, and am promised some speltz, which I shall send per next post. The originals were then despatched to Quebec. To the translation, which was printed and distributed by Franklin, was prefixed a long and interesting letter from Mr. Alexander on the subject of the transit. He also communicated a copy of all the papers to Cadwallader Colden. In a letter to Franklin, which accompanied the manuscripts, Mr. Alexander said; "It would be a great honor to our young colleges in America, if they should forthwith prepare themselves for the observation, and make it, which I doubt not they will do, if they are put in mind of it, and of its great importance to astronomy. The missing of that one ebservation cannot be retrieved for two hundred and fifty years. You have on so many occasions demonstrated your love of literature and the good of mankind in general, that I thought no person so proper as yourself to think of the ways and means of persuading these colleges to prepare themselves, and in order thereto you may make what use you please of the papers herewith sent." Mr. Bowdoin said, in reply to the letter in the text; "By the post I received your favor, enclosing several printed letters relating to the transit of Mercury over the sun. A gentleman here, who is provided with the proper instruments, and well skilled in astronomy, intends to make the necessary observations; to whom, as well as to several others, I shall communicate said letters. The rarity of the appearance, and the improvement in geography and astronomy to be expected from it, will induce them, I hope, to make their observations with such accuracy as shal answer the end proposed." - Editor. The Tatler tells us of a girl, who was observed to grow suddenly proud, and none could guess the reason, till it came to be known that she had got on a pair of new silk garters. Lest you should be puzzled to guess the cause, when you observe any thing of the kind in me, I think I will not hide my new garters under my petticoats, but take the freedom to show them to you, in a paragraph of our friend Collinson's last letter, viz. — But I ought to mortify, and not indulge, this vanity; I will not transcribe the paragraph, yet I cannot forbear. "If any of thy friends," says Peter, "should take notice that thy head is held a little higher up than formerly, let them know; when the grand monarch of France strictly commands the Abbé Mazéas to write a letter in the politest terms to the Royal Society, to return the King's thanks and compliments in an express manner to Mr. Franklin of Pennsylvania, for his useful discoveries in electricity, and application of the pointed rods to prevent the terrible effects of thunder-storms, I say, after all this, is not some allowance to be made, if thy crest is a little elevated? There are four letters containing very curious experiments on thy doctrine of points, and its verification, which will be printed in the new Transactions. I think, now I have stuck a feather in thy cap, I may be allowed to conclude in wishing thee long to wear it. Thine, P. COLLINSON." On reconsidering this paragraph, I fear I have not so much reason to be proud as the girl had; for a feather in the cap is not so useful a thing, or so serviceable to the wearer, as a pair of good silk garters. The pride of man is very differently gratified; and, had his Majesty sent me a marshal's staff, I think I should scarce have been so proud of it, as I am of your esteem, and of subscribing myself, with sincerity, dear Sir, Your affectionate friend and humble servant, |