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Electricity, the Transit of Mercury, and a Northwest Passage

To Cadwallader Colden Dear Sir Philada. Feb. 28. 1753 I return you herewith Professor Kanster’s Remarks. As far as I am able to judge, the Translation is just, and your Answer a good one. I am pleas’d with the Omission of that part of a Paragraph relating to the German and Pensilvanian Electricians, and have…

Spouts and Whirlwinds

To John Perkins Dear Sir Philada. Feb. 4. 1753 I ought to have wrote to you long since, in Answer to yours of Oct. 16. concerning the Water Spout: But Business partly, and partly a Desire of procuring further Information by Inquiry among my Seafaring Acquaintance, induc’d me to postpone Writing from time to time,…

A Flexible Catheter

To John Franklin Dear Brother Philada. Dec. 8. 1752 Reflecting yesterday on your Desire to have a flexible Catheter, a Thought struck into my Mind how one might possibly be made: And lest you should not readily conceive it by any Description of mine, I went immediately to the Silversmith’s, and gave Directions for making…

The Magical Circle

To Peter Collinson SIR, I am glad the perusal of the magical squares afforded you any amusement. I now send you the magical circle. Its properties, besides those mentioned in my former, are these. Half the number in any radial row, added with half the A Magic Circle of Circles. central number, make 180, equal…

The Arithmetical Curiosity

To Peter Collinson SIR, According to your request, I now send you the Arithmetical Curiosity, of which this is the history. Being one day in the country, at the house of our common friend, the late learned Mr. Logan, he shewed me a folio French book, filled with magic squares, wrote, if I forget not,…