The Sun.
London, England, 1858-01-04 00:00:00

At Professor Faraday's thir 1 lecture on " Corr-
du.rtion, Insidat on, and LiJl•ning Conducto s,"
we otiserve 1 ,itiong the distinguishe I cowpany pre-
sent M. de Due d'Authale, M. le Prince de Con le,
M. le Cuaite de Paris, M. le D. de Cha.c:res, with
M. le Docteur de Mussy, the eminent and &Tow-
plishecl physician of the Orleans family ; Sir Ben-
j train BrAlie, Bart., F. R. 6: ; Sir C. Fellows,
F.S A.; the Rev. Dr. Whewell, F. R.S. (Master of
Trinity College, Cambridge), Revs. J. Barlow,
F. B.S. ; C. W Page (Student of Christ Church,
Oxford, the.),
His R Highn-ss the Prince of ,Wales (at-
tended by Mr. F. W. Giblp, Dr. Becker, and
Lieut.-Colunel Cavendish) took the chair at three
o'clock, with his usual punctua ity. On the wall,
behind the Professot'e table, were fixed Circular
cards, containing an epitome of the previous lec-
tures ; eleci ricity being shown to b.-
1. Evolve! or destroyed at pl-asure.
2. Produced by any two bodies ; and
3. Apparent on the rubbing of the bodies. Fur
ther,--
4. The acting body is not changed.
5. Force is lei al.
6. It is variable to any degree.
7. The result is attraction and repulsion.
8. Two-states are in the force.
9. The power is transferable.
10. The power is conducted.
11. C. induction and insulation are demonstrated ;
12. Carrying or convection.
When the profes.ror may his appearance he was
gree!ed withloud cheers from hi, juvenile (aud ma-
ture) admirers, to which is responded 'by sayine,.
that " although in th place he way surrounded by
the highest.socie.y, both in rink and intell-teturtl
' eminence, he was happy to find the privileges of
children allowed there, and therefore he accepted
the cheers of his young friends." By various ex-
pe iments the learned Professor proceeded toshow
the power of -conduction--iron, copper, and wood
being shown to conduct differently. To de-
monstrate the conduction of the electric force
as operating diversely with divers substances,
two rods, one of copper, the othi r of
iron, were exhibited against the chimney, between
which a phosphorous lamp was phced, and it was
shown by means of little wooden balls, which had
been stuck on to the rods by pomatum, and fell
from the rods at different t mes, that copper was r
more powerful conductor than iron.
A very curious exieriment was tried with two
kinds of thread used as the conducting force.
From the electric machine on the table a silk thread
was carried to the indicator a yard or two off, and
was shown to be a non-conductor when the glass
tube was rubbed and applied to the machine
(although the silk when wetted conducted), while a
metallic thread of the same thickness, when treated
in the same way, conducted the force so much as to
vehemently agitate the gold leaves within the
indicw or.

The difference in the conducting powcr lietween
glass and brass was then explained, and it was
proved that brass conduct, d, while glass insuiated.
The professor then treated of the circumstances
under which electricity is conduced, and when it
ceased, atter which he gave a lucid and int:cresting
description of the Atlantic telegraph (peat of which
he exhibited), and of the late Dover and Cabs
telegraph, and when his explanations were cheered,
said, " Thank you for all your approval ; I t,,ink
your silence gives it, best." His ignition of a jet of
gas when, standing "insulated" on the carpet, he
put one hand on a branch of the electric machine
)
and the oth-r on the buiner, was, nfiwithstanding,
loudly applauded ; as als:, when he hel,iin his hand

and us •c 1 -for an -electrometer a t ta.el of paper,

which became dishevelled and violently aiit;:ted

when being "insulated," his hand was electrified.
Tt►e rest of the lecture was devoted to the eluei•
datio❑ of the principles of lightning conductors, as
useful on lighthouses, Ike. A model of the Eddy-
stone Lighthouse was used in illustration, and one
of St. Katharine's lighthouses was exhibited on a
table in the ante-room, which was examined after
the lecture and much admired.