The Works of Benjamin Franklin: Containing Several Political and Historical Tracts Not Included in Any Former Edition, and Many Letters, Official and Private Not Hitherto Published; with Notes and a Life of the Author, Volume 6Whittemore, Niles, and Hall, 1856 - United States |
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Common terms and phrases
air-box appears Astronomer Royal boat body bottom plate CADWALLADER COLDEN carried catarrhs cause chimney cloud coals cold air common continue cool DEAR SIR degree descending door earth EDITOR effect electricity England equal experiments false back fire fire-place flame flue fluid force FRANKLIN funnel give glass Gulf Stream heat houses hygrometer inches ingenious iron JOSEPH PRIESTLEY letter light London magic squares means mentioned mercury Minorca motion move myst obliged observed occasion paper particles pass passage perhaps Philadelphia Philosophical piece pleasure present printed putrid quantity rarefied received rise river round Royal Society ship side Sir John Pringle smoke soon sound specific gravity spout stove suppose surface swimming thing tion Transit of Mercury transit of Venus upper uuld vapor vessel wards warm air weight whirlwind whole wind wood
Popular passages
Page 244 - I am very sorry, that you intend soon to leave our hemisphere. America has sent us many good things, gold, silver, sugar, tobacco, indigo, &c. ; but you are the first philosopher, and indeed the first great man of letters, for whom we are beholden to her.
Page 453 - Five thousand balloons, capable of raising two men each, could not cost more than five ships of the line ; and where is the prince who can afford so to cover his country with troops for its defence, as that ten thousand men descending from the clouds might not in many places do an infinite deal of mischief, before a force could be brought together to repel them...
Page 444 - Such changes in the superficial parts of the globe seemed to me unlikely to happen, if the earth were solid at the centre. I therefore imagined that the internal parts might be a fluid more dense, and of greater specific gravity than any of the solids we are acquainted with ; which therefore might swim in or upon that fluid. Thus the surface of the globe would be a shell, capable of being broken and disordered by the violent movements of the fluid on which it rested.
Page 414 - That the vegetable creation should restore the air which is spoiled by the animal part of it, looks like a rational system, and seems to be of a piece with the rest.
Page 361 - ... were, by the smoothness of the water over them, which might possibly be occasioned, he thought, by some oiliness proceeding from their bodies. A gentleman from Rhode Island told me, it had been remarked, that the harbor of Newport was ever smooth while any whaling vessels were in it : which probably arose from hence, that the blubber which they sometimes bring loose in the hold, or the leakage of their barrels, might afford some oil, to mix with that water, which from time to time they pump out...
Page 358 - The same gentleman told me, he had heard it was a practice with the fishermen of Lisbon when about to return into the river (if they saw before them too great a surf upon the bar, which they apprehended might fill their boats in passing) to empty a bottle or two of oil into the sea, which would suppress the breakers, and allow them to pass safely. A confirmation of this I have not since had an opportunity of obtaining; but discoursing of it with another person, who had often been in the Mediterranean,...
Page 268 - Most tunes of late composition, not having this natural harmony united with their melody, have recourse to the artificial harmony of a bass, and other accompanying parts. This support, in my opinion, the old tunes do not need, and are rather confused than aided by it. Whoever has heard James Oswald play them on his violoncello, will be less inclined to dispute this with me. I have more than once seen tears of pleasure in the eyes of his auditors; and yet, I think, even his playing those tunes would...
Page 564 - ... with their food by slovenly workmen, who went to their meals after handling the metal, without well washing their fingers, so that some of the metalline particles were taken off by their bread and eaten with it.
Page 16 - ... all philosophical experiments that let light into the nature of things, tend to increase the power of man over matter, and multiply the conveniences or pleasures of life.
Page 288 - ... reach the egg, teach you the manner of acting on the water with your feet and hands, which action is afterwards used in swimming to support your head higher above water or to go forward through it.