Franklin remained at the court of Great Britain, as agent for the province of Pennfylvania. The extenfive knowledge which he poffeffed of the fituation of the colonies, and the regard which he always manifefted for their interefts, occafioned his appointment to the fame office by the colonies of Maffachusetts, Maryland, and Georgia. His conduct, in this fituation, was fuch as rendered. him ftill more dear to his countrymen.

He had now an opportunity of indulging in the fociety of thofe friends, whom his merits had procured him while at a diftance. The regard which they had entertained for him was rather increased by a perfonal acquaintance. The oppofition which had been made to his difcoveries in philofophy gradually ceafed, and the rewards of literary mefit were abundantly conferred upon him. The royal fociety of London, which had at firft refused his performances admiffion into its tranfactions, now thought it an honour to rank him among its fellows. Other focieties of Europe were equally ambitious of calling him a member. The univerfity of St. Andrew's, in Scotland, conferred. upon him the degree of Doctor of Laws. Its example was followed by the univerfities of Edinburgh and of Oxford. His correfpondence was fought for by the most eminent philofophers of Europe. His letters to these abound with true science, delivered in the moft fimple unadorned

manner.

The provinc of Canada was at this time in the poffeffion of the French, who had originally fettled it. The trade with the Indians, for which its fituation was very convenient, was exceedingly tucrative. The French traders here found a

market for their commodities, aud received in return large quantities of rich furs, which they difpofed of at a high price in Europe. Whilft the poffeffion of this country was highly advantageous to France, it was a grievous inconvenience to the inhabitants of the British colonies. The Indians were aloft generally defirous to cultivate the friendship of the French, by whom they were a bundantly supplied with arms and ammunition, Whenever a war happened, the Indians were ready to fall upon the frontiers: and this they fre quently did, even when Great Britain and France were at peace. From thefe confiderations, it ap peared to be the intereft of Great Britain to gain the poffeffion of Canada. But the importance of fuch an acquifition was not well understood in En gland. Franklin about this time publifhed his Canada pamphlet, in which he, in a very forcibie manner, pointed out the advantages which would refult from the conqueft of this province.

An expedition against it was planned, and the command given to General Wolfe. His fuccefs is well known. At the treaty in 1762, France ceded Canada to Great Britain, and by her ceffion of Louisiana, at the fame time, relinquifhed all her poffeffions on the continent of America.

Although Dr. Franklin was now principally oc cupied with political purfuits, he found time for philofophical ftudies. He extended his electrical refearches, and made a variety of experiments, particularly on the tourmalin. The fingular properties which this ftone poffeffes of being elcarified on one fide pofitively and on the other negatively, by heat alone, without friction, had been but lately observed.

Some experiments on the cold produced by evaporation, made by Dr. Cullen, had been communicated to Dr. Franklin by Profeffor Simpson of Glasgow. These he repeated, and found that, by the evaporation of ether in the exhausted receiver of an air-pump, so great a degree of cold was produced in a fummer's day, that water was converted into ice. This difcovery he applied to the folution of a number of phenomena, particularly a fingular fact, which philofophers had endeavoured in vain to account for, viz. that the temperature of the human body, when in health, never exceeds 96 legrees of Farenheit's thermometer, although the tmosphere which furrounds it may be heated to I much greater degree. This he attributed to the ncreafed perfpiration, and confequent evaporaion, produced by the heat.

In a letter to Mr. Small of London, dated in May 1760, Dr. Franklin makes a number of obervations, tending to fhew that, in North Ameria, north-east ftorms begin in the fouth-weft parts. t appears, from actual obfervation, that a northaft storm, which extended a confiderable distance, commenced in Philadelphia nearly four hours beore it was felt at Boston. He endeavoured to account for this, by fuppofing that, from heat, fome arefaction takes place about the gulf of Mexico, hat the air further north being cooler rufhes in, ind is fucceeded by the cooler and denfer air ftill · urther north, and that thus a continued current s at length produced.

The tone produced by rubbing the brim of a Irinking glass with a wet finger had been geneally known. A Mr. Puckeridge, an Irifhman, by placing on a table a number of glaffes of dif VOL. I. N

ferent sizes, and tuning them by partly filling them with water, endeavoured to form an inftrument capable of playing tunes. He was prevented by an untimely end, from bringing his invention to any degree of perfection. After his death fome improvements were made upon his plan. The fweetness of the toncs induced Dr. Franklin to make a variety of experiments; and he at length formed that elegant inftrument which he has called the drmonica.

In the fummer of 1762 he returned to Ameiica. On his paffage he obferved the fingular effect produced by the agitation of a veffel, containing oil floating on water. The furface of the oil remains fmooth and undisturbed, whilst the water is agitated with the utmost commction. No fatiffactory explanation of this appearance has, we believe, ever been given.

Dr. Franklin received the thanks of the affembly of Pennsylvania, "as well for the faithful difcharge of his duty to that province in particular, as for the many and important fervices done to America in general, during his refidence in Great Britain." A compenfation of 5oool. Pennsylvania currency, was alfo decreed him for his fervices during fix years.

During his abfence he had been annually elected member of the affembly. On his return to Penniylvania he again took his feat in this body, and continued a steady defender of the liberties of the people.

In December 1762, a circumflance which caufed great alarm in the province took place. A number of Indians had refided in the county of Lancaster, and conducted themfelves uniformly as

friends to the white inhabitants. Repeated depredations on the frontiers had exasperated the inhabitants to fuch a degree, that they determined on revenge upon every Indian. A number of perfons, to the amount of 120, principally inhabitants of Donnegal and Peckftang or Paxton townships, in the county of York, affembled; and, mounted on horfeback, proceeded to the fettlement of thefe harmless and defencelefs Indians, whofe number had now reduced to about twenty. The Indians received intelligence of the attack which was intended against them, but difbelieved it. Confidering the white people as their friends, they apprehended no danger from them. When the

party arrived at the Indian fettlement, they found only fome women and children, and a few old men, the rest being abfent at work! They murdered all whom they found, and amongst others the chief Shahaes, who had been always diftinguished for his friendship to the whites. This bloody deed excited much indignation in the well-difpofed part of the community.

The remainder of thefe unfortunate Indians, who, by absence, had efcaped the maffacre, were conducted to Lancafter, and lodged in the gaol, as a place of fecurity. The governor iffued a proclamation, expreffing the ftrongest disapprobation of the action, offering a reward for the difcovery of the perpetrators of the deed, and prohibiting all-injuries to the peaceable Indians in future. But, notwithstanding this, a party of the fame inen fhortly after marched to Lancaster, broke open the gaol, and inhumanly butchered the innocent Indians who had been placed there for fecurity. Another proclamation was iffaed, but had no cf