METEORITES OF NORTH AMERICA. 481 



alchemy, and the goldsmith's crucible, the forge, and the blacksmith's anvil, were employed, in vain, to elicit riches 

 which existed only in the imagination. 



Two miles southeast from Mr. Prince's, at the foot of Tashowa hill, a fifth mass fell. Its fall was distinctly heard 

 by Mr. Ephraim Porter and his family, who live within 40 rods of the place and in full view. They Baw a smoke rise 

 from the spot, as they did also from the hill, where they are positive that another stone struck, as they heard it dis- 

 tinctly. At the time of the fall, having never heard of any such thing, they supposed that lightning had struck the 

 ground, but after three or four days, hearing of the stones which had been found in their vicinity, they were induced 

 to search, and the result was the discovery of a mass of stone in the road, at the place where they supposed the light- 

 ning had struck. It penetrated the ground to the depth of 2 feet in the deepest place; the hole was about 20 inches 

 in diameter, and its margin was colored blue from the powder of the stone struck off on its fall. 



It was broken into fragments of moderate size, and from the best calculations might have weighed 20 or 25 pounds. 



The hole exhibited marks of much violence, the turf being very much torn and thrown about to some distance. 



It is probable that the four stones last described were all projected at the second explosion; and, should one be 

 discovered on the neighboring hill, we must, without doubt, refer it to the same avulsion. 



3. Last of all, we hasten to what appears to have been the catastrophe of this wonderful phenomenon. 



A mass of stone, far exceeding the united weight of all which we have hitherto described, fell in a field belonging 

 to Mr. Elijah Seely and within 30 rods of his house. 



A circumstance attended the fall of this which seems to have been peculiar. Mr. Elihu Staples, a man of integrity, 

 lives on the hill at the bottom of which this body fell and witnessed the first appearance, progress, and explosion of the 

 meteor. After the last explosion a rending noise, like that of a whirlwind, passed along to the east of his house and 

 immediately over his orchard, which is on the declivity of the hill. At the same instant a streak of light passed over 

 the orchard in a large curve and seemed to pierce the ground. A shock was felt and a report heard like that of a heavy 

 body falling to the earth, but no conception being entertained of the real cause (for no one in the vicinity with whom 

 we conversed appeared to have ever heard of the fall of stones from the skies) it was supposed that lightning had struck 

 the ground. Three or four hours after the event Mr. Seely went into his field to look after his cattle. He found that 

 some of them had leaped into the adjoining inclosure and all exhibited strong indications of terror. Passing on he 

 was struck with surprise at seeing a spot of ground which he knew to have been recently turfed over all torn up and 

 the earth looking fresh, as if from recent violence. Coming to the place he found a great mass of fragments of a strange- 

 looking stone and immediately called for his wife, who was second on the ground. 



Here were exhibited the most striking proofs of violent collision. A ridge of micaceous schist, lying nearly even 

 with the ground and somewhat inclining like the hill to the southeast, was shivered to pieces to a certain extent by the 

 impulses of the stone, which thus received a still more oblique direction, and forced itself into the earth to the depth 

 of 3 feet, tearing a hole of 5 feet in length and 4.5 feet in breadth and throwing large masses of turf and fragments of stone 

 and earth to the distance of 50 and 100 feet. Had there been no meteor, no explosions, and no witnesses of light and 

 shock it would have been impossible for any person contemplating the scene to doubt that a large and heavy body 

 had really fallen from the skies with tremendous momentum. 



This stone was all in fragments, none of which exceeded the size of a man's fist, and was rapidly dispersed by 

 numerous visitors, who carried it away at pleasure. Indeed, we found it very difficult to obtain a sufficient supply of 

 specimens of the various stones, an object which was at length accomplished principally by importunity and purchase. 

 From the best information which we could obtain of the quantity of fragments of this last stone, compared with its 

 specific gravity, we concluded that its weight could not have fallen much short of 200 pounds. All the stones when 

 first found were friable, being easily broken between the fingers; this was especially the case where they had been 

 buried in the moist earth, but by exposure to the air they gradually hardened. Such were the circumstances attending 

 the fall of these singular masses. We have named living witnesses; the list of these may be augmented, but we consider 

 the proof as sufficient to satisfy any rational mind. Further confirmation will be derived from the rnineralogical 

 description and chemical examination of these stones. 



The specimens obtained from all the different places are perfectly similar. The most careless observer would 

 instantly pronounce them portions of a common mass and different from any of the stones commonly seen on this globe. 



Of their form nothing very certain can be said, because only comparatively small fragments of the great body of the 

 meteor have been obtained. Few of the specimens weigh 1 pound, most of them less than half a pound and from that 

 to the fraction of an ounce. Mr. Bronson's piece is the largest with which we are acquainted; we possess the next, 

 which weighs 6 pounds and is very perfect in its characteristic marks, and we have a good collection of smaller speci- 

 mens, many of which are very instructive. They possess every irregular variety of form which might be supposed to 

 arise from accidental fracture with violent force. On many of them, however, and chiefly on the large specimens, may 

 be distinctly perceived portions of the external part of the meteor. 



It is everywhere covered with a thin black crust destitute of splendor, and bounded by portions of the large irregular 

 curve which seems to have inclosed the meteoric mass. This curve is far from being uniform. It is sometimes depressed 

 with concavities such as might be produced by pressing a soft and yielding substance. The surface of the crust feels harsh 

 like the prepared fishskin, or shagreen. It gives sparks with the steel. There are certain portions of the stone covered 

 with the black crust, which appear not to have formed a part of the outside of the meteor but to have received this 

 coating in the interior parts, in consequence of fissures or cracks produced probably by the intense heat to which the 

 body seems to have been subjected. The specific gravity of the stone is 3.6, water being 1. The color of the mass of 

 716°— 15" 31 



