116 J. H. Serres on Fiery Meteors seen during the Day, 



as a very great number of other people of the town, who would 

 attest it if required. I forgot to mention, that, at the moment 

 of ray observation, I was placed at the comer of a house which 

 prevented me from seeing the sun, and that my visual ray, pas- 

 sing by the roof of the house, terminated at a point not far dis- 

 tant from the edge of the planet. The eclipse was then on its 

 decline. 



You will easily comprehend what must have been my astonish- 

 ment at the sight of so majestic and imposing a spectacle, and 

 one so new to me. It will suffice to say, that it was impossible 

 for me to keep my eyes off it until it ceased, which happened 

 gradually in proportion as the eclipse wore off, and the solar 

 rays resumed their ordinary lustre. The same happened to the 

 persons present. One of them added, at the moment when I 

 left the group, that " the sun projected most stars at the time 

 when he was palest ;"*"' " le soleil lancait plus d^etoiles, alors qu''il 

 etait plus pale.'' These were his words. 



Having recovered from the astonishment into which I was 

 thrown by this wonderful phenomenon, I inquired of the two 

 observing individuals whom I had distinguished in the two 

 groups of spectators spoken off, how they had been led to no- 

 tice the phenomenon. The Sieur Thomme replied, that, on 

 coming from his stable, a woman cried out, " Come here, M. 

 Thomme, come and see the flames of fire that are issuing from 

 the sun." That, at this invitation, having approached, he saw, 

 for the first time in his life, what he had put me in a condition 

 of seeing myself ; and the young Cezanne told me, it was chik 

 dren of ten or twelve years of age that had noticed it first, and 

 who, wondering at the sight, called out, " Come and see, come 

 and see now r and that thus was formed the group by which 

 I had passed a little after ; that he had said nothing to me, be- 

 cause he had conjectured that the phenomenon, which at that 

 moment excited his admiration, must have been known to me. 

 I have the honour, &c. J. H. Serres. 



P. S. — Since this letter was written, I have learnt from M. 

 Foure, Engineer of Bridges and Highways, of this residence, 

 that this public functionary also had occasion to observe the phe- 

 nomenon, which he will attest if required.'' 



