76 On tJie Origin of' Meteoric Stones. 



Some have even conferred upon the North Pole an enormous 

 volcano, hurling its eruptions to the distance of many hundred 

 miles. But, besides the romance of this notion, it has still the 

 mighty difficulty, — meteoric stones in general have no resem- 

 blance to the ejected matter of known volcanoes. 



The least extraordinary explanation, that meteoric stones are, 

 perhaps, formations of our own atmosphere, has, in our age, cre- 

 dulous of wonders, attracted the least share of atttention. It is 

 certainly worth while, however, to bring light to bear upon the 

 subject from this quarter, for, although this method of explana- 

 tion has also no small difficulty to encounter, the requisite as- 

 sumptions are not merely vague speculations, but can all be sup- 

 ported, partly by established laws, and in part, at least, by an- 

 alogies. Moreover, it does not exclude the possibility of its 

 truth or falsehood being ascertained from future observations 

 and inquiry. 



Before, however, entering upon such an explanation, it may 

 be necessary to premise some general observations upon the pro- 

 perties of our atmosphere. 



We should unquestionably form a very imperfect represen- 

 tation of its nature, were we to believe that it contained nothing 

 more than what has been discovered by chemical analysis, which 

 gives as essential component parts, oxygen and nitrogen, with 

 an accidental admixture of aqueous vapour, and a small portion 

 of carbonic acid. 



When we reflect how many gases and exhalations are con- 

 tinually evolved at the surface of the earth, it cannot be doubt- 

 ed that many matters must exist in the atmosphere which escape 

 chemical investigation, either because we have no tests to denote 

 their presence, or because they are in too small quantity, or, 

 lastly, because they do not accumulate in the lower regions of 

 the atmosphere, where alone experiments can be instituted. 



I.et us consider, in the first place, how many gaseous sub- 

 stances are produced continually by the combustion of all kinds 

 of inflammable bodies, either by the intervention of man or in 

 operations of nature. 



Let us advert farther, to the multitude of vapours from the 

 imperceptible perspiration of all bodies both in the animal and 

 vegetable kingdoms, which pass at every moment into the atmo- 

 sphere. No one will surely maintain, that these consist of nothing 



