and especially in Scotland. 301 



dead calm, which lasted all night.'** In some of the eruptions 

 of Vesuvius, forked lightning has been seen not only issuing 

 from but entering the crater. 



(3.) Meteors and balls of fire are recorded as having been 

 seen under the following dates, when shocks were felt, 8th 

 March 1750, October 1755, November 1795, August 1816, 

 and 20th February 1818. In August 1755, on the day after 

 a severe shock at Stamford, " a large ball of fire" was seen, 

 and continued visible for seven or eight minutes. 



These notices, also, are in accordance with what has been 

 observed in foreign countries, both volcanic and non-volcanic. 

 Thus in describingf the earthquake-shocks which occurred 

 daily in Pignerol between 2d April and 12th May 1808, the 

 French academicians mention, that, on the 11th April, a lu- 

 minous meteor was seen of a globular form, and which de- 

 scended without detonation. On the 15th April, and at the 

 very moment when several strong shocks were felt, four night 

 watchmen suddenly found themselves illumined by a vivid 

 light, which issued from a meteor resembling in form a stake. 

 On two other days, electrical meteors of different descriptions 

 were noticed. 



A violent tornado is described as having devastated Charles- 

 ton in South Carolina, on the 10th September 1811. " In the 

 interval between this calamity and the concussions of the earth 

 (the first of which occurred on the 16th December 1811), va- 

 rious meteors and balls of fire, of different sizes and appear- 

 ances, were observed. One of them, of a magnitude calcu- 

 lated to excite alarm, was seen by spectators who were an 

 hundred miles asunder, about 3 p. m. on 21st November, mov- 

 ing with great rapidity. It illuminated the ground and the sur- 



* Sir William Hamilton, in his account of the eruptions of Vesuvius in 

 1779, says, that " for some time after the eruption had ceased, the air conti- 

 nued greatly impregnated with electrical matter. The Duke of Cotrosiano, 

 a Neapolitan nobleman (who, from his superior knowledge in experimental 

 philosophy and mechanics, docs honour to his country), told me, that having, 

 about half an hour after the great eruption had ceased, held a Leyden bottle 

 armed with a pointed wire, out of his window at Naples, it soon became 

 considerably charged." Sir William particularly notices the " volcanic 

 lightning," which was manifested near the crater during the eruption, (rm««- 

 actiom of Land. lioy. Soc, Ixx., p. 58.) 



t Journal do Physique, tome Ixvii. 



VOL. XXXI. NO. LXII,— OCTOBER 1841. V 



