228 



ANNUAL EEPOET SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1932 



It was extremely noticeable during the collection of material that 

 in many instances a nmnber would be found within an area of 

 l^erhaps a square foot or so, the surrounding area being practically 

 devoid of fragments. In an area of 6 by 6 feet near crater No. 4 

 over a hundred fragments were collected. 



These facts are suggestive of the breaking up of large masses. 

 The greatest number of fragments were found surrounding craters 

 Nos. 3 and 4 and generally to the west of them. Many of the larger 

 pieces were found at some distance, perhaps 100 to 200 yards from 

 the craters, whereas the small fragments were mostly close to the 

 crater's edge. Very few were found within the walls of any of the 

 craters. Around the group of large craters (Nos. 6, 7, and 8) frag- 

 ments were notably scarce, except on the northern side. This, how- 



NW 



Scale. 



so 



Guards 



SE. 



^ Wafer CraNr 



Figure 



5. M. 



-Sections through the craters 



ever, is easy to understand. Immediately after the fall of the 

 meteoric material the crater walls must have been very considerably 

 higher than they are now and fragments of meteorite may have cov- 

 ered the existing land surface. Erosion has, however, since removed 

 material from the walls and it has washed downwards, both inwards 

 into the craters and outwards on to the plain. The material so re- 

 moved has covered up most of the meteoric fragments except in such 

 places where a slight alteration of the drainage has again uncovered 

 them. It was noticeable that most of the fragments found near the 

 main craters were in shallow watercourses. 



ABSENCE OF POSITIVE EVIDENCE OF IRON MASSES IN THE CRATERS 



None of the craters showed any evidence, at the surface, of con- 

 taining a large mass of meteoric iron. Further, the presence of 

 fragments of iron within the crater walls was rare. This, of course, 

 was to be expected. Certain simple observations were made, there- 

 fore, in an attempt to locate masses of meteoric iron in the craters. 

 A light hand-borine: tool was used in one of the smaller craters. 



