METEOROLOGY. 473 



and the like. The majordomo said this meteorite had, as he had heard, fallen 

 from the heavens, and had been brought from a distance, from a place where 

 other specimens also existed. Such we found to be the prevailing account of 

 this mass among the people of the place. 



I would state that from La Concepcion to the Rio Grande there is an excel- 

 lent road leading through Saltillo and Monterey, and, save in respect to its 

 weight, there would be no difficulty in conveying this meteorite. I think, also, 

 that, being cautiously approached, the Mexicans would sell it for a reasonable 

 sum. The common carts of the country, with solid wooden wheels, could well 

 convey it. 



1 extract the foregoing partly from my own memoranda and partly from mem- 

 oranda of John W. Audubon, esquire, now deceased, who examined the speci- 

 men with me. 



At Parral are large works for reducing the silver ores, which are in great quan- 

 tity in its neighborhood. 



[It would appear, from all the accounts we have had from this region, that a 

 shower of immense meteorites had occurred there at some remote period. — J. H.] 



THE METEOROIOGT OF CARACAS, YENEZIELA, SOUTH AMERICA. 



By G. a. Ernst. 



The town of Caracas is situated in a small valley of the northern coast chain 

 of Venezuela, in latitude 10° 30' 50" north, and in longitude 66° 54' 51" west 

 of Greenwich. 



Its altitude above the level of the Caribbean sea, at Laguayra, was determined 

 August 23, 1866, from the following observations : 



At lower station, (wharf at Laguayra,) barometer 760"^"^, attached thermometer 

 26°.0 C, thermometer in open air 26°. 7 C; latitude of Laguayra 10° 36' 15" 

 north ; at upper station, (Plaza Bolivar,) barometer 686.2'""', attached ther- 

 mometer 21°. 7 C, thermometer in open air 21°. 7 C. Converting the above data 

 into English measure, we have 



Inch. 

 /3 =29.031* t =80.06 F. r =78.8 F. 



/5i = 27.025 ^1 = 71.06 t1 = 71.06 



and by means of Baily's tables, (see J\lanual of Scientific Enquiry, London, 1859, 

 p. 168,) we find the difference of elevation 2923.5 English feet. 



As far as I know' there is no one at present engaged in this place in meteoro- 

 logical observations. Dr. Alexander Ibarra kept a journal for several years, 

 but it is now discontinued. With proper instruments, it would give me pleasure 

 to register the meteorological facts. My instruments were unfortunately broken 

 in an ascent to the Silla de Caracas, and I have not yet been able to replace 

 them with new and better ones. 



I copy from the '^ Annuario de Observaciones de la Officiua Central del Colegio 

 de Ingenieros de Venezuela para el ano de 1862," the following meteorological 

 table for 1860, constructed from the observations of Dr. Ibai-ra. The original 

 record of the temperature is given in degrees of the Centigrade scale, and of the 

 atmospheric pressure in units of the French scale ; both were reduced to English 

 units, which are commonly used in the United States. For the reduction of the 

 barometric observations I would again refer to A^jpendix A. 



* See Appendix A. 



