PHENOMENON. 251 



verge on the summits of the mountains, the 

 densest portion of the cloud hanging over the 

 little town of Hanaruro. The wind was per- 

 fectly calm, till on a sudden a violent gust blew 

 from the north-east, and at the same time a 

 crashing noise proceeded from the cloud, as if 

 many ships were firing their guns ; the resem- 

 blance was so perfect, that we might have sup- 

 posed we heard alternately the individual shots 

 of the opposing broadsides. The concussion 

 lasted some minutes ; and when it ceased, two 

 stones shot from the cloud into the street of 

 Hanaruro, and from the violence of the fall 

 broke into several pieces. The inhabitants col- 

 lected the still warm fragments, and judging by 

 these, the stones must have weighed full fifteen 

 pounds each. They were grey inside, and were 

 externally surrounded by a black burnt crust. 

 On a chemical analysis, they appeared to re- 

 semble the meteoric stones which have fallen in 

 many countries. 



In the short period of our absence, some im- 

 portants events had taken place. My readers 

 will remember that the King and Queen of the 

 Sandwich Islands arrived safely in London, and 



