OF A METEORIC STONE. .331 



port heard, like that of a heavy body falling to the ground; 

 but, no conception being entertained of the real cause, (for no 

 one in this vicinity, with whom we conversed, appeared to have 

 heard of the fall of stones from the skies) it was supposed that 

 lightning had struck the ground. Some time after the event, 

 Mr. Seeley went into his field to look after his cattle. He 

 found that some of them had leaped into the adjoining en- 

 closure, and all exhibited strong indications of terror. Passing 

 on, he was struck with surprise at seeing a spot of ground which 

 he knew to have been recently turfed over, all torn up, and the 

 earth looking fresh, as if from recent violence. Coming to the 

 place he found a great mass of fragments of a strange looking 

 stone, and immediately called for his wife, who was 'second on 

 the ground. 



Here were exhibited the most striking proofs of violent colli- 

 sion. A ridge of micaceous schistus, lying nearly even with 

 the ground, and somewhat inclining like the hill, to the south 

 east, was shivered to pieces to a certain extent, by the impulse 

 of the stone, which thus received a still more oblique direction, 

 and forced itself into the earth, to the depth of three feet, tear- 

 ing a hole of 5 feet in length and 4 \-1 in breadth, and throw- 

 ing masses of stone and earth to the distance of 50 and 100 

 feet. Had there been no meteor, no explosions, and no wit- 

 nesses of the light and shock, it would have been impossible 

 for any one contemplating the scene, to doubt, that a large and 

 heavy body had really fallen from the atmosphere, with tre- 

 mendous momentum. 



From the best information which we could obtain of the quan- 

 tity of fragments of this last stone, compared with its specifie 

 gravity, we concluded that its weight could not have fallen 

 much short of 200 pounds. All the stones, when first found, 

 were friable, being easily broken between the fingers; this was 

 especially the case where they had been buried in the moist 

 earth, but by exposure to the air, they gradually hardened. 



This stone was all in fragments, none of which exceeded 

 the size of a man's fist, and was rapidly dispersed by numerous 

 visitors, who carried it away at pleasure. Indeed, we found it 

 difficult to obtain a sufficient supply of specimens of the various 



