" MEDITATIONS AT THE FOOT OF THE BEACON." 59 



the starry vault, is strongly in favour of their having an existence inde- 

 pendent of the earth. 



5. "When we consider the disturbances to which small bodies moving 

 in space are subject, it is very wonderful to find their periodical returns 

 connected with individual daj'^s. Up to 1846 no less than 15 such 

 returns occurred on tlie 1 2th and 1 3th of November. Of these 1 5 by far 

 the most brilliant streams took place in 1799, 1831, 1833, 1834. The 

 number of meteors that are seen per hour is also very variable both in 

 August and November. In 1839, on the 19th of August, about 160 fell 

 in one hour; in 1842 about 34 fell in 10 minntes; while on Wednesday 

 last I counted no less than 400 in 15 minutes, and more than 1,000 in an 

 hour in one half of the visible heavens alone. There cannot be a doubt 

 that more than 4,000 fell between 12.30 and 1.30 on that day. The 

 November shower of 1865 was carefully observed at Greenwich. In all 

 279 meteors were observed, whose paths, colours, sizes, &c., were all 

 recorded. Of these 72 percent, j^er hour Avere blue: — 34 Avere white; 

 30 bluish white, 4 yellow, 4 red, 1 rose and 1 green. Between 4.45 and 

 5 a.m., they were falling at the rate of 250 per hour. Again, — 172 left 

 trains ; 58 per cent, j^er hour were 1st class size (size of Jupiter); greatest 

 height 147 miles; greatest velocity per second 134 miles; the average 

 length of the path of 4 of them was 58 miles, and the average velocity 

 64 miles per second. 



A very complete account of these strange bodies is given in 

 Humboldt's Cosmos, Most of the above remarks are taken from that 

 work. J. G. 



«21 



P^ttit«ti0ttSi »t i\u f0at of ntt "§mm/' 



Blest be the heart that feels a kindred throb 

 Of love and sympathy for those in need. — 

 Blest may he ever be, whose eyes and ears v 

 Serve as heart-portals, where anothers want 

 May confidently come, nor fear disdain, 

 But through them plead and never plead in vain, 

 Ye joyless souls whose every aim is wealth, 

 Who set your heel remorseless on the neck 



