186 REPORT—1852. 
an immense large substance, which he described to be like a ball of fire, 
coming down from the sky quite perpendicular till within fifteen yards of the 
earth, when it suddenly disappeared.” 
1841. Nov. 11.—One of our servants saw three falling stars in the course 
of milking, about 7" p.m. She described them as passing from E. to W. in 
the N.W. quarter of the heavens, as being of the first magnitude, and leaving 
trains. (South Herefordshire.) 
1841. Nov. 12.—The day had been rough and showery, with a high wind 
from W. or W.S.W., and a little hailin some places, but the evening twilight 
was very clear, during which, about the same hour and in the same quarter 
as last night, our servant saw two considerable falling stars with trains. About 
6"30™there was afaint light in the N. horizon, which I then thought indicated a 
slight tendency to an aurora, but I afterwards found it accompanied the edges 
of dark clouds in various parts of the sky. Until 9" I was detained indoors at 
L. (South Herefordshire) ; from that time till 9° 45™, I kept as sharp a look out 
as a speedy walk over a bad path permitted, but saw nothing until about 
98 40™, when a meteor of an orange-colour appeared low in the S.E. to the 
right of Rigel, and about the size of that star ; its course was short, rapid and 
flickering, descending gradually towards the S. I did not perceive any train. 
10" 30™ there was a fine meteor of the 1st magnitude, orange-coloured, with 
a train, in the E. quarter, shooting, as the former, in a line directed from Leo ; 
it was not seen by me. Two smaller ones afterwards, one with a train, which 
one I did not see, had short courses from the same direction in the E. or S.E. 
quarter, in the space of the next 7™ or §™. But between 10° 35™ and 10° 40", 
a small point was perceived towards the feet of the Great Bear, not far above 
the N.E. horizon, drawing a small train after it, and rapidly increasing in size 
as it rose with a steady course, in such a way as to prove that it was really 
drawing near from an incalculable distance in an apparently straight line. It 
grew brighter and brighter, as did its splendid and beautiful train, and it as- 
sumed an orange-yellow hue; it passed a few degrees N. of the zenith, but 
not quite so far N. as Cassiopeia, and still continued to increase as it de- 
scended towards the W. horizon, but it seemed to become fainter and to be 
extinguished before it reached it ; but trees partially obscured this portion of 
its course. It was seen by three others besides myself, my father, Mr. T. and 
his son, and it appeared to all of us except my father, to be attended, when at its 
height, with a hissing sound, but aloud rushing wind prevented any cer- 
tainty as to this point. Its appearance was like that of a magnificent rocket, 
and the impression of absolute height, speed, and projectile force, was truly 
sublime. Its size appeared to me greater than Venus, but not so vividly 
brilliant. The length of its course might be 5 or 6 seconds. At 11" 5™a 
stormy cloud in the N.E. horizon had a faint luminosity attendant upon its 
upper edge. A shower afterwards came on. At 11'45™, a storm, which had 
passed to the E.N.E. horizon, was followed by a similar light, which was very 
evident 5™ afterwards amongst dark patches of cloud. Our friends also saw 
what appeared like a light cloud somewhere towards the S.W. horizon, and 
wondered at it in the absence of the moon. 10™ after midnight the E. ho- 
rizon continued light, though the clouds had left it. I watched the S.E. 
quarter pretty frequently from 11° till 1" 30™, Nov. 13, but no meteor was 
seen after the large one, uor could J see anything during a short examination 
at 3" 30™ and 4°30". The distinctness with which I saw the light of the 
Welsh furnaces [20 or more miles distant] upon my walk about 9" 30", 
though the sky was very clear, except low in the horizon, was very unusual 
indeed. The air was not favourable for delicate astronomical observations, 
the diameters of the stars, according to Sir W. Herschel’s remark, appearing 

