188 REPORT—1852. 
numerous and brilliant at Minehead in Somersetshire, and that he saw one 
very curious appearance, resembling a serpentine train of sparks. He de- 
scribed them as generally visible towards the S.E. All those that we noticed 
ténight had a similar general direction from N.E. to S.W. 
1844. Aug. 10.—A few falling stars were noticed (at Gloucester) moving 
in the same direction as last night, but one was observed which presented the 
singular appearance of a comparatively slow, and as it were difficult progress 
in the opposite direction. 
1846. July 25.—A workwoman near Gloucester, returning home about 10" 
P.M., Saw a meteor of considerable magnitude. It was of the size and colour 
of the moon, and she compared its light to that of day. According to her 
account, it seemed as though it proceeded downwards from an opening cloud, 
and was instantly withdrawn into the cloud again; but probably this retro- 
grade motion may have been a deception. It was in the N. or N.E. at a con- 
siderable altitude. 
[This meteor was described in the ‘ Illustrated London News.’ ] 
1847. March 19.—Extract of a letter from a lady. 
“ On the evening of Friday, March 19, A. and I left Albion Road [ Hol- 
loway ] about half-past 8. Not any stars were then visible, but when we were 
in Highbury Place, A. called my attention to what we thought a fire-balloon 
ascending slowly. It was in the west, a little inclining to the south. As it 
passed on slowly to the west its intense brilliance convinced me that it was not 
an earthly thing. When it appeared to be over Hampstead (but as high in the 
heavens as the sun is at 6 o'clock in the evening when the days are longest), 
it shot forth several fiery coruscations, and whilst we were gazing at it, broke 
into an intensely radiant cloud. This cloud sailed on slowly, and we never 
took our eyes off it. At this time the stars were shining. When we were in 
the gravel path opposite to Highbury Terrace, the cloud was rather higher 
in the heavens, and more to the W. It cast a most brilliant light on the 
houses there, brighter than moonlight, and unlike any light I ever saw. It 
appeared of a blue tint on the bricks, but there was no blue light in the cloud 
itself. Suddenly over the radiant cloud appeared another cloud std more 
brilliant, but I now felt so awe-struck that I cannot say precisely how long 
they hung one over the other, before the most wonderful sight happened. 
Perhaps they remained so for two or three minutes, when from the upper 
cloud a small fiery ball (about the size that the largest planets appear to the 
naked eye) dropped into the lower cloud, and was instantly absorbed. Soon 
after another similar ball dropped from the upper to the lower cloud; and 
then a ball apparently four or five times the size of the two preceding fell from 
one cloud to the other in the same wonderful way. Shortly after this both 
clouds disappeared, apparently absorbed in the heavens, though I did see a 
few particles of the brilliant clouds floating about for a minute or so. Pre- 
sently the moon appeared considerably to the northward of the place where 
the clouds had hung. We then saw the bright light across the heavens which 
you told me was zodiacal light, which lasted for more than an hour.” 
1847. Aug. 10.—A little after 10" p.m., several large and beautiful falling 
stars, with fine trains, appeared to descend in the S. in pretty quick succes- 
sion ; and on the whole the meteors of this kind certainly much exceeded the 
average between 10" and 11° 30™. Most of them fell in the above-men- 
tioned direction, but the track of a small one, near the latest time of obser- 
vation, pointed towards the N.W. Several of them were noticed two or three 
nights ago. [Reference is then made to an account of shooting stars in a 
letter in the ‘ Times,’ dated Aug. 17, and this follows. ] The Hereford Journal 
of Sept. 8, 1847, contains also the following :—“M. A. Frére, of Montizon, 
