228 REPORT—1852. 
29th of April, 1851, and the 6th of May the atmosphere at Madras was com- 
pletely overcast with dense clouds. On the night of the 2nd of May (Friday), 
at 10 o’clock, there was every symptom of the subsequent gale. At the 
hour I state, I observed in the south-east quarter a very extensive circular 
illumination of the clouds, which continued for above a minute. The space 
in the clouds so lighted up might, I estimated, be about 10° in diameter, 
but owing to the dense state of the atmosphere and the lowness of the 
clouds, I saw nothing of the meteor, which doubtless covered the circular 
illumination. I infer that the meteor was flying towards me, that is, from 
south-east to north-west, because the shape of the illumination in the clouds 
did not vary. 
“¢QOn the night of the 22nd of this month, I was sitting, as is my wont, 
under an awning on the terrace of my bungalow at Ennore (11 miles north 
of Madras): I could see in altitude about 75°. About 3 past 10 o’clock, a 
very brilliant and large meteor came within the range of my sight, and fell 
apparently perpendicularly in the sea (Bay of Bengal). From the moment 
it became visible to me it rather increased into size and brilliancy than other- 
wise, and was in full blaze when it disappeared behind the sand-hills in front 
of my bungalow, which is not above a quarter of a mile from the sea-shore. 
The colour of this meteor, which seemed to be as large as an 84lb. shot (qu.), 
was bright purple and green mingled, and it left a luminous tail or streak, 
which did not wholly disappear for about two minutes. 
“« Last night (the 23rd) I saw another meteor in the same quarter, but 
neither of the dimensions nor brilliancy of that of the preceding night. The 
flight was from north-west to south-east, and it burned out before it had got 
within 10° of the horizon.—Ennore, 24th of May, 1851. 
“Our correspondent mentions.a very brilliant meteor seen from Madras 
some months since before sunset; it swept clean across the sky, and was so 
light and of such magnitude that it caused a glare over the landscape even at 
this early hour. This is the third meteor within the year that has been visible 
in daylight in India; that seen to explode on the 30th of November, 1850, 
near Bissunpore at 3 p.M.,—the stone was afterwards picked up ;—-and that 
seen near Beerbhoom at 9 p.M. on the 8th of January, 1851.” [See last Re- 
port. ]|—Bombay Times, June 4, 1851. 
No. 4.—‘ A correspondent of the Bengal Hurkaru, subscribing himself 
‘W. M.,’ gives the following interesting account of a meteor which he had ob- 
served on the night of the 19th of September :— 
«<¢ A splendid meteor burst over Calcutta last night about 11 P.m., and I 
send this notice to you that it may serve as a record of the event. On the 
13th, 14th, and 15th, the atmosphere was dry and its general movement from 
south-west, the lower clouds also moved from south to west, little wind and 
occasionally sultry and oppressive. On the 16th and 17th a storm or squall 
brewed in the south-east during the afternoon, but did not visit us. On the 
18th of September the clouds and atmosphere during the forenoon moved from 
south-west ; the weather dry and close. Between 3 and 5 p.M. nimbus clouds 
passed over quietly from north-west to east, with scarcely a breath of air. After 
5 p.M. the aspect of the sky was again dry. The chirping of the crickets was 
unusually loud, and the weather close and sultry. About 11 p.m. the sky was © 
clear, but the stars were not brilliant, and there was no wind, when a most 
splendid meteor lighted up in zenith or a little north of it, and shot down 
half-way to south a little west, illuminating the landscape as if the full or 
half-moon had suddenly appeared on high. The meteor was a bright ball of 

