118 REPORT— 1850. 
x 
“Ce météore répandait une magnifique clarté, plus vive que celle du gaz 
de l’éclairage, et d’une coloration s’approchant de la couleur aurore. A peine 
eut-il annoneé sa présence, gu’il décrivit dans le ciel une courbe lumineuse 
s’étendant de l’est ἃ louest. Cette courbe se forma de la maniére suivante : 
de la premiére boule de feu, grosse comme un ceuf, sortit une autre boule qui 
se détacha sous la forme d’une larme; de cette larme, subitement arrondie, il 
s’en détacha une seconde, de cette seconde une troisiéme, et de la troisiéme 
une quatriéme ; puis, de ces sortes de larmes qui s’étaient successivement 
éteintes 4 mesure qu’elles s’étaient engendrées, la derniére disparut, et la nuit 
reprit son empire. Une demi-minute aprés, un unique coup de tonnerre se 
fit entendre. Rien autre chose n’est venu troubler |’atmosphére, qui toute 
la nuit a été des plus calimes.” 
No. 22.—The following details have been communicated by Dr. Buist of 
Bombay. 
Meteorie Stone presented to the East India Company's Museum.—The tol- 
lowing is an authentic account of a meteoric stone which was lately brought 
from India by Lieut.-Col. Penington, and presented to the Hon. E.I. Com- 
pany, who have deposited it in their museum. 
Extract of a letter from Capt. G. Bird, first assistant in the Political De- 
partment to Major-Gen. Sir Ὁ, Ochterlony, Bart., K.G., C.B., to Major 
Penington. 
“ Loodianah, 5th April, 1815. 
“ My dear Major,—I lost no time, after my receipt of your letter, to take 
the measures for obtaining the information you desire relative to the meteor- 
olite which lately fell near the village of Dooralla. Accounts of this extra- 
ordinary phenomenon had spread over the whole of the Seikh country; and 
for more than a month before your letter reached me, the account of its fall, 
connected with a great number of wonders, had been reported to me, and 
that the people from all the neighbouring villages had assembled at Dooralla 
to pay their devotions to it, but now, after a very full inquiry, I feel quite 
satisfied that you may rest contident in the accuracy of the following state- 
ment. On the 18th of February last, about noon, some people who were at work 
in a field about half a mile distant from the village of Dooralla, were suddenly 
alarmed by the explosion of what they conceived to be a large cannon, ‘ the 
report being louder than that of any other gun they had ever heard,’ which 
report was succeeded by a rushing noise, like that of a cannon-hall in its 
greatest force. When looking towards the quarter whence the noise pro- 
ceeded, they perceived a large black body in the air, apparently moving 
directly towards them, but passing with inconceivable velocity, buried itself in 
the earth, at the distance of about sixty paces from the spot where they stood. 
As soon as they could recover from the terror with which this terrific vision had 
appalled them, they ran towards the village, where they found the people no less 
terrified than themselves, who, though not having seen the stone, imagined 
that a marauding party was approaching, and, as but too frequently happens, 
would sack their village. When the brahmins of the village were told what 
had really happened, they determined to proceed, and were followed by all 
the people to the spot where the stone fell, having with them instruments for 
digging it out. On their arrival at the place, they found the surface broken 
and the fresh earth and sand thrown about to a considerable distance, and at 
the depth of rather more than five feet, in a soil of mingled sand and loam, 
they found the stone which they cannot doubt was what actually fell, being 
altogether unlike anything known in that part of the country. The brahmins, 
taking immediate charge of the stone, conveyed it to the village, where they 
