a 
Notice of several Meteors. 325 
Col. P's. only thirty-four; in the latter place Capt. W’s. 
observation makes its height about twenty-nine miles. If 
these agreed better with each other, and could be depend- 
ed upon as nearly accurate, it would be easy to compute 
from them its height and distance at the beginning and 
end of its appearance to Col. P. Bat altitudes estimated: 
under the impression which such a phenomenon cannot 
fail to repeat must be considered as very uncertain what- 
ever may be the judgment and fidelity of the observers. 
The probability is that when first seen by Col. P. it was 
near the zenith of Essex, a village on the west shore of 
Lake Champlain thirteen miles from Burlington, and when 
it disappeared from him it had reached nearly to the zenith 
of Wilksbarre in Pennsylvania, about two hundred and fifty 
miles from Burlington. 
The absolute diameter of the meteor, computed from the 
apparent diameter above estimated and the mean distances 
of the observers respectively amounts to about one third of 
a mile. 
I hardly dare to make any estimate of its velocity. I 
have heard no estimate of the duration of the appearance 
of the body ofthe meteor greater than -five seconds and this 
would imply a velocity much greater than that of the earth 
in its orbit. 
The observation of its first appearances as noticed by 
Col. Page is I believe rather uncommon, though perhaps 
they may always commence in the same manner without 
being noticed till their light is greatly increased. 
uch of the country over which it pa being a wil- 
derness, and none of it populous, it is not probable that if 
any fragments fell from it, they were hk ere next day 
as any thing more than common ston 
The testimony of Mr. Doty who eins to the news 
papers saw it at Hanajohers] passing near the zenith con- 
firms the course above 
Youn with high respect, 
Ta AMES DEAN. 
