fiery Meteor feen in Gafcony. 224 
While we were endeayouring to point out to fome perfons 
prefent the place where the meteor had divided itfelf, we 
obferved a fmall whitifh cloud, which arofe perhaps from 
the vapour of it, and which concealed from us the three ftars 
of the great bear lying in the middle of thofe forming the 
femicircle. With fome difficulty, however, we could at 
laft diftinguith thefe ftars again behind the thin cloud. 
There arofe, at the fame time, a frefh gentle breeze. 
From the time that elapfed between the burfling of the 
ball and the explofion which followed, I was inclined to 
think that the meteor was at the height of, at leaft, feven 
_ or eight miles, -and that it fell four miles to the north of 
Mormes. The latter part of my conjecture was foon con- 
firmed, by an account which we received, that a great ma- 
fy ftones had fallen frem the atmofphere at Juliac, and in 
the neighbourhood of Barbotan. One of thefe places lies 
at the diftance of about four miles to the north of Mormes, 
and the other at about the diftance of five to the north- 
north-wett. ‘ 
M. de Carrits Barbotan, who was at Juliac two days 
after, confirmed to us the truth of this circumftance ; and 
it appeared from the accounts of feveral intelligent perfons,. 
highly worthy of credit, that the meteor burft at a little 
diftance from Juliac, and that the ftones which fell were 
found lying in an almoft circular fpace, about two miles in 
diameter, They were of various fizes. I have not heard 
of any houfes being damaged, though fome-of the ftones fell 
in courts and gardens. In the neighbouring woods fome 
branches were found broken and torn by the falling of the 
ftones, which as they defcended made a ftrong whiftling 
noife that many perfons heard. I was told alfo by people 
of refpectability, that as the meteor proceeded in its courfe 
they heard a rufhing noife and fnapping, like that of elec- 
trical {parks; which appears to me very natural, though 
thefe were heard neither by myfelf nor M. de C. Barbotan. 
Qz | Some 
