from the Clouds, or Aerolites. 22 1 



Connecticut, which before being extinguished, and after having 

 thrice made an explosion, rebounded as many times from the 

 ground, and consequently took a direction completely opposite 

 to that given by the law of gravity. 



As to the velocity of aerolites, it seems in general to be very 

 areat : frequently it equals or surpasses even that of the earth ; 

 but in all cases it is much more accelerated than a simple fall. 

 Thus, after a great many observations, it is completely uniform, 

 without increasing with the time taken up by the progress of 

 these stones through the air. 



The duration of this phenomenon seems also to present great 

 differences ; thus, it varies from a (juarter of a second to a few- 

 minutes : it is also very singular, that the loud noise similar to 

 discharges of cannon, which generally accompanies the fall of 

 aerolites, lasted in the explosion which took place in Russia in 

 1787 four whole hours, i. e. from one o'clock until five, before 

 the stones fell. It was also observed in 1200, before the fall of 

 stones wliich happened near Abdona in Italy, that the cloud 

 from which the stones issued as if completely inflamed, remained 

 visible about two hours. 



We may also consider it as a new proof, that besides the gravity, 

 there is a force which influences the direction of aerolites, when 

 we reflect on the little depth to which they sink in the ground. 

 For a long time it has been observed, that, left to their 

 proper weight, these stones ^voul<l naturally enter very deep into 

 the ground, if the moon was their point of departure, and if their 

 velocity was in the ratio of their volume or mass. Nevertheless 

 this was far from being the case in the fall of stones which took 

 place in 1/68 in the Maine, and in Gascony in 1790: several fell 

 with Httle celerity, others very slowly, others more quickly, and 

 others with such rapidity that they hissed violently in passing 

 through the air, and without their difference of velocity having 

 the least reference to their weight. Latterly, one of the stones 

 which fell at Thoulouse in 1812, of the same density as the 

 others, had touched the ground so lightly that it scarcely left 

 a mark. Other stones which fell at Agen did not break the 

 roofs of tlie houses on which they fell ; which was also observed 

 of those that fell in 1753 near Tabor in Bohemia. 



It is not less remarkable to find that the great and small stones 

 do not fall together, but that at the cud of the orbit the smallest; 

 are precipitated, and the latter become greater in juoportion as 

 they approach the other extremity of the orbit. This was ob- 

 served in the meteor of.Stannern, which, by being directed from 

 east to west, precipitated stones which became larger as it ad- 

 vanced. The meteor of Aiglc, as described by Fuurcroy, and of 

 ^veral other places, presented the same phaenomenon also. 



Whea 



