m the Night of Monday, March 22, 1 S 1 3. 34/ 



tkscribed nearly a right line passing about 3° north of the 

 Pleiades, and became extinct near another black cloud, 

 having passed through a space oF about 60°. However, 

 ironi Its proximity to the earth, its apparent place, direc- 

 tion, figure of its path, &e. would vary very materially to 

 spectators only a few miles asunder. 



1 understand from a person who saw it at Hounslow, 

 that it at first appeared to the east of the zenith, and pro- 

 ceeded due wejt ; and from another, who saw it at Harrow, 

 that it appeared to descend almost perpendicular, and nearly 

 due south : he conceives that iis duration was nearly half a 

 minute. 



It appeared as viewed from Hackney, by Mr. C. Parois- 

 sien, to be due west, and that it came nearly in contact 

 with the apparent horizon before it was extinct. He con- 

 ceives its apparent diameter to be equal to half that of the 

 moon, and the inten-itv of the light n)uch greater than that 

 of the moon. Its distance ccrtauily could not be very 

 great, as 1 distincllv heard a hissing noise, like ihat of a 

 squib, as also a crackling like ihat of a cat's back whea 

 briskly rubbed with the hand. Several sparks from the 

 back part of its head were detached during its passage. 

 It first appeared (as seen from the point where I was sta- 

 tioned) about 2° north of Jupiter, in a line between him 

 and the star Castor in Gemini, and proceeded in the direc- 

 tion laid down in fig. 2. Before it vanished, its velocity 

 considerably abated, and its brilliancy was very much re- 

 duced. Several of the globules of light were much en- 

 larL'ed, less luminous, and had receded to a distance nearly 

 equal to twice the diameter of tne meteor j the whole dura- 

 tion was about 3"'. 



Having been engaged during the day in some experi- 

 ments on the Cr^^ydon canal, which only occupied my at- 

 tention at intervals, I had an opportunity of observing a 

 variety of changes in the atmosphere. Tlie morning was 

 showery ; the wind variable from SW to NVV. Barometer 

 29,6 ; thermometer 44, at 9 A.M. The middle of the 

 day was more fine, sometimes quite calm, and the sun 

 bright ; about two o'clock several dark but thin clouds 

 arose in the soufh-west, occasionally approaching and re- 

 ceding from each other, and at some tin)es nearly stationary ; 

 but on their arrival near the zenith, slight squalls and 

 showers ensued : this continued at intervals for about an 

 hour until six o'clock, when it was perfectly calm along 

 the line of the canal, although the windmill of the grand 

 Surry (and which is 100 feet lov.er than the bank of the 



Croydon 



