which fell at Nanjemoy, N. America, Feb. 10, 1825. .103 
on finding the stone. Some supposed it propelled from a quarry 
eight or ten miles distant on the opposite side of the river; 
while others thought it thrown by a mortar from a packet lying 
at anchor in the river, and even proposed manning boats to 
take vengeance on the captain and crew of the vessel. 
I have conversed with many persons living over an extent of 
perhaps fifty miles square; some heard the explosion, while 
others heard only the subsequent whizzing noise in the air. All 
agree in stating that the noise appeared directly over their 
heads. One gentleman, living about 25 miles from the place 
where the stone fell, says, that it caused his whole plantation 
to shake, which many supposed to be the effect of an earth- 
quake. I cannot learn that a fire-ball or any light was seen 
in the heavens,—all are confident that there was but one re- 
port, and no peculiar smell in the air was noticed. I here- 
with transmit the statement of Capt. Harrison, the gentleman 
on whose plantation the stone fell. 
Statement of W. D. Harrison, Esq. 
On the 10th of February 1825, between the hours of twelve 
and one o’clock, as nearly as recollected, I heard an explosion, 
as I supposed, of a cannon, but somewhat sharper. I imme- 
diately advanced with a quick step about twenty paces, when 
my attention was arrested by a buzzing noise, resembling that 
of a humming bee, which increased to a much louder sound, 
something like a spinning-wheel, or a chimney on fire, and 
seemed directly over my head, and in a short time I heard 
something fall. The time which elapsed from my first hearing 
the explosion, to the falling, might have been fifteen seconds. 
I then went with some of my servants to find where it had 
fallen, but did not at first succeed (though, as I afterwards 
found, I had got as near as 30 yards to the spot); however, 
after a short interval, the place was found by my cook, who 
had (in the presence of a respectable white woman) dug down 
to it before I got there, and a stone was discovered from 22 
to 24 inches under the surface, and which after being washed, 
weighed sixteen pounds, and which was no doubt the one 
which I had heard fall, as the mud was thrown in different di- 
rections from 13 to 16 steps. The day was perfectly clear, a 
little snow was then on the earth in some places, which had 
fallen the night previous. The stone when taken up had a 
strong sulphureous smell; and there were black streaks in the 
clay which appeared marked by the descent of the stone. I 
hhave conversed with gentlemen in different directions, some 
~ of them from 18 to 20 miles distant, who heard the noise (not 
the explosion). They inform me that it appeared directly 
over 
