388 : Miscellanies. 
showers with that of 1833, that they should be of the same magni- 
tude with that. A small eclipse 1 have considered a phenomenon 
of the same kind with a large one ; and, conformably to this analo- 
gy, I have regarded an eclipse of the sun, first exhibiting itself as a 
slight indentation of the solar limb, but increasing in magnitude at 
every recurrence, until it becomes total, and afterwards, at each re-. 
turn, but partially covering the solar disk, until the moon passes 
quite clear of the sun,—as affording no bad illustration of what proba- 
bly takes place in regard to these meteoric showers. The fact that 
the Aurora Borealis appears unusually frequent and magnificent for 
a few successive years, and then for a long time is scarcely seen at 
all, was proved by Mairan, a hundred years ago.* There is much 
reason to suspect a like periodical character in the phenomenon in 
question, which first arrested attention in 1831, became more re- 
markable in 1832, arrived at its maximum in 1833, and has since 
grown less and less at each annual return. Some seem to suppose 
that we are now warranted in expecting a similar exhibition of me- 
teors on the morning of every future anniversary ; but this, I think, is 
not to be expected. It is perhaps more probable, that its recur- 
rence, unless in a very diminished degree, will scarcely be witnessed 
again by the present generation. The shower, however, at its late 
return, was more striking than | had anticipated ; and it must be ac- 
knowledged to be adventurous, to enter the region of prediction 
respecting the future exhibitions of a phenomenon, both whose ori- 
gin and whose laws we so imperfectly understand. 
But it is time to present the reader with the evidence of tl re- 
turn of the meteoric shower on the late anniversary. 
Accounts of observations before us show, that the meteoric shower 
was seen in most of the Atlantic States from Maine to South Caro- 
lina. We will begin on the north. 
1. Observations made at Sprinevate, Maine. Extract of a 
letter from Samuel Dunster, Esq., Agent of the Franklin Manu- 
facturing Company. 
«[ requested the watchman at our manufacturing establishment to 
eal] me, if any thing of interest occurred. He accordingly called 
me at about a quarter before three o’clock, [on the morning of Nov. 
13th.] At three o’clock 1 began to count the meteors, and num- 
bered as follows. 
* Traité Phys. et Hist. de L’Aurore Boréale. Par M. De Mairan.—Memoirs 
of the Royal Academy of Sciences for 1731. 
