hie 
and of very feeble cohesion. During nearly its entire route, ne¢W 
_ portions of matter were continually detaching themselves. from 
228 On the Meteor of May 18th, 1838, « = 
seconds. This estimate is probably too great, yet it gives the 
velocity of the meteor 18 miles per second. ~At Clinton, the path 
observed was at least 218 miles, and the time was estimated at 
five seconds, making a velocity of 43 miles per second. The 
path observed at Buffalo was. probably 112 miles, and the time 
was estimated from 4 to 5 seconds, which gives a velocity of 25 
miles per second. At Hudson and Aurora, the path seen was 
about 218 miles, and the time estimated from 6 to 7-seconds, giv- 
ing a velocity of 33 miles per second. These are the observa- 
tions I think most to be relied upon; and the areray velocity 
resulting from them, is 30 miles per second. 
‘Let us now form some estimate of the magnitude of the me- 
teor. Its diameter at Hanover was estiraated at one fourth that 
of the moon, and its least distance was 281 miles. Its absolute 
diameter then was .65 mile. At Clinton, the. meteor. appeared 
very much elongated in the horizontal direction, and was follow- 
ed by two smaller portions at intervals of less than a degree each. 
The breadth of the head was estimated at eight minutes, and its 
distance was 118 miles, which makes the absohate breadth .27 
mile. ‘The length of the principal portion was about one de-- 
gree, that is, nearly two miles.. The two smaller portions which 
followed. in the rear, were about a tenth of a mile in diameter. 
At Buffalo, also, the meteor appeared elongated, its horizontal di- 
ameter being four or five times the vertical. Its least diameter 
‘was estimated at half that of the moon, and its distance being 
about 66 miles, its absolute breadth must have been .29 mile. 
Its -was four or five times this amount. At Hudson, its 
diameter was estimated at one third that of the moon, and being 
distant 226 miles, its absolute diameter was .66 mile. ‘The ob-: 
servations made in other places. agree substantially with the 
above, and from them we may infer, that the absolute diameter 
of the meteor was about three quarters of a mile. At the more 
Satqnt stations, the meteor appeared nearly circular, but from 
nearest points of observation, it appeared decidedly elongated. 
Almost all the observers noticed a falling off of various portions 
from the main body, which, lagging behind, formed a species of 
train. Several of these shialler portions formed a considerable 
fraction, perhaps one tenth part, of the main body itself. 
This meteor must have consisted of matter exceedingly rare, 
