Account of a Fall of Meteo'ric Stones. 41 



other, but never making an angle with it of more than 4 

 or 5 degrees. It appeared about one-half or two- thirds 

 the diameter of the full moon. This description of its 

 apparent magnitude is vague, but it was impossible to 

 ascertain what angle it subtended. Its progress was 

 not so rapid as that of common meteors and shooting 

 stars. When it passed behind the thinner clouds, it 

 appeared brighter than before ; and when it passed the 

 spots of clear sky, it flashed with a vivid light, yet not 

 so intense as the lightning in a thunder-storm, but rather 

 like what is commonly called heat lightning. Its sur- 

 face was apparently convex. 



Where it was not too much obscured by thick clouds, 

 a conical train of paler light was seen to attend it, 

 waving, and in length about 10 or 12 diameters of the 

 body. In the clear sky a brisk scintillation was observed, 

 about the body of the meteor, like that of a burning 

 fire-brand carried against the wind. 



It disappeared about 15 degrees short of the zenith, 

 and about the same number of degrees west of the me- 

 ridian. It did not vanish instantaneously, but grew, 

 pretty rapidly, fainter and fainter, as a red-hot cannon- 

 ball would do, if cooling in the dark, only with much 

 more rapidity. 



There was no peculiar smell in the atmosphere, nor 

 were any luminous masses seen to separate from the 

 body. The whole period, between its first appearance 

 and total extinction, was estimated at about 30 seconds. 



VOL. III. PART I. F 



