On the Meteors of 13th November, 1833. 133 



1. Shoivers of black dust have occasionally fallen from the atmos- 

 phere. In ihe year 472, a great fall of black dust occurred at Con- 

 stantinople, during which the heavens seemed to burn,* 



A meteoric substance, resembling burnt paper, is said to have fall- 

 en in Courland, in 1686. f 



2. Showers of red dust, likened to red snow, are repeatedly re- 

 corded as having fallen from the skies. In 1755, November 13, 

 the sky was red and red rain fell in different countries j and in 

 1765, November 14, red rain fell in Picardy. J 



3. Gelatinous matter fell with a globe of fire, in the isle of Lethy 

 in India, in 1718. A viscous matter fell in Lusatia, in 1796, along 

 with a meteor. About the first of April 1826, the atmosphere 

 being very clear and the sun shining brightly, a noise resembling 

 rolling thunder, was heard at Saarbruck, and the environs. Du- 

 ring the sound, a greyish object about three feet and a half in height, 

 was seen in the air, rapidly approaching the earth, and then expand- 

 ing itself like a sheet ;|| there was then silence for about a minute; 

 after which another sound resembling thunder was heard, as if it had 

 originated at the place where the meteor fell. No residuum, or de- 

 posit was found. IT 



4. Among the Chinese records of fiery meteors, mention is made 

 of some that were consumed in the air, leaving trains or clouds of a 

 serpentine form.^ 



5. " In November, 1825, about one hour after sunset, a meteor 

 was seen in the town of Newton, Trumbull Co. Ohio, rapidly cross- 

 ing the sky in a direction somewhat east of south, in size surpassing 

 the full moon, but somewhat irregular in its form. At a certain point 

 in its course, a portion of the meteor was seen to separate, and de- 

 scend to the earth in an oblique direction, while the main body pass- 

 ed on, and soon disappeared. At the same time, and at the place 

 where the meteor was seen to fall, two ladies who were walking in 

 the road in the same direction in which the meteor was moving, 

 found themselves suddenly enveloped in a mass of light. A ball 

 of fire or light, several feet in diameter, seeming to come from above 

 and behind fell upon them and the ground, breaking, as it struck into 

 a thousand smaller balls, rolling upon the earth and breaking again 



* Ed. Phil. Jour. in. 403. t lb. Jib. 



|| See in the former part of this article, p. 391, an account of the appearance of 

 a luminous object resembling in form, a square table, at Niagara Falls, 

 1T Chladni, in London Quart. Jour. xxiv. 488. § lb. vii. 383. 



