On the Meteors of 13th Novemher, 1S33. 351 



in full a hypothesis, respecting the cause of the meteors, based on the 

 general principles which have been already advanced. But to pro- 

 ceed to a statement of the conditions of the problem. 



It is required so to arrange a system, or cloud, of meteoric bodies 

 in an orbit around the sun that it shall, at stated periods, encounter 

 the earth ; and that the disturbing force of the latter shall draw a 

 part of them only from their orbit ; and give to them such motions 



as to account 



For the appearance of the 



>f 



of the radiant , fc 



hea 



of the 13th — and its observed position in the 



vens 



of declination, relatively to a change of 



tude — while the position in right ascension was unvaried; 

 4th. For a relative velocity of the meteors, of from abou 

 miles a second ; 





For an eastward motion of the tvhole meteor 

 lelocity of the earth's rotation, for a part of 



of 



different years and places, by Hi 



boldt, Capt. Parker and Capt. Briggs ; 



6th. For a duration of the meteoric shower, less than a day, at the 



utmost. 



Final Obs. — When we glance back upon all the known circumstan- 

 ces of the meteoric shower, the extent and magnitude of the powers in 

 exercise fill the mind with winder. The one body whose flight we 

 have been able to calculate, and which moved with such inconceiva- 

 ble rapidity, could not have been less — after allowing for the deceitful 

 glare of surrounding and enveloping flame — than a hundred feet in 

 diameter; and doubtless very many others were as large. The mul- 

 titude of bodies was such as no man can venture with confidence to 

 limit by numbers ; and, had they held on their course unabated for 

 three seconds longer, half a continent must, to all appearance, have 

 been involved in unheard of calamity. But that Almighty Being who 

 made the world, and knew its dangers, gave it also its armature — en- 

 dowing the atmospheric medium around it with protecting, no less 

 than with life-sustaining properties : and, considered as one of the 

 rare and wonderful displays of the Creator's preserving care, as well 

 as the terrible magnitude and power of his agencies, it is not meet 

 that such occurrences as those of Nov. 13th, should leave no more 



