On the Meteors of 13th November. | 
rectly in the axis of vision, it would have appeared and vanished 
like a star without any apparent motion. Those which were near 
the axis of vision, would present the short trace and gentle motion 
of the nebule described above; but according as that distance be- 
came greater, the apparent motion would be more rapid and t 
trace longer; and all the traces would be seen in directions dispes 
ging from the point in which the axis of vision met the heavens. . 
These bodies did not seem to bear affinity to those meteors which 
revolving around the earth as their primary, become ignited by pass- 
ing into the atmosphere, and explode throwing down masses’ to the 
surface ; but to those shooting stars and fire balls which are often 
seen in the sky in the evening, and which, I am now persuaded, 
might all be found — of being referred as to their line of mo- 
tion to a determinate point 
The number of shooting bodies which passed in the Fbtvert on 
the morning of the 13th inst., must be the subject of conjecture to 
a considerable extent: I should not deem it extravagant to suppose 
ten thousand to a single hour, during the period of my observations. 
I will only add, that the morning was cool, and probably not far 
from freezing temperature ; and there was a moderate breeze from 
the north of west. The day preceding had been marked by sud- 
den and violent gusts of westerly wind, one of which threw over 
and sunk opposite to this place a two masted vessel, with such sud- 
as that all on board perished. 
m, Sir, yours.with sincere respect, pes C. Twisixe. 
P. S. Since writing the above, I have accidentally seen in a 
volume of Maskelyne’s ‘Observations, that the streams of a bright au- 
rora in 1769, Oct. 24th, at 214 58’ sidereal time, converged to a 
point about 210 East of South in sen and 174 from the Ze- 
nith, which he remarks to be about the magnetic pole.” 
4. Phenomena as observed at Annapolis, (Lat. 39° N., Lon. 
76° 43’ W.) Communicated to Professor Olmsted by the writer, Rev. 
Dr. ae mea President of St. John’s College. 
A remarkable ephenomenon of shooting stars was seen at Annap- 
ols, about 4 or 5 o'clock, on the morning of Wed dnesday, the 13th in- 
stant ; the number of the meteors was far greater than in any former 
instance ever —_ by the writer. They all appeared to move 
rom mmon centre, at or near the zenith; and at times, they 
steigletely filled ae whole heavens, particularly towards the East, 
with beautiful brilliant streams of light, extending to the horizon. 
tis not meant that all the trains actually extended from the ze- 
nith to the horizon; but, that the lines of light were so directed, that 
if produced, they would all converge to a point in the zenith. Their 
appeamapes was so incessant during some part of the phenomenon, 
