On the Meteors of 13th November. 399 
respondent, Mr. A. C. Twining, dated Dec. 16, communicating the 
result of his inquiries among the vessels of New York harbor which 
had arrived from distant places, since the 13th of November. The 
results of this investigation are too valuable to be omitted, and we ac- 
cordingly subjoin as many of them as our limits will permit. ; 
* Since my last, I have visited New York, and from my inquiries 
on board of fifteen ships, I glean a few facts worthy of recor 
Five ships on the Atlantic, between latitudes 40° N. and 50° N. 
and longitudes 30° W. a experienced powerful gales and 
heavy weather, on the 13th of November, and some days preceding, 
and following. One, about lat. 45° N. and 40° W, experienced on 
the 11th from W. N. W. a a gale of terrible violence. Not one ship 
could be found on the European passage homeward, that saw any 
bi of the phenomenon on the morning of the 13th, ‘within the lim- 
med. ‘This was probably the result of cloudy and windy weath- 
er ‘abicutiy the heavens. 
The ship St. George from Liverpool, in lat 513° N. Lon. 20° w. 
with clear skies on the morning of the 13th, at a time corresponding 
to that of the appearance of the arn in this country, was not in 
sight of the phenomenon; at least it was not noticed by either watch 
nor by any one on board. Wind the preceding a squally from the 
west; on the 13th at 5 A. M., calm; at 6 41° W. - had clear skies 
but no meteors were seen. 
The ship Douglas, from Rio Janeiro, in Lat. 2° N. Lon. 41° W., 
had clear skies, but no meteors were seen. 
The brig Francia, from Amsterdam, in Lat. 36° N. Lon. 61° W., 
experienced on the morning of the 13th, winds from the W. S. W. 
and N. W., blowing a severe gale. “The skies being clear; the mate 
saw towards the morn ing an ’ unusual number of meteors or falling 
stars. From the mate’s “account, it is certain that they were com- 
es few in number—not more perhaps than four or five in 
a4 minute—at all events, a number that might easily have been 
counted. 
The ship Junior, Capt. Gideon eae from Mobile for New 
York, was in the Gulf of Mexico, Lat. 26° N., Lon. 853 W. Capt. 
Parker being on deck a little before tice ty) ’clock, on the morning of 
Nov. 13th, noticed several meteors, but not more than he had often 
seen before. Heavy dark clouds hung low in the N. E., from which 
the second mate (who held the watch before Capt. P. came on deck) 
said that the first meteors he saw seemed to break like Hghining- 
Above the clouds, which were from 15° to 25° high, the sky w 
clear, and the stars bright as usual. About three o’clock, Capt. P. 
first noticed the unusual number of falling stars, and began to count 
their number, but was forced to desist, by their rapid increase. For 
