CHAPTER IV 



IT is in the records of the French Academy that, upon March 17, 

 1669, in the town of Chatillon-sur-Seine, fell a reddish substance 

 that was "thick, viscous, and putrid." 



American Journal of Science, 1-41-404: 



Story of a highly unpleasant substance that had fallen from the 

 sky, in Wilson County, Tennessee. We read that Dr. Troost visited 

 the place and investigated. Later we're going to investigate some 

 investigations but never mind that now. Dr. Troost reported that 

 the substance was clear blood and portions of flesh scattered upon 

 tobacco fields. He argued that a whirlwind might have taken an 

 animal up from one place, mauled it around, and have precipitated 

 its remains somewhere else. 



But, in volume 44, page 216, of the Journal, there is an apology. 

 The whole matter is, upon newspaper authority, said to have been 

 a hoax by negroes, who had pretended to have seen the shower, for 

 the sake of practicing upon the credulity of their masters : that they 

 had scattered the decaying flesh of a dead hog over the tobacco fields. 



If we don't accept this datum, at least we see the sociologically 

 necessary determination to have all falls accredited to earthly origins 

 even when they're falls that don't fall. 



Annual Register, 1821-687: 



That, upon the i3th of August, 1819, something had fallen from 

 the sky at Amherst, Mass. It had been examined and described by 

 Prof. Graves, formerly lecturer at Dartmouth College. It was an 

 object that had upon it a nap, similar to that of milled cloth. Upon 

 removing this nap, a buff-colored, pulpy substance was found. It 

 had an offensive odor, and, upon exposure to the air, turned to a 

 vivid red. This thing was said to have fallen with a brilliant light. 



Also see the Edinburgh Philosophical Journal, 5-295. In the 

 Annates de Chbwie, 1821-67, M. Arago accepts the datum, and 

 gives four instances of similar objects or substances said to have 

 fallen from the sky, two of which we shall have with our data of 

 gelatinous, or viscous matter, and two of which I omit, because it. 

 seems to me that the dates given are too far back. 



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