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x THE STARRY HEAVENS | 407 
There are, indeed, stragglers scattered over the 
whole orbit, with some of which we come in 
contact every year, but we pass through the 
main body three times in a century — last in 
1866 — capturing millions on each occasion. 
One of these has been graphically described 
by Humboldt : 
“From half after two in the morning the 
most extraordinary luminary meteors were 
seen in the direction of the east. M. Bonp- 
land, who had risen to enjoy the freshness of 
the air, perceived them first. Thousands of 
bodies and falling stars succeeded each other 
during the space of four hours. Their direc- 
tion was very regular from north to south. 
They filled a space in the sky extending from 
due east 30° to north and south. In an ampli- 
tude of 60° the meteors were seen to rise 
above the horizon at east-north-east, and at. 
east, to describe arcs more or less extended, 
and to fall towards the south, after having 
followed the direction of the meridian. Some 
of them attained a height of 40°, and all ex- 
ceeded 25° or 30°. No trace of clouds was to 
be seen. M. Bonpland states that, from the 
