PHENOMENON. 251 



verge on the summits of the mountains, the 

 densest portion of the cloud hanging over the 

 little town of Hanaruro. The wind was per 

 fectly calm, till on a sudden a violent gust blew 

 from the north-east, and at the same time a 

 crashing noise proceeded from the cloud, as if 

 many ships were firing their guns; the resem 

 blance was so perfect, that we might have sup 

 posed we heard alternately the individual shots 

 of the opposing broadsides. The concussion 

 lasted some minutes ; and when it ceased, two 

 stones shot from the cloud into the street of 

 Hanaruro, and from the violence of the fall 

 broke into several pieces. The inhabitants col 

 lected the still warm fragments, and judging by 

 these, the stones must have weighed full fifteen 

 pounds each. They were grey inside, and were 

 externally surrounded by a black burnt crust. 

 On a chemical analysis, they appeared to re 

 semble the meteoric stones which have fallen in 

 many countries. 



In the short period of our absence, some im- 

 portants events had taken place. My readers 

 will remember that the King and Queen of the 

 Sandwich Islands arrived safely in London, and 



