Chap. 1 2.] Extraordinary Metscrs. 489 



-date this part of the fubjeft, than by preferring my 

 readers with a mort abftract of this very curious and 

 learned memoir. 



The firft of the two meteors in queftion was feea 

 on the 1 8th of Atiguft, and was, in appearance, a lu- 

 minous ball, which rofe in the N. N. W. nearly round ; 

 it, however, foon became elliptical, and gradually 

 affumed a .tail as it afcended, and, in a certain part of 

 its courfe, feemed to undergo a remarkable change, 

 compared to buifting; after which it proceeded no 

 longer as an entire mafs, but was apparently divided 

 into a clufter of balls of different magnitudes, and all 

 carrying or leaving a train behind, till, having palled 

 the eaft, and verging confiderably to the fouth, it gra- 

 dually defcended, and was loft out of. fight. The time 

 of its appearance was about fixteen minutes paft nine 

 in the evening, and it was vifible about half a minute. 

 It was feen in all parts of Great Britain, at Paris, at 

 Nuits in Burgundy, and even at Rome, and is fuppofed 

 to have defcribed a tract of one thoufand miles atleafl 

 over the furface of the earth. It appears to have burft 

 and re-united feveral times; and the firft burfting of it 

 which was noticed feems to have been fome where over 

 jLincolnfhire s perhaps near the commencement of the 

 fens. This change in the meteor correfponds with 

 the period in which it iuffered a deviation from its 

 courie. If, indeed, the explofion was any kind of 

 effort, we cannot wonder that the body mould be di- 

 verted by it from its direct line j and, on the other 

 hand, it feems equally probable, that if it was forced 

 by any caufe to change its direction, the confequence 

 would naturally be a leparation of its parts. 



The illumination of thefe meteors is often fo great 

 as totally to obliterate the ftars, to make the moon 

 look dull, and even to affect the fpectarors like the 



fun 



