266 METEORS AND AEROLITES. 



Cholula in Mexico, have all the same history annexed to 

 them. They fell from heaven, and were venerated in the 

 divine origin thus presumed. These falling stones, however, 

 though more wonderful in many respects, were much less 

 frequent than the meteoric lights which blazed before the 

 eyes of nations ; and their fall was for the most part very 

 vaguely recorded. As we shall see afterwards, it is only 

 within the last sixty years that science has fully admitted 

 them within her pale ; reluctantly, it may almost be said, 

 as well as tardily ; and resting even more on proofs furnished 

 by the physical characters of the bodies themselves, than on 

 the historical evidence of their descent. 



Nevertheless, it is chiefly to the recognition of these 

 Aerolites or falling stones, that we owe the zealous scientific 

 research which has since been given to the subject of 

 Meteors at large. However wonderful these phenomena 

 might be in themselves, their aspects and periods were 

 seemingly so irregular as to render them insusceptible 

 of that classification of facts which is the basis of all true 

 science. The untutored gaze of the multitude was for ages 

 as productive of results as the observation of the naturalist ; 

 and -until very recently the theories of the latter scarcely 

 went beyond certain vague notions of inflammable gases 

 or electrical actions in the atmosphere. The bog-vapour 

 kindled above the earth instead of on its surface and yet 

 more the phenomenon of lightning under its various 

 aspects offered explanations just plausible enough to 

 check all further investigation; and when Dr. Franklin 

 (little more than a hundred years ago) first drew electrical 

 sparks from a thunder-cloud, it seemed as if a sufficient 

 cause for meteoric appearances had been fully obtained. 

 Yet, though the dominion of this great element of Elec- 

 tricity has been extending itself to our knowledge ever 

 since, we shall presently see that other causes are here 



