METEORS AND AEROLITES. 271 



disdained. In this case the research, if successful, would be 

 of interest enough for both history and science to perpetuate 

 the name of the discoverer.* 



While the writers of Greece and Kome, as well as of the 

 middle ages of Europe, furnish us only with scattered notices 

 of these aerolites, it is far otherwise with the Chinese ; that 

 singular people, whose language, institutions, and methods 

 of thought might almost suggest them as a race of men 

 struck off from some other planet. There exist in China 

 authentic catalogues of the remarkable meteors of all classes, 

 aerolites included, which have appeared there during a period 

 of 2,400 years. To give an idea of the minuteness of these 

 records (the translation of which we owe to the lamented 

 Ed. Biot) it is enough to mention that in the three cen- 

 turies from A.D. 960 to 1270 not fewer than 1,479 meteors 

 are registered by the Chinese observers, who seem to have 



* Though the locality of this stone is not further indicated than by the state- 

 ment of its fall at -ZEgospotamos, yet the invariable manner in which it is thus 

 described defines tolerably well the district to be examined. "We learn from 

 the old geographers that there was a town called ^Egospotami on the shores 

 of the Hellespont, and we may infer a stream or streams, from which its name 

 was derived. The description of the naval fight and the situation relatively 

 to Lampsacus (the modern LamsaJci] further define the locality within certain 

 limits. The traveller devoting himself to the research might make his head- 

 quarters at various places near to the spot in question. He should render 

 himself previously familiar with the aspect of meteoric stones, as now seen in 

 every Museum and Mineralogical collection. He should study the character 

 of the rocks and fragmentary masses in the vicinity, so as more readily to ap- 

 preciate the differences of aspect. He must expect the possibility of a small 

 part only of the mass appearing above the surface ; and his eye must be awake 

 and active for any such partial appearances. If the stone sought for were 

 wholly concealed by alluvial deposits, the research would be vain, unless happily 

 aided by some local traditions, as we have noticed above. 



Had not my own voyages been necessarily rapid, and the time of year un- 

 favourable, I should have taken some shame to myself for having three times 

 passed the Dardanelles without halting on this spot. The autumnal months 

 must be avoided, as the malaria fever is always rife at this season on the shores 

 of the strait. 



"We can hardly hope to recover any remnant of the great stone which was 

 seen to fall at Narni, A.D. 921, and is described as projecting four feet above 

 the water of the river into which it fell. 



