Ill 



THE NOVEMBER METEORS. 



DURING November 13 and 14 the earth is passing through 

 the region along which lies the course of the family of 

 meteors called the Leonides, sometimes familiarly known as 

 the November meteors. When at this time of the year the 

 meteor region thus traversed by the earth is densely strewn 

 with meteors, there occurs a display of falling stars, one of 

 the most beautiful, and, rightly understood, one of the most 

 remarkable of all celestial phenomena. Of old, indeed, 

 when it was supposed that these meteors were purely 

 meteorological phenomena, they were not thought specially 

 interesting objects. They were held by some as mere 

 weather-portents. It was only when a storm of wind was 

 approaching, vento impendent^ according to Virgil, that a 

 shower of meteors was to be seen. Gross ignorance, 

 indeed, has given to showers of falling stars an interest sur- 

 passing even that which has become attached to them 

 through the discoveries of modern science, for they have 

 been regarded as portending the end of the world. The 

 shower of November 13, 1833, which was seen in great 

 splendour in America, frightened the negroes of the 

 Southern States nearly out of their wits. A planter of 

 South Carolina relates that he was awakened by shrieks of 

 horror and cries for mercy from 600 or 700 negroes. When 

 he went out to see what was the matter, he found the negroes 

 prostrate on the ground, 'some speechless, some with bit- 

 terest cries imploring God to spare the world and them,' 



