XXX NOTES. 



hower of shooting stars of 11 12 November, 1799, a similar display liad 

 been seen. The earthquake, however, was not in November, but on the 21st 

 of October, 1766. It may still, perhaps, be possible for some traveller to 

 ascertain in Quito the precise day on which, during a whole hour, the volcano 

 of Cayamba appeared as if veiled by the number of falling stars, and the 

 alarmed inhabitants instituted processions. (Relat. Hist. T. i. Chap. iv. 

 p. 307; Chap. x. pp. 520 and 527.) 



f 6 ) p. 117. From a letter to myself, dated January 24, 1838. The 

 prodigious fall of shooting stars of November 1799, was seen almost exclu- 

 sively in America, where it was witnessed from Neu-Hcrrnhut in Greenland, 

 to the Equator. In 1831 and 1832, the phenomenon was seen in Europe, 

 and scarcely elsewhere; and, in 1833 and 1834, was seen only in the United 

 States of North America, 



( 77 ) p. 118. Lettre de M. Edouard Biot a M. Quetelet sur les anciennes 

 apparitions d'etoiles filantes en Chine ; Bulletin de 1' Academic de Bruxelles, 

 1843, T. x No. 7, p. 8. On the notice from the Chronicon Ecclesise Pragensis, 

 see Boguslawski (the son), in. Poggend. Annalen, Bd. xlviii. S. 612. Add to 

 Note 42, that the paths of the four comets of 568, 574, 1337, and 1385, 

 have also been calculated exclusively from Chinese observations. See John 

 .Russell Hind, in Schumacher's Astronomische Nachricten, 1844, Nr. 498. 



( rs ) p. 118. "II paroit qu' tin nombre, qui semble mtpuisable, de corps 

 trop petits pour etre observes, se meuveut dans le ciel, soit autour du soleil, 

 soit autour dcs planetes, soit peut-etre meme autour dc-s satellites. On suppose 

 qne quand ces corps sont rencontres par notre atmosphere, la difference entre 

 lent Vitesse et celle de notre planete est assez grand pour que le frottement 

 qu'ils t'prouvent centre Pair, les echaufle au point de les rendre mcandcscents, 

 et quelquefois de les laire eclater. Si le groupe des etoiles filautes forme un 

 anneau continu autour du soleil, sa vitesse de circulation pourra etre tres 

 diflercnte de celle de la terre, et ses deplacemeus dans le ciel, par suite des 

 actions plauetaires, pourront eucore rendre possible on impossible, a diflerentes 

 tpoqucs, le phtiiomtne de la rencontre dans la plan del'ecliptique." (Poisson, 

 Etchtrtb.es sur la Probabilite des Jugemeuts, pp. 306 307.) 



C 79 ) p. 119. Humboldt, Essai polilique sur la Nouvelle Espagne (2 m edit.) 

 T. iii. p. 310. 



C*) p. 119. Pliny has remarked the peculiar colour of the crust of aerolites, 

 " colore adusto" (ii. 56 and 58). The expression "lateribus pluisse," also 

 refers to the burnt appearance of their exterior. 



() j. 120. Humboldt, Rel. Hist. T. ii. Chop. xx. pp. 299302. 



