18 BRILLIANT METEORS. 



the remaining portion of two or three being a 

 sandy mud, apparently of the consistency of clay 

 and of a light grey colour. The position of this 

 well is in a small valley at the east end of the first 

 sandy bay within Point Emery, in the centre of 

 which the observations were made, placing it in 

 latitude 12° 27' 45", longitude P 19' 40", E. of Port 

 Essington. 



On this beach several unsuccessful hauls were 

 made with the seine, though a few rare and curious 

 fish were taken, which Lieutenant Emery added to 

 his collection of coloured drawings of Australian 

 fish ; some of them will be found in the appendix 

 to this volume. Mr. Bynoealso obtained specimens 

 of one or two rare birds ; the large red-necked 

 vampire of the Adelaide River, and the cream- 

 coloured pigeon before alluded to, were also seen by 

 him, being the farthest south the latter was met 

 with by us. 



Some brilliant meteors were observed during our 

 stay, one in particular on the evening of the 20th, 

 in the W. N. W. It fell from the zenith at an 

 angle of about twenty degrees from a vertical line. 

 The descent was marked by a long train of light, 

 visible ten seconds, while others of less brilliancy 

 followed from the same place within an hour. 

 Again on the 23rd, was the dark vault of heaven 

 illumined about the same time in a similar manner, 

 as well as on the 28th ; the number of meteors being 

 the same on each day. 



