110 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 1714. 



cannon ball ; and how this impetus should be determined in a direction so 

 nearly parallel to the horizon; and what sort of substance it must be, that could 

 be so impelled and ignited at the same time : there being no volcano, or other 

 spiraculum of subterraneous fire, in the N. E. parts of the world, that we ever 

 yet heard of, from whence it might be projected. 



I have much considered this appearance, and think it one of the hardest 

 things to account for, that I have yet met with in the phaenomena of meteors, 

 and am induced to think that it must be some collection of matter formed in 

 the aether, as it were by some fortuitous concourse of atoms, and that the earth 

 met with it as it passed along in its orb, then but newly formed, and before it 

 had conceived any impetus of descent towards the sun. For its direction was 

 exactly opposite to that of the earth, which made an angle with the meridian 

 at that time (the sun being in about 1 1 degrees of Aries) of d?'^, that is, its 

 course was from W.S.W. to E.N. E. so that the meteor seemed to move the 

 contrary way. And besides, falling into the power of the earth's gravity, and 

 losing its motion from the opposition of the medium, it seems that it descend- 

 ed towards the earth, and was extinguished in the Tyrrhene Sea, to the W.S.W. 

 of Leghorn. The great report being heard on its first emersion into the water, 

 and the rattling, like the driving a cart over stones, being what succeeded 

 on its quenching ; something like which is always observed on quenching a 

 very hot iron in water. These facts being past dispute, I would be glad to 

 have the opinion of the learned on them, and what objection can be reason- 

 ably made against the abovesaid hypothesis, which I humbly submit to their 

 censure. 



P. S. Since this was written, there has fallen into my hands an account of 

 nearly such another appearance, seen in Germany, in the year 1686, at Leipsic, 

 by the late Mr. Gottfried Kirch, who was for many years a very diligent ob- 

 server of the heavens, and was perfectly well instructed in astronomical matters. 

 In an appendix to his Ephemerides for the year 1688, he gives this remarkable 

 account of it. " On the gth of July, O. S. at half an hour past one in the 

 morning, a fire ball with a tail was observed, in S-J- degrees of Aquarius, and 

 4° north, which continued immoveable for half a quarter of an hour, having a 

 diameter nearly equal to half the moon's diameter. At first its light was so 

 great, that we could see to read by it : after which, it gradually vanished in its 

 place. This phenomenon was observed at the same time in several other places, 

 especially at Schlaitza, a town distant from Dantzic 1 1 German miles towards 

 the south, its altitude being about 60" above the southern horizon." 



At the time of this appearance the sun was in 26-1-° o( Cancer, and by the 



