VOL. XLI.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 541 



powder-mills had been blown up ; and they are no bad judges in such kind of 

 blasts, having been more than once alarmed with them, by the powder-mills in 

 the neighbourhood. A countryman, at work in the fields, about 7 miles north 

 of us, saw a flash of lightning before he heard the noise, but Mr. F. cannot 

 answer for the truth of it. It is very easy to imagine, that fancy and fear in 

 a poor countryman on such an uncommon occasion, might conjure up the idea 

 of lightning. If it was thunder and lightning, the effects of it must be very 

 terrible somewhere ; for it gave the same report, and shook all the houses just 

 in the same manner, that were about 20 miles distant from one another north 

 and south ; which is an argument that it was more general than thunder can 

 possibly be. 



Concerning the same Meteor, seen in Kent. By the Rev. William Gostling. 



On the 11th Dec. 1741, about one in the afternoon, Mr. G.'s house was 

 violently shaken for some seconds of time, as if several loaded carriages had 

 been driving against his walls ; and he heard a noise, which at first the family 

 took for thunder, but of an uncommon sound ; but Mr. G. concluded it an 

 earthquake : and, going immediately to the top of the house, found the sky 

 cloudy, but nothing like a thunder cloud in view ; only there was a shower of 

 rain from the eastward presently after, and the coldest that he has felt. But 

 since he finds it was attended (and he supposes caused) by a ball of fire, which 

 passed with great rapidity over the country, from westward to eastward. It 

 began with two great blows, like the reports of a cannon, which the jumbling 

 of the sashes prevented him distinguishing; and then rolled away till it was 

 heard no more. The appearance, it seems, was as that of a very large shoot- 

 ing-star ; and it left a train of light, which soon disappeared, it being noon 

 day. He met a pilot 2 days after, coming from Deal, who told him he saw no 

 fire-ball, but heard the noise, and that it made the ship shake he was in, going 

 from Gravesend to the Nore. 



BND OF THE FORTY-PIRST VOLUME OP THE ORIGINAL. 



Concerning the Fire-ball seen in the Air, and a great Explosion heard, Dec. 1 1, 

 1741. By Mr. Christopher Mason. N°46a, p. 1. Fol.XLJI.AnnolJdl. 



On that day, at Bucksteep, Sussex, about a quarter before one o'clock in the 

 afternoon, Mr. M. observed a very dark uncommon appearance in the north, 

 and at the same time the sun shone bright at his back ; when, on a sudden^ 



