VOL. LI.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 37Q 



The colour of the tail was a duskish red, about the colour of red-hot iron, all of 

 a breadth, not pointed. When the liead was about 6° or 7° high,* the tail 

 burst, as the informer expressed it, and the brightness of the light dazzled his 

 eyes ; after which the tail disappeared, and in the room of it there were 3 stars, 

 all contained within the compass of a little more than one degree from the head; 

 and they, together with the head, descended, keeping their due distance, till 

 below the horizon. The diameter of these stars was nearly the same with the 

 diameter of the tail, viz. about 3' ; but they were of the same colour as the head. 

 The brightness of the light was so great, that one might see to pick up a pin, 

 and some noise was heard; but of this latter at least Mr. M. was a little doubtful. 



6. Pursuing the progress of the meteor northward, the next information was 

 from Manchester. Mr. Lloyd of that place, f.r.s. wrote, that though it had 

 been seen there by several, the only tolerable account he could send was from 

 Lord Derby's head-gardener; who said, ' As he was returning from Liverpool to 

 Knowsley (a place at 7 or 8 miles distance), about 8 in the evening, he was 

 surprised by a sudden glare of light; and that he soon saw a ball of fire appear- 

 ing, of half the breadth of the moon, moving horizontally eastward, a little in- 

 clined to the north, with a hissing noise: that a train of light, like a tail, fol- 

 lowed it, which being soon collected into the body, it burst, and part seemed to 

 fall down like stars, and the rest vanished. He thought the whole appearance 

 continued about 2 minutes. — 7* Mr. Lloyd added what follows from near Liver- 

 pool. * On Sunday last was seen by several credible persons, between Q and 10 

 o'clock at night, a ball of fire, which arose in the east, and appeared to increase 

 in size for some time, and then burst, without noise. Its direction was to the 

 northward.' 



8.Cdckermouth, in Cumberland, is about 86 miles north by west of Liverpool. 

 Mr. Muncaster ot that town says, ' that the meteor passed over that place about 

 9 in the evening, with a very great velocity, towards the n.w. ; that it gave so 

 strong a light, that the smallest thing might have been seen on the pavement; 

 and that it disappeared in less than a minute: that the globe of fire appeared as 

 large as the moon when she is high, but much brighter; and had a tail of a 

 conical form ; but that they did not observe any sparks or stars fall from it, like 

 those which are seen on the bursting of a rocket ; nor did they hear any ex- 

 plosion.' 



g. From Carlisle, which lies about 26 miles n.e. of Cockermouth, the account 

 received was more particular, and was from Mr. James Hewit, wine-merchant 



• Supposing this angle of elevation just, the real height of the meteor, when the tail broke off, 

 over the shire of Lanerk in Scotland, was about 42 miles, allowing for the curvature of the earth. 

 —Grig. 



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