VOL. LI.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 383 



about 9 at night he happened to be out, and on returning to his house, and just 

 entering the threshold, the whole side of the house became suddenly enlightened 

 and with a brightness as of sun-shine. His back being towards the place whence 

 the light came, he quickly turned about to see what might be the cause of it, 

 and then beheld a globe of fire about the size of the crown of his cap, directing 

 its course towards him as he thought. He scarcely had time to think, when it 

 passed by him to the north-west with a very great swiftness, and very high in 

 the air, viz. 58*^ high, as afterwards measured by Mr. P. When it came 

 opposite to the gabel end of the dwelling-house, he then discovered its true 

 figure : it was perfectly round at the great end, which went foremost, and 

 tapered 3 or 4 yards in length. Being resolved to see it as long as he could, and 

 fearing the wall and roof of his house might intercept the view, he moved 6 or 

 7 yards farther oft^" the house, keeping his eye fixed on the meteor, and ob- 

 served that it had not gone above a quarter of a mile, when one-third towards 

 the small end broke oft"; which third separated into sparks of fire, resembling 

 stars, and immediately vanished. Soon after the remaining body vanished also, 

 directly to the north-westward of his house, and the former darkness returned. 

 The time; of the meteor's appearance, during his observation, might be near a 

 minute. After he had been in the house about 5 minutes, he heard a noise, 

 like a clap of thunder, of some continuance ; and, on his daughter's saying 

 there is thunder, he said that could not be ; for that he had seen no clouds 

 when he was out. On this he went out again, and found no clouds, but clear 

 star-light. Several of his neighbours in the village of Ancram (which lies about 

 300 or 400 yards from him a little westerly of the south, and over the middle of 

 which the meteor passed, according to his imagination,) likewise saw the meteor, 

 and heard the report. One of them in particular said, that the noi se came from 

 the fire as it went along. Another who heard the report, said it sounded to him 

 like a crashing noise, and in such a manner as made him imagine that the gabel- 

 end of his own and his neighbour's house, which were contiguous, had fallen 

 down. 



J 7 • After making a survey of the place, Mr. Priiigle got the farmer to point 

 to that part of the heavens to which he referred the meteor, when opposite to 

 the gabel-end of his house ; and the observer seeming to be well assured of the 

 place, Mr. Pringle took the altitude with an instrument, and found, after 3 

 trials, the height to be about 58°.* He concluded with saying that, in answer 

 to some more queries, the farmer had told him, that he had observed little 



* At this time the meteor must have been vertical, about 2 or 3 miles to the southward of Loch- 

 mabiuj a town in the shire of Dumfries distant from the observer about 37 miles, and from that 

 place where the tail afterwards broke off 31 miles. From the altitude here given. Dr. P. computed 

 the real height, at this place, to have been about 9 miles.— Orig. 



