386 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 17 5Q. 



that the hinder part or train emitted large sparks or globules of flame, such as 

 are seen to fall from a sky-rocket, when it begins lo break ; that its altitude 

 was about '24°, which Mr. S. had taken with an instrument afterwards ; that 

 they lost sight of it before it was extinguished, by a steeple that stood in the 

 way ; that its head or fore-part appeared somewhat broader than the full moon. 

 When Dr. Stedman sent this account, he had omitted taking the bearings ; 

 but, in his next letter, he said, he had supplied that defect, and found, that the 

 first appearance to the observers (when the meteor came from behind the build- 

 ing that intercepted the sight of it,) had been about south by east 4- east ; and 

 that it had disappeared behind the steeple at about south by west ^ west ; that, 

 during this short course, it neither seemed to them to ascend nor descend. 



25. One Mr. Cairns (a young man then appointed surgeon's mate to one of 

 the regiments at Gibraltar,) stated, that he had seen the meteor ; that he was 

 then in the shop of Mr. Oliphant, surgeon-apothecary at Culross (a town about 

 19 miles w. N. w. of Edinburgh ;) that Mr. Oliphant and he were surprised by 

 a sudden glare of light from the street, coming as it were, in successive flashes, 

 but without any intervals of darkness i that they both ran out, and observed a 

 ball of fire moving, with great velocity, in a direction nearly from the south- 

 east to the north-west ; that its height seemed to be considerable ; but they had 

 not seen it to the last, by reason of some houses on the north side of the street, 

 which stood in their way ; that it was somewhat of a less size than that of the 

 full moon, when about the same height above the horizon ; and of an oval 

 figure, with the longest diameter in the course of its direction. He observed 

 no tail, nor sparks of fire issuing from it ; but said, that some people of the 

 town had taken notice of the latter ; that the meteor itself was of a reddish 

 fiery colour, though the reflection of the light from the streets was of a yellowish 

 cast ; that he heard no explosion himself, and had met with none who pretended 

 to have heard any noise, either during the appearance of the body, or after its 

 extinction. The duration he made about 13 seconds; which gives its rate of 

 motion from Cambridge to Fort William, a space of 400 miles, about 30 miles 

 in 1 second of time. 



26. Dr. P. wrote to Dr. Simson, professor of medicine in the university of 

 St. Andrew's, (which lies about 31 miles n. k. by n. of Edinburgh,) who an- 

 swered, that his family had been alarmed by the light, and that one of them 

 cried out, the heavens were all on fire ; that his son (a minister) happened, at 

 the first appearance of the light, to be standing close by a south window, and 

 saw the meteor like a ball of fire, but of an oval figure, with its longest axis ii> 

 the direction of its course, of a size equal to that of the full moon at her greatest 



