30 REPORT ISGl. 



No, 2. — The following accounts of the remarkable meteor of June 1 1 th, 

 1845, of which some descriptions have already been published in preceding 

 Reports, have been forwarded to us, as first seen by the Rev. F. Hawletr, 

 F.R.A.S., near Adalia, Asia Minor: — 



1. Towards the close of the 18th we started, after one of the sultriest days 

 I almost ever experienced; at 11 a.m. the thermometer was 98° in the coolest 

 part of Mr. Purdie's house, whilst not a breath of wind was astir. I know 

 not whether the stagnant heat may have contributed to the occurrence of a 

 very splendid meteor which we witnessed that evening. We had entered the 

 mountainous district north-west of Adalia, the sun had recently set in a per- 

 fectly cloudless sky, and the twilight was coming on, when there suddenly burst 

 out in the north a meteor that resembled in appearance a bright but perma- 

 nent flash of lightning, whose upper extremity lay a little to the east of the 

 pole-star. The length of the flasii, as near as I could judge, was about 50° — 

 certainly more than half the space between the zenith and the horizon 

 (sloping downwards towards the west of north) ; and that M'hich I presumed 

 was the vapour resulting from the explosion presented for several minutes 

 the same shape as the original flash, and being strongly illumined (as I took 

 it) by the upslanting rays of the vanished sun, appeared about the bright- 

 ness of the rising moon, which was then about at the full. Absorbed as we 

 all were by the magnificence of the spectacle, which elicited from the Turks 

 repeated cries of "Allah, Allah," 1 forgot to note by my watch the time whicli 

 might elapse until an explosion should be audible, and was only reminded of 

 the omission upon hearing a dull heavy report like that of a distant piece of 

 ordnance boom on ray ear, after an interval we then judged of some 7 or 8 

 minutes. According to this estimate, the sound, if it came to us from the 

 meteor, and which (it was so peculiar) I think was the case, must have 

 travelled to us from a distance of 90 miles (sound travelling 1140 feet per 

 second), and owing to the altitude of the meteor must have had its origin in 

 the highest and rarest regions of our atmosphere. 



This brilliant visitant gradually appeared to grow larger and more diffuse, 

 as to breadth more particularly, and at last to break up into detached por- 

 tions, which were beautifully decked in luminous colours of red, orange, and 

 silvery green. Finally the coloured portions, having taken meanwhile a 

 slightly westerly course, by degrees faded away, having continued visible at 

 least 20 minutes to half an hour. We were informed that the meteor was 

 sc'^n at Philadelphia (160 miles west). 



2. From ' Malta Mail.' 



The brig 'Victoria' saw this extraordinary appearance when in latitude 

 36° 40' 56" north, and longitude 13° 44' 36" east, being becalmed and without 

 any appearance of bad weather ; her topgallant and royal masts suddenly 

 went over the side, as if carried away by a sudden squall; and two hours after 

 it blew very hard from south and east, but suddenly again fell calm, with an 

 overpowering stench of sulphur and an unbearable heat. At this moment three 

 luminous bodies were seen to issue from the sea at the distance of about half 

 a mile from the vessel, which remained visible for about 10 minutes ; soon 

 after it came on to blow hard from the south-east, and the vessel ran into a 

 current of air the reverse of that just experienced (900 miles west of Adalia). 



3. Letter from Amab, on Mount Lebanon. 



On the same day, about half an hour after sunset (very nearly the same 

 time), the heavens presented an extraordinary and beautiful appearance. A 

 fiery meteor, composed of two luminous bodies, each appearing at least five 

 times larger than the moon, with streamers and appendages to each, joining 

 the two, and looking like large flags blown out by a gentle breeze, appeared in 



