OBSERVATIONS OF LUMINOUS METEORS. l'J3 



attention of soveral observers, who saw the stone strike the branch of a 

 tree, which it broke ; then fall to the ground, penetrating it slightly and 

 melting the snow which lay on the frozen surface. The meteorito was picked 

 up immediately afterwards, and a portion of it has been sunt to him for 

 examination. 



1S77, January 23rd (afternoon). — Cynthiana, Kentucky*. 

 [Lat. 38° 25', long. 84° 15'.] 



A meteorite was seen to fall to the ground, at a spot a few miles north of 

 Cynthiana, on the afternoon of the above day. It penotrated the soil to the 

 depth of thirteen inches, and the fall was accompanied by " great atmospheric 

 disturbance." An observer close at hand immediately dug it up. It weighs 

 15 lbs. 



1877, March 16th, 8 p.m.— Uitcnhage, Cape of Good Hope, 8. Africa f. 



A magnificont fireball, such as few would ever see in a lifetime, made its 

 appearance in the East, " coming out of the eastern horizon " at Uitcnhage, 

 " and travelling slowly across the firmament in an oblique direction to the west- 

 ward, when it burst, sending forth streams of fire, as if from a hundred 

 rockets, and then was heard alow rumbling noise as of thunder in the distance. 

 The meteor appeared to be nearly if not quite as large as the full moon, 

 but not round, more of an oblong shape, and while travelling through the air 

 it very much resembled a large turpentine ball. It gave forth a bright 

 bluish light, which lit up the whole sky, and you could distinguish every thing 

 around you for miles as plainly as in the daytime." Native Hottentots and 

 Kaffirs, the account adds, were so terrified that they sought refuge in the nearest 

 houses, and the apparition of the fireball was regarded by them as a warning 

 of approaching famine, drought, or some other calamity. None of them had 

 ever seen a meteor of any thing like the size or half so brilliant as the present 

 one. The oxen in the waggons stopped on the road and could not for some 

 time be got to start again, others turned round, snapped off the dissclbooms 

 of the waggons, and bolted for some distance into the bush. The consterna- 

 tion was general in the country round Uitcnhage. The illumination lasted 

 nearly a minute, and the light was such that it dazzled the eyes of all who 

 saw it. The events recorded took place on a beautiful starlight evening. 



1877, June 12th, 9.15 p.m. — A largo meteor passed over Indiana, in the 

 United States J. It did not detonate. 



* J. L. Smith, ' Amer. Journ. Be' 1877, vol. xiii. p. 243, and vol. siv. p. 225. 



t 'The Times,' London, May 21, 1*77. 



I D. Kirkvvood, 'Auier. Journ. So.' 1877, vol. xiv. p. 163. 



1877. 



