On the Meteors of ISth J\ovember. 381 



immediate])' on the passage of the meteor a serpentine form, and 

 diffusing a light upon the earth fully equal to that of the full moon, 

 and remaining intense at least for forty or fifty seconds." 



11. Phenomena as observed ?it BoivUng Green, Missouri, Lat. 

 39° 20' N., Lon. 91° W., as published in the Salt River Journal of 

 Nov. 20th. (Communicated to Professor Silliman.) 



"On Wednesday morning the 13ih inst., from four o'clock until day 

 light, a most sublime Phenomenon continued to present itself in the 

 sky, and vs^as beheld by most of our citizens. VVe were awakened, 

 and told that the stars were falling, and flying in all directions of the 

 heavens ; and knowing that the individual who awakened us, was a 

 person of observation and science, we instantly hurried from our 

 room, for the purpose of witnessing a spectacle so extraordinary, and 

 found what had been told to us, had the full appearance of being a 

 reality. 



This place, situated on an elevated point of an extensive prairie, 

 presents an unbroken view of the horizon, and afforded an excellent 

 opportunity of beholding this Phenomenon in all its various aspects, 

 and impressive sublimity. The most perfect master of language 

 would fail of conveying to others a full picture of this extraordinary 

 and uncommon appearance, and vain would be his attempt to express 

 the sensations of its beholders. 



Above all, around the firmament — thicker than the stars them- 

 selves, which were uncommonly bright, large and beautiful — we be- 

 held innumerable fire-balls of a whitish pallid color, rushing down, 

 and to appearance across the sky — drawing after them, long lumin- 

 ous traces, which clothed the whole heaven in awful majesty, and 

 gave to the air, and earth, a pale and death like appearance. 



Our first look, after a common glance, was directly above to the 

 zenith, and at that instant, an inconceivable number of meteors, or 

 falling stars, as though the sky had just received a mighty shock, 

 burst from the blue and cloudless arch, which never appeared more 

 clear, and shot like so many burning arrows, towards every part of 

 the horizon. We next turned our eyes to the west, and to appear- 

 ance they were flying or floating with great rapidity in that direction ; 

 but we soon learned, to whatever point we turned, to that point, they 

 seemed to direct their course. — This we think, affords sufficient evi- 

 dence to induce the belief, that those luminous bodies were situated 

 in the most elevated regions of the atmosphere — that they were di- 

 rectly descending, but in consequence of the density of the air, ex- 

 pired before they reached the earth. 



They continued till near day light when they gradually disappear- 

 ed, but we are informed that some were seen shortly after sunrise. 



