Meteoric Observations at Canton^ in August, 1839. 305 



" There can be no question that the meteors of the night of the 

 11th of August, (1839,) exceeded the usual number. They at- 

 tracted the notice of Europeans and Chinese, whose attention had 

 not been called to the subject. Several friends watched on the 

 night of the 12th from 9 P. M. till 2 A. M. (I3th) and saw only 

 about half a dozen meteors. I have repeatedly looked out since 

 the 11th, [up to the 28th, the last date of the letter,] and have 

 seen but very few meteors. 



" The most casual observer on the lOlh and 11th could not fail 

 to notice that the great majority of the meteors were from the 

 constellation Cassiopeia. One of the three meteors seen at 1 h. 

 55m. of the morning of the 12th, was exceedingly beautiful. 

 Starting apparently from the neighborhood of this constellation, 

 it resembled a broad stream of burning phosphorus, until it de- 

 scended within about 25° of the horizon. There it exploded, ex- 

 hibiting a beautiful brilliant light, resembling the combustion of 

 iodide of phosphorus, but far exceeding any thing of the kind 

 ever witnessed in our laboratories. A white phosphoric color 

 characterized the majority. 



" In watching these phenomena, a person might easily receive 

 the impression that they resulted from some combustible mate- 

 rial in our atmosphere, which gradually accumulated until it took 

 fire. Although the meteors were occasionally scattered along at 

 intervals of a minute, yet more frequently they appeared in clus- 

 ters about ev^ery five minutes. The majority of those from the 

 vicinity of Cassiopeia took a Southerly or South-westerly course, 

 but still while this region was the common starting point, the di- 

 rections of many seem to be determined by no obvious law. 

 Surely the South wind on this occasion had no influence, unless 

 by the ' rule of contrary.' 



"I may here mention that on the evening of the 12th of Au- 

 gust, (following the evenings of the meteors,) about sunset, the 

 wind was squally from the South, and the clouds were of a pe- 

 culiar auburn tinge, approaching to a whitish red. This contin- 

 ued for two or three hours, when the clouds passed away, and a 

 pleasant day succeeded. The same was the case after the mete- 

 ors seen here in November, 1838. The coincidence may be quite 

 accidental and unimportant, but the facts are perhaps worth men- 

 tioning. 



Vol. XXXVIII. No. 2.— Jan. -March, 1840. 39 



