340 Lowell. — Geological Facts. 



between their appearance, but their flights were evidently directed, 

 like those of the' meteors of 1833, from a fixed point; and not a 

 single meteor that i saw, except the two or three stragglers ni«i- 

 tioned above, deviated from this regimen. There could be no 

 question also, that this fixed point was in the constellation Leo, and 

 was either in the same spot with tlie "radiant" of last year, or in 

 the vicinity of it: but as no meteors described their paths very near 

 to the constellation Leo, I was not able to fix the point within seve- 

 ral degrees. 



I have not formed a decided opinion whether this whole display 

 is to be considered a slight recurrence of the meteoric phenomenon 

 of November 13th, 1833, or not. It certainly possessed, on a 

 greatly diminished scale, the same general character. There was, 

 to say the least, upon tliis latter morning, such a regularity and unity 

 in the assemblage of phenomena as, when coupled with the magni- 

 tude of the meteors, to give the impression of an uncommon and re- 

 markable display . 



The zodiacal light was all the time visible, about as high as the 

 neck of " the Lion," but far less bright than on the morning of the 

 ninth. 

 West Point, Dcceinijci- 2iicl. 1831. 



Art. XXn. — Lowell. 



Geological Facts. 



Lowell is a flourishing manufacturing town, situated upon the Mer- 

 rimack river, in Massachusetts, twenty four miles north from Bos- 

 ton. Altliough it has grown up within twelve or thirteen years, it 

 contains as many thousand inhabitants, and is constantly increasing. 



During a residence there of a few weeks, in the months of August 

 and September, 1834, the following observations were made on the 

 geology of Lowell and its vicinit}^ 



This region is based upon primary rocks — among which granite, 

 gneiss, mica slate and other varieties of slaty strata, are the most 

 conspicuous. 



Within ten or fifteen miles of Lowell, we find all these rocks, in 

 place, besides innumerable boulders, among which all the primary 

 rocks are observed. 



