24 Dr. Walter Flight — History of Meteorites. 



resemblance to the aerolites of Pultusk (30th January, 1868). The 

 density of the meteorite is 3*747 ; it gelatinizes with acid, giving 

 off hydrogen-sulphide. Pisani states that the iron sulphide is not 

 attracted by the magnet ; he has, however, given it in the form of 

 magnetic pyrites in the following total composition of the stone : 



Nickel-iron 20-50 



Magnetic pyrites (?) 5-45 



Dissolved silicate 34-60 



Undissolved silicate 40*22 



100-77 



The nickel-iron is composed of : 



Iron = 9244 Nickel = 7'56 =100-00 



and the silicates of : 



Si0 2 A1 2 3 FeO MgO CaO Na 3 



A. Soluble ... 29-04 2-98 22-31 42-95 1-36 1-36 = 100-00 



B. Insoluble... 56-94 5-37 9-89 21-93 3-53 2-34 =100-00 



1869, September 19th, 9 p.m — Tjabe, near Pandangan, 

 Bodgo-Negoro, in Residence Rembang, Java. 1 



A meteor, the brilliancy of which is stated to have surpassed that 

 of the moon, was seen about nine in the evening to move in a north- 

 easterly direction over the village of Tjabe. It was observed at 

 Pandangan, the chief place of the district, as well as at Bodgo-Negoro, 

 chief town of the division, lying east of Pandangan. At the same 

 time a meteorite fell at Tjabe, at a distance of about twenty metres 

 from the house of a native named Sokromo. The sound following 

 the appearance of the meteor is described as an explosion, as loud as 

 that of a cannon, followed by a noise resembling that caused by a 

 carriage crossing a bridge ; this lasted some time. The villagers 

 sought in vain for the spot where the meteorite fell ; at six o'clock 

 next morning, however, it was found at the place already mentioned, 

 at a depth of two feet in soil which had been hardened with a long- 

 drought. According to the report drawn up by the President of 

 Eembang, it was remarked by the villagers that the aerolite, when 

 found, was still so hot that it could not be touched with the hand. 

 This statement, however, must be received with caution. 



This stone, the only one found, weighed about 20 kilogrammes. It 

 is covered with a dull greyish black crust, 0*5 mm. in thickness ; 

 the fresh fracture is dark gr*ey, and exhibits a number of brilliant 

 points : here and there brilliant plates 1 mm. square are met with, 

 as well as a small number of very dark, almost black, grains of 

 spherical form, with a diameter of about 2 mm. The mass of the 

 stone is coarsely granular, and is so very hard that portions are only 

 detached with a hammer with great difficulty. 



The specific gravity of the metallic portion is 6*8 ; the magnet 

 removed 14 per cent, constituents, which consist of two alloys of 

 nickel-iron, containing respectively 6*2 and 12*5 per cent, of nickel ; 

 in one portion of the stone was found 6 *17 per cent, of troilite. The 

 density of the stone is 3 -695. 



1 E. H. von Baumhauer. Archives Neerlandaises, vi. No. 4 (1871). — Gr. A. 

 Daubree. Compt. rend., 1871, 16th December. 



