68 



point to bo in a line drawn from Spica to 6 Virginia, somewhat 

 nearer to Spica, say in R. A. 198°, S. Decl. 8°. The convergent 

 point was, therefore, in long. 19°.6, and lat. N. 0°.3, while the ob- 

 server's motion was towards a point of the ecliptic in long. 299°. 

 This gives a deflection of the path of the meteors, relatively to the 

 true path of the observer, of 80°.6 ; and hence their true velocity 

 cannot have been much less than that of the observer, or about sixteen 

 geographical miles per second. This observation of the convergent 

 point of these meteors, Mr. Walker regards as strongly confirmatory 

 of the cosmical theory of shooting stars ; inasmuch as it seems to de- 

 monstrate the existence in this group of a planetary velocity, like 

 that of the December group observed by Mr. Herrick in 1838, in a 

 direction normal to the observer's motion, and incapable of resulting 

 from it. 



Professor Forshey also observed the meteor shower of the 12th of 

 November, 1833 : he was then a cadet at West Point. While en- 

 gaged, long before dawn, in preparing his morning recitation, his at- 

 tention was caught by flashes of light at his window as if from light- 

 ning. The spectacle which met him on opening it, he describes as 

 one of singular and fearful sublimity, the whole sky streaming with 

 fire-balls, throwing a bright light upon the plain, and reflecting lurid- 

 ly against the mountains which enclose West Point. After a few 

 minutes, finding no intermission in the display, he roused his asso- 

 ciates to witness it; and the first sense of personal hazard yielding 

 to the remark, that none of the meteors (meteorites, as he then sup- 

 posed,) were actually descending into the plain, but that they became 

 invisible before reaching the level of the mountains, he crossed the 

 plain to awaken Professor Courtenay. While in company with this 

 gentleman, he witnessed the magnificent meteor with a serpentine 

 train, described by Professor Olmsted and others, and which has 

 been called Twining's meteor, after the Professor who calculated its 

 relative path and velocity. Both Professor Courtenay and himself 

 noticed the white nebula which it left on exploding, and the beautiful 

 silvery cloud that remained for some ten minutes after. He listened 

 carefully, during the meteoric display, for the noises which are said 

 sometimes to attend such phenomena, but could hear none; the ex- 

 plosion of the Twining meteor, he is confident, was not accompanied 

 by an audible report. 



Professor Forshey does not believe that the meteors of the 12th of 

 November have the anniversary character. He has watched for 

 them every year, except 1834 and 1836, since their appearance in 



