Prof. Maskelyne and Dr. Lang's Mineralogical Notes. 441 



"Loodianah, April 5, 1815. 



" On the 18th of February last some people who were at work 

 in a field about half a mile distant from the village of Dooralla, 

 were suddenly alarmed by the explosion of what they conceived 

 to be a large cannon, ' the report being louder than that of any 

 other gun they had ever heard/ which report was succeeded by 

 a rushing noise like that of a cannon-ball in its greatest force. 

 When looking towards the quarter from whence the noise pro- 

 ceeded, they perceived a large black body in the air, apparently 

 moving directly towards them, which, passing with inconceivable 

 velocity, buried itself in the earth at the distance of about sixty 

 paces from the spot where they stood. The Brahmins of the 

 village hearing of it, proceeded to the spot with tools for digging 

 it up. 



"They found the surface broken, and the fresh earth and 

 sand thrown about to a considerable distance ; and at the depth 

 of rather more than 5 feet, in a soil of mingled sand and loam, 

 they found the stone which they cannot doubt was what actually 

 fell, being altogether unlike anything known in that part of the 

 country. The Brahmins conveyed it to the village, covered it 

 with wreaths of flowers, and started a subscription for the pur- 

 pose of raising a small temple over it. It fell on the 18th of 

 February about midday, in a field near the village of Dooralla, 

 which lies about lat. 30° 20', long. 76° 41', within the territory 

 belonging to the Pattialah Rajah, 16 or 17 miles from Umballa, 

 and 80 from Loodianah. The day was very clear and serene, 

 and, as usual at that season of the year, not a cloud was to be 

 seen, nor was there in the temperature of the air anything 

 to engage their attention; the thermometer therefore may be 

 stated at about 68° in the shade. The report was heard in all the 

 circumjacent towns and villages to the distance of 20 coss, or 25 

 miles from Dooralla. The Rajah, having been led to consider it 

 as a messenger of ill-omen, according to my wish gave immediate 

 orders for its conveyance to Loodianah, but with positive injunc- 

 tions that it should not approach his place of residence. It 

 weighs rather more than 25 lbs., and is covered with a pellicle, 

 thinner than a wafer, of a black sulphurous crust, though it emits 

 no smell of sulphur that I can discover. It is an ill-shapen 

 triangle ; and from one of the corners a piece has been broken 

 off, either in its fall or by the instruments when taking it out of 

 the ground. This fracture discloses a view of the interior, in 

 which iron pyrites and nickel are distinctly visible. No Hindoo 

 ventures to approach it but with closed hands in apparent devo- 

 tion, so awful a matter is it in their eyes." 



"This aerolite was brought from India by Lieut.-Colonel 



