1851.] The Shalka Meteorite. 299 



Examination and Analysis of the Shalka Meteorite (Zillah West 

 Burdwan). By Henry Piddington, Curator Museum of Eco- 

 nomic Geology. 



The following details are a proper introduction to an account of this 

 valuable addition to our Museum. 



It was about the 15th January that Major Hannyngton, Agent for 

 the Governor- General S. W. Frontier, called at the Museum with a 

 very minute specimen of an ash-coloured mineral, which had all the 

 appearance of a fragment of a Meteorite, and which I pronounced at a 

 venture to be one, and he told me it was so, referring to Dr. Cheek of 

 Bancoorah for further information. 



To Dr. Cheek, who has frequently obliged me with storm Reports, 

 I wrote by the same evening's dawk, requesting the favor of a larger 

 piece of the stone with the crust ; and we shortly had a fine large speci- 

 men sent by dawk, which fully shewed without the necessity of an 

 analysis that it was a true Meteorite. Mr. Colvin was so good as to oblige 

 me with a private letter to Mr. Mactier, and our late Secretary Capt. 

 Hayes also wrote officially to that gentleman, to whom I took the liberty 

 also of forwarding, with Mr. Colvin's and the Secretary's letters, a series 

 of 22 queries for the examination of witnesses to the fall of the stone, 

 embracing most of the points which, on so hurried a call, occurred to 

 me as important, or likely to suggest others which might be so ; for 

 there was, I knew, no time to be lost ; as the natives invariably carry off 

 Meteorites for charms, objects of worship, &c. 



To Mr. Mactier the Society are greatly indebted, for he took the 

 pains to go personally to Bishenpore, a distance of ten miles, and the 

 results of the replies obtained will be seen following the different ques- 

 tions framed by him upon my queries and forwarded to the Society in 

 Bengalee, and in the letter from Mr. Mactier as printed below. 



Examination of witnesses before Mr. Mactier. Translated by Babu 

 Rajendra Lal Mitter, Librarian Asiatic Society. 



On the 24th of January, 1851. Bengali 1257, 12th Magh. 

 Rambira, son of Bolai of the Rajput caste ; inhabitant of Saluka, 

 iEtat about 35 years, profession, formerly a peon of the Purulia collec- 



2 R 



