300 The Shalka Meteorite. [No. 4. 



torate, and Bhuban Bagdi, son of Kugan, of the Bagdi caste ; inhabi- 

 tant of Pechnapur, -ZEtat about 60 years, by profession a Chowkidar. 



Question. — State what you know of the stone which fell from the 

 sky? 



Between the 10th and 20th of Agrahayana,* one night when about a 

 fourth of the night had yet to elapse, I heard a rolling noise (gur gur) 

 which awoke me from my sleep ; but on my coming out and enquiring 

 about the cause of it, I could ascertain nothing. The following morn- 

 ing about an hour and half after day break, proceeding to superintend 

 the reaping of my paddy, I found in the paddy field of Narayana 

 Pala, to the South, and about 180 feet beyond the village of Saluka, 

 (Shalka,) that a stone, about one cubit wide, had fallen and broken to 

 pieces. Those who came from a distance to see the stone carried 

 away fragments of it. It was first seen by Bhuban Bagdi, Chowkidar. 



Bhuban Bagdi. I serve as a Chowkidar of the village of Saluka. 

 Between the 10th and 15th Agrahayana of the current year, one night 

 when two and half quarters (prahara) of it had passed when a quar- 

 ter (?) of it had yet to elapse (i. e. at \\ a. m.) a stone fell crashing 

 on the earth, with a crackling noise (char-char pur-pur) about 160 to 

 240 cubits to the south of the village. Not wishing to go during the 

 night I proceeded the next morning to the place, and found that a pit 

 had been formed there, and fragments of the stone were lying about it ; 

 the stone was covered with earth, i. e. with loose earth. 



I called the people in the field and told them " Look at this, it has not 

 been dug by bears nor men/' The paddy-reapers, seeing the frag- 

 ments and the large stone covered with earth, observed that the stone 

 must have fallen when the sound was heard the night preceding, and 

 went their way, some of them taking away the fragments, and stating 

 this must be a Debta, do not (MS. uncertain). 



Q. to Bhubun. — When you heard the crackling noise, did you see 

 any flame or lightning, and was any wind blowing at the time ? 



A. — The sky was illuminated with lightning. 



Q. No. (10). — to Rambir. — Did you observe any light at the time ? 



A. — Rambir. I observed none. 



Q. to Bhuban. — How far were you from the pit when the stone fell ? 



A. — Bhuban. — Between 2 and 3 rosis (180 to 240 cubits). I ran 

 towards the huts of the Mugs. 



* 25th Nov. to 5th Dec. : This is a purely Indian notion of a date. 



