1851.] The Shalka Meteorite. 305 



7. All agreed in stating the stone to have come from the south, 

 but the angle it made with the earth is variously stated, from 45° to 

 80°. This is easily accounted for, as no portion projected out of the 

 earth. The Talookdar of the place, by name Gopal Mundle, the most 

 intelligent of the observers had a tent peg driven in so as to represent 

 the course of the stone in the earth (he having been present when the 

 stone was dug out) from which, supposing the course of the stone not 

 to have been altered after first contact with the earth, the angle made 

 with the earth would be nearly 80°. 



8. The greater portion of the stone having been carried off I 

 was unable to obtain exact information as to its size ; the portion now 

 sent, and it is that furthest embedded, was dug 3 feet from the surface, 

 and as pieces of the stone were dug out continuously from the surface, 

 the stone itself being, though embedded, shattered, it must have been 

 apparently upwards of 3 feet long. 



9. No occurrence of the sort has ever happened in this part of the 

 country. 



10. I regret I have been unable to send more numerous deposi- 

 tions. I was pressed for time, and there is always great delay in such 

 cases in distinguishing hearsay from direct evidence ; numerous persons 

 presented themselves very willing to tell all they knew, but after a 

 little questioning it appeared their knowledge was obtained from others. 

 I took therefore the depositions of those apparently best informed. 

 Any other particulars which may be required I shall be happy to do 

 my best to obtain for the Society. 



11. I may mention that the people on the spot said, that on the 

 same night a stone had fallen at or near the village of Kuchat in the 

 Burdwan district. 



(Signed) T. W. Mactier, 



Offg. Joint Magistrate, 

 There are some points of resemblance between the circumstances 

 attending the fall of this meteor, and that of the Cold Bokkevelde stone 

 at the Cape, as described in the 82nd and 83rd vols, of the Philosophi- 

 cal Transactions by Sir John Hersch ell's correspondents, and which are 

 also common to the few accounts we have of the falling of these 

 stones by persons near the spot. We find that at Shalka as at the 

 Cape, the air was calm and the sky clear, at the time of the fall of the 



