[ome late fiery Meteors. 2.13 
8. The meteor was feen by Mr. Srzevens F. RB. S, 
Hampftead near London, moving along over the top of a row ‘i 
trees. Mr. Cavenpisu F.R. S. having taken the altitude of 
thefe trees with a quadrant, found that of the higheft, as feen 
from the part of the garden-walk oppofite to it, tobe 33°; 
which correfponds very well with the other obfervations, and 
confequently gives the fame height for the meteor. Mr. Stzs- 
vens kept his eye upon it conftantly, whilft he pafled sbi 
along the walk. 
This agreement of the different altitudes is nearer than 
could be expected; yet I know of no contradictory obfervations 
of any authority, except fome made near Plymouth and in 
Cornwall, where the meteor being pretty near the horizon, its 
altitude,’ as will commonly happen in fuch cafes, is given too 
great. The effect of. this, however, would be to thew, that 
the meteor was higher ; and therefore, I. think, we may fafely 
conclude, that it muft have been more than 5° miles above the 
furface of the earth, in a region where the air is at oe 30000 
times rarer than here below. 
Contrary to what has been afferted of moft other fire-balls, 
this of the 18th of Auguft appears by the preceding obferva- 
tions to have kept on in a parallel courfe, without any defcent 
otapproach toward the earth. It may be much queftioned, 
whether fucha defcent has been proved many former inftance,. 
‘The meteor defcribed by Sir: Joun Prineze has been cited as. 
the moft certain example; but any perfon who carefully exas 
mines the obfervations themfelves, as'ftated in the 51{t volume 
of the Philofophical Tranfactions, will find them totally in- 
adequate for fuch a conclufion; its height feems to. me deter. 
mined only in one part of its courfe, Die, Ifland-Bridge 
and. 
