Jome late fiery Meteors, - 217 
who faw moft of it about a minute: hence the various ac- 
counts may in fome meafure be reconciled. Mr. Herscuer 
F.R. S, at Windfor, muft have kept it in fight long after other 
obfervers had thought it extinét: for though, probably, he 
did not fee the beginning, as it never appeared to him like a 
fingle ball, he watched it as much as ‘ forty or forty-five 
** feconds, the laft twenty or twenty-five of which it remained 
‘¢ almoft in one fituation, within a few degrees of the hori- 
“zon.” This confirms the foreign accounts of its long pro- 
grefs to the fouthward. 
As fearcely any one had fufficient prefence of mind to mi- 
nute the time by his watch, the periods given for its duration 
are moftly by guefs. To corre&t this rude conjecture, it has 
been propofed, that the obferver fhould endeavour to pafs over 
the time in his own mind as well as he can by recollection, - 
' whilft another perfon filently marks the feconds with a watch, 
This may do fomething, but ftill leaves the matter very uncer- 
tain, as the nature of the emotion felt by the {pectator while it 
was pafling will caufe the impreffion of a longer or fhorter 
time to be left upon his mind; and the formal procefs of re- 
collection 1s fo tedious, that I believe the duration will in this 
way generally be made too fhort. Mr. Herscurr, at my 
requeft, was fo good as to act over his obfervation, with the 
pofitions and geftures he was obliged te employ ; and this feems 
likely to come nearer the truth than a fimple effort of the mind 
at recollection. But the fureft method would be, to repeat 
any uniform aétion in which the fpectator might have been 
engaged at the time; as, for inftance, to walk over the fame 
fpace of ground that he pafied while the meteor was in fight. 
~§ 9. From the apparent motion of the meteor, compared with 
its height, fome computation may be formed of its aftonifhing 
wer, LXXIV. ror velocity. 
