— fome late fiery. Meteors. \ 219 
afterwards, er in feven: minutes: have traverfed. the whole dia- 
meter of the eatth’h ¢i. Lega | 
From ‘dae calculation. it will: ie evident, that there is little 
chance of determining the velocity of meteors from the-times of 
their pafling the zenith of different places ; and that therefore we 
mutt. principally depend on obferving carefully; with a watch 
that fhews feconds, their apparent eee plaauiase heavens. 
eas - 
PaaS 
oe 
DE: as ball aig appeared on i 4th of. O&ober, at 4a" 
pait { fix in the evening, was much fmaller than that already de- 
{cribed, and of much fhorter duration. It was firft perceived 
to the northward asa ftream of fire, like the common fhooting 
flars, but large; and haying proceeded fome way under this 
form, it fuddenly burft out into that intenfely bright bluith 
light which is peculiar to fuch meteors. At this period I faw 
it, and can compare the colour to nothing I am acquainted 
With fo well, as to the blue lights of India, and fome of the 
largeft electrical fparks. The. illumination -was very greats 
and on that part.of, its courfe where it had been fo bright, a 
dufky red ftreak or train was left, which remained vifible per- 
haps a minute even witha candle in the room, and was thought 
by fome gradually to change its form. Except this train, I 
think the-meteor had no tail, but was nearly a round, body, 
‘or perhaps a. little elliptical. After moving not lefs than 10° 
in this bright ftate, it became fuddenly extin€, without any 
appearance of burfting or explofion. 
This meteor was feen for fo fhort a way, that it is fearcely_ 
pofhible to determine the direétion of its courfe with accuracy ; 
but as in proceeding to the eaftward it very perceptibly inclined 
towards the horizon, it certainly moved fomewhere from the_ 
north-weftward to the fouth-caftward. Its duration was fo, 
Ef 2 fhort, 
/ 
