detailing a false account of this transaction, I felt so de- 

 sirous of giving this matter every degree of authenticity, 

 that, as a magistrate, I took their accounts upon oath, im- 

 mediately on my return into the country. I saw no reason 

 to doubt any of their evidence, after the most minute in- 

 vestigation of it. 



While Mr. Sowerby delivers in the work he is editing a 

 very accurate delineation of the stone itself; at his request, 

 I have transmitted to him this account of the circumstances 

 attendant on it, to accompany the publication. But I mean 

 not to enter into any literary warfare with those sceptics, 

 who think it much easier to doubt every word of this 

 account than to believe such an event could take place. 

 Hume held the same language on miracles of a more sacred 

 nature. There is no shorter way of disposing of any thing 

 than to deny or disbelieve it : but sometimes 



" They who come to scoff, remain to pray." 



To perpetuate the spot where the stone fell, I have erected 

 a pillar, with a plantation around it. The pillar is built over 

 the exact place which the stone excavated, and has this in- 

 scription on a tablet : 



Here 



On this Spot, 



December 13th 1795, fell from the Atmosphere 



An extraordinary Stone ! 



In Breadth 28 Inches, 



In Length 30 Inches, 



and 



Whose Weight was 56 Pounds ! 



This Column 



In Memory of it was erected by 



Edward Topham 



1799- 



