METEORIC DUSTS, N.S.W. 263 



Paterson was still later, and no record of its having been observed 

 further south or east is procurable here. The Maitland and New- 

 castle papers make no editorial comment upon it, nor with regard 

 to Newcastle journals has any reference whatever to the occur- 

 rence been made I may add here that, as already stated, the 

 Gunnedah, Armidale, Glen Innes, Tenterfield, and other papers 

 published in the north and west, seem to have taken no notice of 

 the phenomenon, so that thus far observation is limited to the 

 districts between Tamworth and the Paterson. 



"In answer to your question, " Did it leave any dust, if so, was 

 any collected"? I may repeat that no dust was observed to fall 

 from the dark mist, but the occurrence of high winds raising the 

 usual clouds of dust from the roads would hinder the attempt to 

 distinguish between the dust deposited from either source unless 

 the difference were very clearly marked. I am alluding now of 

 course to observations made at positions within the reach of dust 

 driven from the roads by high winds. In remoter places, I am 

 informed, the only peculiarity remarked in the fog was its singular 

 dryness, together with its discolouration, as compared with usual 

 mists. 



"From the best enquiries I have been able to make, such a fog 

 has never been witnessed before by residents in the districts visited, 

 and the subject has been very generally canvassed in the circles 

 of the "oldest inhabitants." A general impression that it was 

 the precursor of blight or an insect visitation existed, probably 

 owing to the fact that some persons of years and education adopted 

 this view of the occurrence and injudiciously (I think) gave their 

 ideas to the less informed and more impressible of the residents. 

 All were agreed, however, that the phenomenon had never been 

 witnessed here before, whatever might be the opinions entertained 

 respecting its origin or consequences. 



"The time at which the fog first made its appearance in the 

 different districts mentioned seems to involve the subject in more 

 difficulty than it presented at first to myself, but by correspondence 



