1867.] Proceedings of the Asiatic Society 21 



" This display of meteors had nothing brilliant or exciting in it : 

 but notwithstanding its tameness, I think it should be recorded." 



A letter from Dr. Duka presenting a specimen of a meteorite was read. 



" The piece of stone which I have the honor of presenting to the 

 Society, is a fragment of a large meteorite that fell near Knyahinya 

 in the neighbourhood of Nagy-Berezna in the county of Ungvar in 

 the north-east of Hungary, near the border of Ga*llicia. 



" The phenomenon occurred on the 9th of June last, and according 

 to the statement of Professor Hirsch, communicated by him to Dr. 

 Haidinger of Vienna, the fragments were very numerous, as many as 

 sixty pieces being in the possession of different parties. 



" It appears from all I could gather in the country, that on the after- 

 noon of the above-mentioned day, between 4 and 5 o'clock, an 

 enormous detonation took place, which could be compared to a simul- 

 taneous discharge of one hundred pieces of artillery. High on the 

 horizon a small cloud was visible, about ten times the size of the sun ; 

 otherwise the heaven was perfectly clear. Upon the detonation, the 

 cloud dispersed in a radiating manner, and in the vacuity no flash was 

 visible. Two or three seconds after the discharge a noise was heard, 

 which seemed to be caused as if waters or rocks were dashing one 

 against another, and this lasted for nearly fifteen seconds ; and at 

 last, with all traces of the cloud, entirely subsided. The labourers 

 working in the fields near the spot, state that, for full half an hour 

 afterwards, a smell of sulphur surrounded them. 



" All the fragments were collected within the circumference of about 

 1,200 yards : they vary in weight from a few ounces to large masses, 

 one of which weighs 27 pounds. A Jewish publican who was quite 

 close, took up a fragment immediately on its falling down, and declares 

 that it was cold like ice, but that his hands smelled of sulphur or 

 garlic for two days subsequently. 



" The phenomenon was seen in all directions of the compass, but at 

 a distance, it appeared, instead of a mere cloud, like a ball of fire ; and 

 the furthest distance from which it was reported to have been noticed, 

 is about 80 English miles. 



"As this phenomenon occurred about the time when the late disas- 

 rous Austrian campaign was about to commence, it excited more than 



