OF LUMINOUS METEORS. 195 
in the gallery. Thousands of fire-balls and falling- 
stars succeeded each other during four hours, hav- 
ing a direction from north to south, and filling a 
space of the sky extending from the true east 30 de- 
grees on either side. ‘They rose above the horizon 
at E.N.E. and at E., described ares of various sizes, 
and fell toward S., some attaining a height of 40°, 
and all exceeding 25° or 30°. No trace of clouds 
was to be seen, and a very slight easterly wind blew 
in the lower regions of the atmosphere. All the me- 
teors left luminous traces from five to ten degrees 
in length, the phosphorescence of which lasted seven 
or eight seconds. The fire-balls seemed to explode, 
but the largest disappeared without scintillation ; 
and many of the falling-stars had a very distinct 
nucleus, as large as the disk of Jupiter, from which 
sparks wereemitted. The light occasioned by them 
was white,—an effect which must be attributed to 
the absence of vapours; stars of the first magnitude 
having, within the tropics, amuch paler hue at their 
rising than in Europe. 
As the inhabitants of Cumana leave their houses. 
before four, to attend the first morning mass, most 
of them were witnesses of this phenomenon, which 
gradually ceased soon after, although some were 
still perceived a quarter of an hour before sunrise. 
The day of the 12th November was exceedingly 
hot, and in the evening the reddish vapour reappear- 
ed in the horizon, and rose to the height of 14°. 
This was the last time it was seen that year. 
The researches of M. Chladni having directed the 
attention of the scientific world to fire-balls and fall- 
ing-stars at the period of Humboldt’s departure from 
home, he did not fail to inquire, during his jour- 
