LUMINOUS METEORS. 127 
and as near Weimar they were seen in the S. and 
S.W., while at Cumana they were observed in the E. 
and N.E., we must conclude that they fell into the 
sea between Africa and South America, to the west 
of the Cape Verd Islands. 
Without entering into the learned discussion, 
which Humboldt submits to his readers, respect- 
ing the nature of these luminous bodies, we shall 
merely observe, that he found falling-stars more fre- 
quent in the equinoctial regions than in the tem- 
perate zone, and also that they occurred oftener over 
continents and near certain coasts than on the ocean. 
He states that on the platform of the Andes, there 
was observed, upwards of forty years ago, a pheno- 
menon similar to that related above as having oc- 
curred at Cumana. From the city of Quito an 
immense number of meteors was seen rising over 
the volcano of Cayambo, insomuch that the whole 
mountain was thought to be on fire. ‘They con- 
tinued more than an hour, and a religious proces- 
sion was about to be commenced, when the true 
nature of the luminous appearance was discovered, 
