108 



LUMINOUS METEORS. 



risen to enjoy the freshness of the air in the gallery 

 Thousands of fireballs and falling-stars succeeded 

 each other during four hours, having a direction 

 from north to south, and filling a space of the sky 

 extending from the true east 30 degrees on either 

 side. They rose above the horizon at E.N.E. and 

 at E., described arcs of various sizes, and fell to- 

 wards S., some attaining a height of 40°, and all ex- 

 ceeding 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 meteors 

 left luminous traces from five to ten degrees in 

 length, the phosphorescence of which lasted seven or 

 eight seconds. The fireballs 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 were emitted. 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, a much 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 w r as exceedingly 

 hot, and in the evening the reddish vapour reap- 

 peared 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 fireballs and fall- 

 ing-stars at the period of Humboldt's departure from 

 home, he did not fail to inquire, during his journey 

 from Caraccas to the Rio Negro, whether the me- 

 teors of the 12th November had been seen. He 

 found that they had been observed by various indi- 

 viduals in places very remote from each other ; and 



