Meteor at Madras. 



165 



became dazzling white. A few days afterwards a large hole, one yard 

 deep and half a yard in width, was found in a piece of cultivated pa'Sdy 

 Jand, where the watcher had been stationed, by the Braminy owner of 

 the field, whilst weeding, which, on examination by a stick, was found to 

 contain some dark hard substance. He called some of his neighbours 

 and had it dug out, when it was found to be a 'stone mixed with iron,' 

 the weight of which was ascertained to be 3/]- seers or about 75 pounds. 

 Mr. Bird has sent to the Literary Society a large fragment weighing 

 00 pounds, it having been broken by the villagers in the hope of finding 

 gold. It does not appear to differ in external characters from the me- 

 teoric stones hitherto described, and will doubtless on analysis prove 

 identical in composition. 



METEOR AT MADRAS. 



The following account of a singularly beautiful Meteor seen here, from 

 the pen of T. G. Taylor, Esq., the Honorable Company's Astronomer, 

 appeared in the columns of the Madras Spectator of the 9th August. 



"A Meteor of singular beauty and brilliancy was witnessed at Madras, 

 at ten minutes past seven o'clock on the evening of Saturday the 2d in- 

 stant. Its commencement was hid from my view by trees, but its course, 

 as well as could be judged from the progress of the shadow of an adjoin- 

 ing verandah, was from NNE. to S., passing within about thirty degrees 

 of the zenith. It was visible during about two seconds of time, in which 

 interval it passed over an arc of at least eighty degrees, and finally burst 

 with an intense degree of brightness at about twenty degrees above the 

 horizon, due South. I immediately commenced counting seconds, and at 

 the expiration of three minutes and fifty-eig^it seconds (or 238 seconds) 

 was gratified in hearing a peculiarly loud but low and deep toned report, 

 followed by a vibratory sound somewhat resembling that which distin- 

 guishes distant thunder. Assuming the velocity of sound to be 1180 

 feet per second, the report must have taken place at a distance of 53 

 miles from me ; and with reference to the altitude, it would appear that 

 it must have taken place at about 18 miles above the surface of the earth, 

 at a place situated 50 miles to the South of Madras, or a few miles to 

 the South of Sadras. 



"In the absence of data to furnish the actual track pursued by this 

 Meteor, it may not be uninteresting to state, that the least velocity it 

 could have attained was 25 miles per second— certainly greater than the 

 velocity of the earth in its orbit. 



" Madras, 6th August, 1845. T. G. T." 



