on certain stony and metalline Substances, &c, 175 
The exhibition of this stone, as a sort of show, did not tend 
to accredit the account of its descent, delivered in a hand-bill at 
the place of exhibition ; much less could it contribute to remove 
the objections made to the fall of the stones presented to the 
Royal French Academy. But the Right Hon. President of the 
Royal Society, ever alive to the interest and promotion of 
science, observing the stone so exhibited to resemble a stone 
sent to him as one of those fallen at Sienna, could not be misled 
by prejudice : he obtained a piece of this extraordinary mass, and 
collected many references to descriptions of similar phenomena. 
At length, in 1799, an account of stones fallen in the East Indies 
was sent to the President, by John Lloyo Williams, Esq, 
which, by its unquestionable authenticity, and by the striking- 
resemblance it bears to other accounts of fallen stones, must 
remove all prejudice. Mr. Williams has since drawn up the 
following more detailed narrative of facts. 
Account of the Explosion of a Meteor, near Benares, in the East 
Indies ; and of the falling of some Stones at the same Time,, 
about ry Miles from that City. By John Lloyd Williams,. 
Esq. F. R. S . 
A circumstance of so extraordinary a nature as the fall of 
stones from the heavens, could not fail to excite the wonder, 
and attract the attention, of every inquisitive mind. 
Among a superstitious people, any preternatural appearance 
is viewed with silent awe and reverence ; attributing the causes 
to the will of the Supreme Being, they do not presume to judge 
the. means by which they were produced, nor the purposes for 
which they were ordered ; and we are naturally led to suspect 
the influence of prejudice and superstition, in their description® 
