[ 233 3 
diftance of this fteeple from the obferver is not men- 
tioned, nothing can be made of the apparent altitude 
from that defcription, more than of the diftance eaft- 
ward, cc which, letting fall a perpendicular from the 
u meteor, he imagined, was not above a good gunftiot 
“ from him.” 
Dr. Gilchrift added, “ That a young lady of his 
“ acquaintance, happening to be in the ftreet near the 
fc fame place, faw the meteor likewife, and defcribed 
“ it as a ball of fire, about the bignefs of the fun, with 
<c a tail j and the length of the whole as longer than 
“ one’s arm. She faid, it was almoft over her head *, 
tc higher than the fteeple mentioned before ; that it 
“ bur ft without noife, and was intirely diflipated into 
lc fparks of fire, which fell down, and, as file thought, 
<e almoft reached the tops of the houfes'.” 
XIV. The reverend Mr. William Turnbull, mini- 
fter of Abbotrule (a parifh about 46 miles N. by E. 
of Carlifle, 44 miles N. E. by E. of Dumfries, and 6 
miles S. W. by W. of Jedburgh, in the fhire of Rox- 
burgh), favoured me with a letter, containing the 
following particulars, cc That on Sunday the 26th of 
“ November, 1758, about nine at night, fitting in his 
“ parlour, which had a fouth-weft window, he very 
<c diftindtly faw a light, which he took for a flafh of 
tc lightning ; but was furprifed with the difference of 
tc its colour, as being whiter, and giving a clearer 
* From this circumftance, and the greater apparent magnitude 
at Dumfries than elfewhere, it is probable the meteor was more 
nearly vertical there than at Carlifle, or any other place of obferva- 
tion mentioned. 
Vol. LI. 
sc 
H h 
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