[ 2 42 ] 
liging, as, at my requeft, to make all the inquiry 
he could among the people on his eflate, and his 
neighbours; but could procure me no other ac- 
count than what is contained in the following letter, 
which he had from his gardener. “ In obedience to 
“ your lordfhip’s orders relating to that great meteor, 
“ which made its appearance upon the 26th of No- 
“ vember, 1758, as I did not fee it myfelf, I cannot 
“ give fuch a particular account of it as I could wifh; 
* c but what I can collect from fundry folks in this 
“ neighbourhood, is as follows. About a quarter 
“ after nine that night, there appeared from the 
“ fouth-ealf a very great illumination or light, which 
<c inftantly made fuch a fplendor, that, to a confider- 
“ able dildance, one could moft diftindtly fee houfes, 
“ trees, water, ftones, &c. but could not obferve 
“ any particular body from which the light iffued, 
“ nor that it ran farther weftward ; from which we 
* c may conclude, that it had then broke. No noife 
“ was heard, and no fuch thing as any afhes were 
u found, that I could hear of. During the preced- 
“ ing part of the day, we had a ftrong and very 
“ cold fouth-eaft wind, with a little froft ; but the 
“ evening was more calm.” 
Signed, James Bruce . 
From this letter it appears, that the fky in thofe 
parts, as about London, was then fo much clouded, 
as to hide the body of the meteor, tho’ the light of it 
was very manifeft, and which, I prefume, was the 
brighter there for the burfting of the tail, and its 
diffolution into fparks of fire, when almofl vertical to 
the obfervers. 
XIX. Sir 
