[ 2 5* J 
“ happened, at the firft appearance of the light, to 
“ be handing clofe by a fouth window, and faw the 
<c meteor like a ball of fire, but of an oval figure, 
tc with its longed axis in the direction of its courfe, of 
“ a fize equal to that of the full moon at her greateft 
<c height* ; that it moved, with great velocity, from 
“ the fouth-eaft -f* (about which point he firft faw 
u it) towards the N. W. but that he had loft fight 
tc of it about the S. W. by the intervention of a 
<e building on the oppofite fide of the ftreet, be- 
“ fore it had fallen from its apparent height: that 
“ he obferved no tail, nor fparks of fire ifluing from 
“ it ; and heard no noife after the return of darknefs.” 
The dodtor added, “That he himfelf was from home. 
* If Mr. Simfon loft fight of the meteor duly S. W. of him, it 
muft have then been perpendicularly over the fouthern part of the 
(hire of Lanerlc, about 66 miles from the obferver, and about the 
nigheft he could have feen it any- where in its courfe. I fhall there- 
fore fuppofe, that it was at its greateft apparent diameter juft before 
it difappeared ; that is, equal to that of the full moon, according to 
Eds comparifon ; confequently its real diameter was about half a 
mile, upon the like computation with that in the note upon Obf. 
XXIV. This is the moft moderate ; for the meteor might have 
been confiderably larger even from this obfervation. 
f Having omitted defiring Mr. Simfon to take the bearings 
with a compafs, he has not imagined that I required any greater 
precifion than having the moft common points; but as I find 
Cambridge laid down in all the maps nearly S. S. E. of St. An- 
drews, and as we have no reafon to believe the meteor was lighted 
to the eaftward of Cambridge, it is probable Mr. Simfon did not 
fee it till it was nearer to the fouth than the S. S. E. But fuppofing 
this gentleman faw it at its firft fetting out, viz. over Cambridge, 
and duly S. S. E. then, from the angle of elevation of 15^ deg. the 
diftance between the two places, and an allowance made for the 
curvature of the earth, the perpendicular height at Cambridge 
juuft have been about 100 miles. 
Kk a 
