[ 2 ^4 ] 
zenith of Cambridge, the farmer at Ancram (at the 
diftance of above 260 miles) fhould, upon entering 
his threshold, fee the whole fide of his houfe illumi- 
nated by it ; and, to ufe his own expreflion, with a 
brightnefs as of Jun-Jhine. And indeed the greatnefs 
of the light is every-where taken notice of, even at 
thole places where the atmofphere was fo thick as to 
hide the tail, nay, the whole meteor, as at Auchen- 
leck, where it was nearly vertical. 
As for the tail, it was a ftream of light feveral 
miles in length ; for this was no deception, like what 
we luppofe the train of a (hooting (tar to be, but was 
either a real flame, or, what is more probable, it 
con lifted partly of flame, but moftly of fmaller mafles 
of fire (which the obfervers call Jparks , when fall- 
ing out of the lucid tradf), and of vapours or fuligi- 
nous particles, not heated red-hot, but illuminated 
by the parts actually burning. Perhaps thefe vapours 
were the chief part of the compofttion, and which 
will account for its light being fo much fainter 
than that of the head ; fince in fome places where 
the air was lefs clear, or the diftance greater, we find 
the whole meteor defcribed either as a round ball, or 
a fpheroid (with the largeft axis in the direction of 
its motion), but without a tail. In this laft cafe, 
viz. that of the oval form, it is probable that, befides 
the head, the beginning of the tail was alfo vifible, as 
confiding of flame, and therefore brighter than the 
reft ; and that both together appeared oblong to thofe 
obfervers. But fuch as were neareft, and had a clear 
atmofphere, faw the tail of a confiderable length ; 
that is, the flame, the fparks and the illuminated 
vapour, in a train behind the head, as being lighter, 
3 and 
