. . c . 7 1 
two following accounts, in the meteorologic way, are 
fo in fome degree. 
The fir ft is of a meteor, by which the fouthern 
parts of this province were greatly alarmed, on Thurs- 
day, the ioth of May laft, about 35' after Nine in 
the morning. The weather being then fair and calm, 
the people at Bridgewater, and the towns near it, 
about 25 miles fouth from hence, were furprized 
with a noife, like the report of a cannon, or volley 
of fmall arms, which feemed to come from the weft. 
This report was followed by a rumbling noife, which 
moft took for the roar of an earthquake ; and, when 
it had lafted about a minute, there was another ex- 
plofion, like that of a cannon; and about as long 
after, a third ; the roaring noife, in the mean time, 
increaftng, fo as to fill the air all around, to the great 
terror and amazement of thofe who had heard it, as 
fome of them have informed me. After this third 
explofion, the noife gradually abated, feeming to 
go oft' toward the fouth-eaft; having lafted, in the 
whole, as was judged, about 5'. This is all I can 
collect of the real fad, from the feveral accounts 
given in thofe places, where the noife was loudeft. 
That found, which moft took for the roar of an 
earthquake, fome compared to the beating of drums;, 
and added fome cireumftances, with relation to it, 
too whimfical to be here repeated. It is fufticient to 
obferve, in general, that they were fuch as were 
probably fuggefted by an imagination prepoflefied 
with ideas of war, and, at that time, terrified to a 
great degree. 
As to the extent of thefe noifes, they were heard' 
as far north as Roxbury and Bofton ; eaft, a league 
