METEORS. 
I - a mile across. The tail sometimes appeared 
"clve times longer than the body ; but most of this 
Slid the real elongatioa behind seems seldom to 
y?>i8eq*y'^®®ded twice -or thrice its transverse diameter ; it 
Was between one and two miles in length, 
cubical contents be considered, for it appeared 
■'S and full in all directions, such an enormous 
Agreeably to the observations of Sir W. Herschel and 
afford just matter of astonishment, wl: 
yelocity with which it moved is considered.^ 
when the 
This 
astronomers, . . __ 
e.vceedinc that 
could not have been less than 20 
of sound above ninety 
H 
approaching toward that of the earth in her 
At such a rate, it must have passed over the 
Orbit. 
Sk ■ , - 
,M ^\and of Great Britain 
'Could 
>d 
in less than half a minute, 
in the space of less than seven minutes, have 
% ,| ' 'u whole diameter of the earth ! 
0 4th of October of the above year, 1783 
th, 
®uen in England 
two 
The first, at three in the 
nn account of the early hour, was witnessed by 
K^Pectat, 
'Hi 
ors, who represented it as rising from the 
I '*> a y-r’ small altitude, and tlxen becoming stationary 
J'^Uisj) 5®^nry motion, and an illumination like day-light : 
.Oft '*^3 few moments, leaving a train behind. This 
'^'^'^^uloixs appearance has been noticed in other 
i . ‘ fcitl^! us tlieir continuing stationary for some 
'^L^ufore they begin to shoot, or alter their course 
second of these meteors appeared at forty- 
past six in the evening, and was much smaller. 
i]f'|Ust touch 
I. 'ite, ’ 
— shorter duration, than the one seen in 
"I's sinvi ot)served to the north, like a stream 
'ft to that of the common shooting stars, but 
w ' "Udrl proceeded some distance under this 
Peciiv'''^ burst out into that intensely bright blueish 
'ut to such meteors, which may be most aptly 
(.[ to the blue lights of India, or to some of the 
' j t'U tjj Cul sparks. The illumination was very great; 
'kiHy , putt of its course wliere it had been so bright, 
|.'t)l„ ^ red 
streak or train was left, which remained 
it- and was thought by some gradually 
'°i'm. Except this train, the meteor had not 
t Was nearly of a round body, or, perhaps, some' 
