49 
was only an extraordinary meteor. It passed the moon, 
falling at an angle of I should say 20°, and then ceased 
suddenly, having traversed a path of about 90°, from 
the south to the east. The colour of the light was 
that of a blue-light, or rather burning magnesium. Th© 
sky was cloudy, but there was no appearance of redness 
about either the head or the train. I endeavoured to fix its 
course by the stars, but it was too cloudy, although I could 
see here and there a star. The conclusions I came to, there 
and then, were that its course must have been nearly parallel 
with the road, which by the map runs, at that point, 30° to 
the west of north ; that when I first saw it it was about 
40° above the horizon and due south ; and that it passed 
about 20° to the north of the moon. (This would make its 
line of approach from Pegasus.) While I was thinking of 
its course I heard a report, not very loud, but which I con- 
nected with it. I judged it was about 3(T after the display. 
I then looked at my watch, it was lOh. 7m. I then walked 
along, talking to a fellow-traveller who had not quite 
recovered his alarm. Presently we heard a loud report, 
like a short peal of thunder or the firing of a large cannon ; 
I immediately looked at my watch, it was then lOh. 10m., so 
that this second report was from three to four minutes after 
the display. I have no doubt that this was the report of 
the meteor, for compared with the other it was like the 
firing of a cannon to a musket. The time of the second 
report would make the distance 30 or 40 miles, so that it 
would have passed over Chester and burst over Liverpool. 
In this case it must have been a tremendous affair, for the 
sky was cloudy, and I do not think I exaggerate when I 
say that at one instant it was as light as day ; the train was 
very long and the speed great. It ceased suddenly, as when 
a ball from a Roman candle falls into water ; there were no 
fragments, as from an explosion. 
