THEIR WIDE EXTENSION". 
355 
on an extent of the globe of 64° of latitude, and 91° of 
longitude ; at the equator, in South America, at Labrador, 
and iu Germany ! 1 saw accidentally, during my passage 
trom Philadelphia to Bordeaux,* the corresponding obser- 
vation of Mr. Ellicot (lat. 30° 42) ; and upon mv return 
from IN aples to Berlin, I read the account of the Moravian 
missionaries among the Esquimaux, iu the Bibliothek of 
Gottingen. 
The following is a succinct enumeration of the facts : 
1st. The fiery meteors were seen in the east, and the east- 
north-east, at 40° of elevation, from 2 h to 6 h at Cumana 
Gat. 10° 27' 52", long. 66° 30') ; at Porto Cabello Hat. 
10° 6' 52", long. 67° 5') ; and on the frontiers of Brazil, 
near the equator, in long. 70° west of the meridian of 
Paris. 2nd. In French Guiana Gat. 4° 56', long. 54 0 35'^ 
“ the northern part of the sky was suffused with fire. Num- 
berless falling-stars traversed the heavens during the space 
of an hour and a half, and shed so vivid a light, that those 
meteors might be compared to the blazing sheaves which 
shoot out from fireworks.” The knowledge of this fact rests 
upon the highly trustworthy testimony of the Count de 
Marbois, then living in exile at Cayenne, a victim to his 
love of justice and of rational, constitutional liberty. 3rd. 
Mr. Ellicot, astronomer to the United States, having com- 
pleted his trigonometric operations for the rectification of 
the limits on the Ohio, being on the 12th of November in 
the gulf of Florida, in latitude 25°, and longitude 81° 50', 
saw in all parts of the sky, “as many meteors as stars, 
moving in all directions. Some appeared to fall perpendicu- 
larly ; and it was expected every minute that they would 
dropdnto the vessel.” The same phenomenon was perceived 
upon the American continent as far as latitude 30° 42', 
4th. In Labrador, at ISain Gat. 56° 55'), and Hoftenthal 
(lat. 58° 4'); in Greenland, at Lichtenau (lat. 61° 5'), and 
at New Hermhut (lat. 64° 14', long. 52° 20') ; the Esqui- 
maux were terrified at the enormous quantity of bolides 
which fell during twilight at all points of the firmament, 
and some of which were said to be a foot broad. 5th. In 
* lo the Memoirs of the Pennsylvanian Society. 
2 a 2 
