part of it, toward the finail end, broke off, feparated into fparks of fire, and immediately vanished; while the remainder of it proceeded forward, until it bore W. N. W. when it vanished alio, and the former darkness returned. The whole time that this perfon faw the meteor, he thinks, might be about a minute; but one may reafonably conclude, from fome circumflances in his own relation, that it must have been much lefs. After he got into the houfe, he looked at his watch, and found it to be 5' pait nine o'clock; and in about five minutes more he heard a noife like a clap of thunder, with fome continuance; and others of his neighbours heard alfo a noife, but compared it to the crash of a houfe falling down: one in particular ran out, thinking that the gable end of his own house and that of his neighbour's had actually tumbled down. Mr. Turnbull could not fpeak pofitively to the height of the meteor when it paffed him, but was certain it was nearer the zenith than the horizon: and, by comparing its path afterwards, with relation to the gable-end of his houfe, it was found to have been about 589 high. Sir John received many letters from the fouth-eaft parts of Scotland, all in general agreeing with the above, but none of them particular enough to merit a recital here, except that Mr. Simfon, jun, a minifter, at St. Andrews, which is about 11 miles N. E. by N. of Edinburgh, aw the firit appearance of the meteor about S. E. and as they afterwards found, about 151 high. It appeared to him about as large as the full moon, at her greatest height; and he faw no tail, nor heard any noife. The meteor was not feen in any of the N. E. parts of Scotland; but I, muft not omit to obferre that it was feen on the N. W. coal of that kingdom, at a place called Flowerdale, in Rofshire, by Dr. Alexander Mackenzie, a phyfician in that part of the Land, as his obfervation corroborates very ftrongly thofe made at Celchefter in Effex, and at Knowdley, near Liverpool. Dr. Mackenzie fays that its motion was very rapid, and its direction from the west, a little northerly; towards It Nov. 26th, 1758. Hard blowing weather: wind at S. E. At Sh 15/2 globe of fire moved from fouth to north, as large, in appearance, as the full moon, but of a golden colour. broke and difperfed like a starry rocket, nearly before the wind. When due eaft, it was about 17 above the horizon. No found was heard; and Mr. Garret faw it but a few feconds; but Emanuel Miller, a neighbour, faw it from the beginning to the end, and thought it was vible about haif a minute; and that it moved with lefs rapidity than falling stars commonly do. From thefe obfervations it may readily be computed that this meteor could not be much lefs than one hundred miles high when it made its firit appearance over Cambridge. That it directed its courfe N. W. by N. nearly, and, perhaps, in a straight line, but inclining a little towards the plane of the horizon, until it was vertical to fomne place a little to the fouthward of the city of Glafgow; where part of it broke off, and difperied in bright 3 R 2 fparks of fire; while the head moved on in the fame direction, until it was vertical to that city, or, perhaps, to fome place a little to the northward of it, and then became extinct. That the path of this meteor was inclined to the plane of the horizon is evident, because all the obfervations make it approach nearer to the earth as it proceeded northerly, and that with more regularity than could be expected from fuch obfervations; fo that it does not appear to have been more than, if fo much as thirty miles high when it was extinguifhed over Glafgow. We may further infer, if we take a medium of the estimated apparent diameters of the meteor, when compared with its real diftance from the refpeftive places where the eftimations were made, that its real diameter could not be lefs than half a mile. And laftly, if we allow thofe eftimations of its duration, which feem moft probable, and divide the diftance it travelled over (near four hundred miles) by that time, it will appear to have proceeded with the amazing velocity of near thirty miles in a fecond. In the year 1759, I meet with three obfervations of a meteor which was feen on the 20th of October, about fix o'clock in the evening. The first was at Shefford, in Berkshire, by a fervant of the Rev. Mr. Forfter's, who defcribed it to be a ball of fire nearly as big as the moon, and full as bright as the ever fhines; and that its motion was exceeding fwift, and directly downwards. Mr. Colebroke, who faw it at Bath, writes that it was a ball of fire of the bignefs of a tennis ball; very bright, and with a train of four or five feet in length. That it darted from the N. W. deferibing a great circle on his left hand, and funk behind the hills in the fouth-eaft. Juft before he loft fight of it feveral large fparks of bright blue fire flued from it; but it did not feem to burst. It was not vifible to him more than two feconds; and he heard no noife of any kind. Mr. William Dutton, watch-maker in Fleet-ftreet, happened to be walking with another gentleman, with his face towards the east, at Chigwell-row, in Effex; which ftands on a pretty high hill, about twelve miles from London. He faw the meteor bearing northward of the east, in appearance not very high in the air, though with a very confiderable angle of elevation: perhaps 70 or 80 degrees. It passed to the east of his zenith, and moved with great velocity, from the north towards the fouth, and feemingly in a curve line downwards; and he loft fight of it when it bore fouth of him, and was about four or five degrees above the horizon. It was of a round form, about the fize of the planet Venus, when he is brighteft; had a faint tail of about two feet, like that of a comet, and was of a bluish caft, but very bright. When he loft fight of it, feveral particles ftill brighter than itfelf, and fomewhat like the ftars that are feen on the breaking of a rocket, feemed to iffue out of it. The whole time of its appearance did not exceed 3 or 4 feconds. So much for the obfervations that had been made on the fort of meteors which appear like balls of fire, previous to the prefent autumn: and in this account I have omitted no obfervation I could meet with; nor any circumftance relating to any of them that appeared to me material; fo that the reader has before him every material fact that has yet been afcertained concerning them. I fhall now proceed to relate fuch obfervations of the three late meteors* as have come to my hands, as well as all thofe I can collect from the public papers that appear to be well authenticated. I have not been able to find that the meteor of the 18th of Auguft was feen at any place farther north than Edinburgh; nor have I met with any particulars of it from that place, except that it was like a globe of fire, and directed its courfe from weft to foutheaft. At Since this paper was written, one from the Rev. Dr. Maskelyne, Aftronomer Royal, has been red before tire Royal Society, on the fubject of the late meteors: from which it appears that five meteors have been leen this autumn. 1783. ACCOUNT OF THE LATE METEORS. At York it paffed a little to the fouth west of that city; but its direction is not mentioned. It was alfo feen at Whitby, Bridlington, Malton, and Hull; but the obfervers relate no particulars concerning it, except that every one of them thought it was extinguished very near the place where he flood: in which they were undoubtedly much deceived. A gentleman, who was on the road from Wakefield to Sheffield, writes that at ten minutes paft nine o'clock at night, on the 18th of Auguft, he was fuddenly furprifed by the appearance of light, refembling the glare of pale lightening, and which increafed gradually to a moft brilliant refulgence, illuminating the whole hemifphere. On looking out of the chaife, he faw a ball of fire, with a long train, refembling a fky-rocket, and moving with great rapidity from N. W. to S. E. The duration of its appearance was about 20 feconds. It is much to be lamented this gentleman did not take notice whether it paffed to the N. E. or S. W. of him; and how much it declined from his zenith, when its apparent altitude was greateft; as he feems to have obferved this phenomenon with attention, and to be very capable of defcribing what he faw. I think it muft have paffed very near his zenith, if not to the N. E. of him by the other obfervations; and if fo, this obfervation, when compared with that at York, would determine its track over this part of the inland with great precifion. A very ingenious gentleman, who lives about two miles west of Peterborough, faw this meteor. certainly paffed to the eastward of his He fays it zenith, though he did not fee it until it had paffed that point. Its motion was towards the S. E. or perhaps a little more foutherly. He faw it about thirteen or fourteen feconds, andthenloft fight of it, by its going behind a cloud. The diameter of it appeared to him to be about that of the moon, when a good height above the horizon. This gentleman heard a rumbling noife me little time after the meteor had difappeared, between the S, and E. 493 Another gentleman, who was on the road from Stanford a few miles from the the meteor rife from the horizon, about habitation of the laft mentioned one, faw N. W. by N. or perhaps N. N. W. ing pretty quickly towards the S. E. and pafs to the east of his zenith, movby S. or S. E. He loft fight of it by its going behind a cloud, as the former tleman it appeared as if there were gentleman, did. To this latter genthree balls in a line, about two feet afunder, and following one another in the fame track. Some little time after the meteor had disappeared, he heard a noife, as of thunder, between the E. and S. E. meteor appearing like three distinct This remarkable circumftance of the balls, is confirmed by a gentleman who has obliged me with a drawing of it, faw it near Upper Clapton; and who reprefenting the meteor as it appeared to him. I have given this drawing in the next page. Horfe inn, about five miles from St. Mr. Amyfs, mafter of the WhiteEdmunds-Bury, in the road to Newmarket, was looking out of a window great light in the horizon, feemingly that fronts the north-weft, and faw a ders of the fens, and which, as I find over Cavenham, a village on the borby Kirby's map of Suffolk, bears about N. W. by N. or perhaps a little more wefterly of the White-Horfe inn. It kept proceeding flowly on towards Mr. Amyfs' houfe; and when it was within about a quarter of a mile of it appeared to have a tail. It paffed difhed innumerable ftars, each of which rectly over the houfe; and, as the obchimneys. He ran to a back window, ferver thought, but juft clear of the and faw it keep on its course towards Great Saxham, the feat of Hutchinit beyond the trees and rifing grounds fon Muir, Efq. and foon loft fight of which confine his horizon that way. About a minute after he loft fight of the meteor, he heard à loud noife, as if fomething very heavy had fallen down in a room over his head.. He then looked at his watch, and found it wanted 20 minutes to 10 o'clock. He judged that he faw the meteor for three three minutes; but in this he might be easily deceived, and I believe he was. He fays the light was of a bluish caft, and that the length of the meteor was about three rods; which is 16 or 17 yards. The meteor was likewife seen at Bury, and the explosion heard, fo load that many perfons were confident it was attended with an earthquake; as the glafs fhook in feveral of the windows. Bury is a good deal exposed to the fouth east; and any confiderable concuffion of the air in that quarter might produce the effects which they attribute to an earthquake; and imagination might encrease it. At Colchester, in Effex, it was firt feen in the N. W. quarter, just above the horizon, through a fmall opening in a cloud; after which it difappeared for an inflant, being hid behind an opaque part of the fame cloud. It directed its courfe right across, the vifible hemifphere, pailing in a fmall degree to the caftward of the zenith of that place, and fet in the point of the horizon, which is nearly oppofite that where it was first feen. Many people, indeed, thought they faw it burit kad fall down extinct; but the greater part allow that the body proceeded forward, after the explosion, and fome will have it that it fell into the fea near Merfy Mand. Some Different obfervers, about Colchefter, varied greatly in their conceptions of the apparent magnitude of this phenomenon, fome thinking it to be feveral feet in diameter, and others not above four or five inches. alfo faid they heard a lining noite. like that of a rocket, as it pailed along, whilft others heard no fuch thing; but all agree that a rumbling noife, like that of dilant thunder, was heard a few minutes after it difappeared. From this obfervation, as well as thofe which were made near Peterborough, it evidently appears that thafe perfors were much mistaken who thought it near them; for it is plain, from thefe obfervations, that the meteor must have been higher than the clouds, from its being frequently hidden by them. Moreover, a perfon at Fortsmouth Portsmouth faw the meteor pars behind the clouds; and fall, as he thought, into the fea near Spithead. The meteor was alfo feen by foine perfons on the N. E. coaft of Ireland, as I gather from a paragraph in one of the papers, which runs thus: "The meteor of the 18th of Auguft was feen by a fpectator who was travelling near Dromore, in the county of Down, on the road from Lurgan. He did not fee it at its first appearance, being in a low valley, with a hill and grove behind him; but he faw it foon after, moving fwiftly, in a direction from N. towards the cast, and loft fight of it in the thick atmosphere, near the horizon. It feems to have been very low here, because the obferver fays, I faw it diftinétly through the trees, as it advanced towards the east." It feemed fo near, and appeared fo bright, that the carmen on the road were afraid of its fetting fire to their carts. 'The nucleus is defcribed to be of a moft radiant blue flame, followed by a train of yellowish light. I have alfo an extract of a letter from a gentleman, a lieutenant of one of his Majesty's fhips of war, which was then cruizing off the north of Ireland, who relates that he faw the fame meteor moving along the north-east quarter, nearly parallel to the horizon, and at no great height above it; but he adds fomething fingular enough, namely, that a little time afterwards he faw it moving back again, the contrary way to that which it came. Thefe are all the obfervations that have come to my knowledge, and can be of any ufe in determining the height and track of this fingular phenomenon. I fall, therefore, proceed to determine these two points with all the accuracy the obfervations will admit of; and it must be allowed that they correfpond better than fuch obfervations could have been expected to do. In order to do this, I drew a line on Rowles's large map of England, as near the island of Merfey as poffible, for it to pafs to the eastward of the zenith of Colchester, and over a point 495 which was five miles from Bury on the Newmarket road. This line paffed about 18 miles to the catward of Peterborough, and five to the west of Lincoln; directly over Doncafter; and, of courfe, about ten miles east of Bainiley, which is on the road from Wakefield to Sheffield. It leaves York about 20 miles to the eastward of it, and Leeds about four or five miles to the weft. Proceeding on north-weftward, it leaves Appleby about five miles to the weft, goes almoft directly over Carlisle, and enters Scotland precifely at the bottom of Solway Frith; paffes nearly over Dumbarton and Inverary; and quits the inland at the point of Ardnamurchan. If we trace this line fouth-eaftward from the coaft of Effex, we fhall find that after croffing the mouth of the Thames, it juft touches the point of the North Foreland, and enters France a little to the east of Calais. From this account it will appear that this meteor never came nearer to the obferver between Dromore and Lurgan in Ireland, than about 115 geographical miles; at which time it was nearly over Lanerk in Scotland. Now, fuppofing this, and alfo that the meteor was 15 high, when highest at Dromore; and it could not well be lefs for a perfon to fee it who was in a deep valley, the perpendicular height of the meteor muft have been about 38 ftatute miles. Again, it was obferved by fome gentlemen from the terrace at Windfor Caftle, among whom were the two Meff. Sandbys, who have fince publifhed a moft beautiful engraving of it, as it appeared to them at that place. Thefe gentlemen informed us that they firft faw it coming from behind a cloud which bore N. W. by N. that its greateft altitude was 25°, and that it disappeared at E. by S. It was, when they firft faw it, a perfect fphere, without any tail; but as it came more abreast of the fpectators, it began to fhew one, which grew longer for fome time, and continued until it difappeared. Windfor is about 65 geographical miles from the neareft part of the track of the |