" I now," says M. D'Aubuisson, " give the informa tion received, as to the Aerolites which were collected, or heard to fall.
I. The inhabitants of the little farm called la Bor dette, distinctly heard two Lerolites fall ; one to the north ward, in a field adjoining, which they have not yet found: the other was found about fifty paces to the south-east : the fragment which we have weighs three ounces, and the whole stone did not weigh six.
" 2. At the cottage called Paris, (300 metres above Pemejan) the inhabitants were at the door, listening to the rolling noise over their heads, when they heard the noise of a body which fell in front of them. The master of the house then went back through the house, to shut the door of a stable, and, when there, he heard a second large body fall. The interval between the two must have been about seventy-five seconds. This fact is of importance.
" 3. At Pemejan, the inhabitants, equally alarmed at a stone which fell near them, took refuge in the house, when they heard a second hissing sound, followed by the noise of a body falling on the roof. Next day they found a tile broken, and a stone, weighing about three ounces, resting on the lath. Having carefully examined this spot. I found no contusion, nor any mark of fire on the wood of the roof. In the vicinity of the farm, two stones were found, which weighed only a few ounces.
" 4. At Richard, after the rolling noise, an explosion was heard in the air, and next day a stone, weighing eight ounces, was found.
" 5 At Pradere there fell, about one pace from the house, with considerable noise, and more than a minute after the detonations, an aerolite, weighing two pounds. It was not entirely sunk in the earth, and was not per ceived until two days afterwards. A few seconds after wards a smaller stone fell, forty paces in front of the house " The quantity of meteorites that fell on this occasion probably much exceeded the small number collected ; for the ground was partly in grass, and partly ploughed up ; and the event took place when most of the inhabi tants were in bed. The description of these stones so
nearly accords with that of several others already spe cified, that it would be superfluous to note their aspect and pi operties.
April 15. 1812. A stone, of the size of a child's head, fell at Ersleben ; and a specimen of it is in the posses sion of Professor Ilaussmann, of Biunswick. Gilb. 4n. 1. 40. and 41.
August 5, 1812. Several stones, one of which weigh ed 65 lb., fell at Chantonnay, eight leagues north-west from Fontenay, in the department of La Veneee. Their structure is nearly analogous to that of the Barbotan spe cimens ; but they contain such a large proportion of iron in the metallic state, that they arc susceptible of a bril liant polish, and of bearing the graving tool.
March 14, 1813. A very remarkable phenomenon occured at the town of Gerace, in Calabria, and is de scribed by Professor Sementini of Naples. The wind was westerly, and heavy clouds were approaching the land, over the sea. About two o'clock, P. M. the wind fell, and the sky became quite dark. The clouds then assumed a red and threatening appearance ; thunder fol lowed ; and there fell red rain and snow, mingled with red dust. The alarmed inhabitants, conceiving that the end of the world was at hand, flocked to the churches. The red dust was very fine, became black when exposed to a red heat, and effervesced, when treated with acids. Its constituents were silica, carbonate of lime, alumine, iron, and chrome. What renders this precipitation the more remarkable is, that its ingredients are nearly the same with those of one of the varieties of meteorites ; and hence they probably have a similar origin. Accord ing to Chladni and others, stones were observed to ac company the dust ; and, if so, the intimate connection of the two appearances can no longer be reasonably ques tioned. Setnentini's analysis of the red powder gave.
Should the defect afterwards be found to consist of nickel and magnesia, we might then with safety maintain their identity.