* Astronomy

Page 148 Prof. Maskelyne and Dr. Lang's Mineralogical Notes.

Notices of Aerolites. By Nevil Story Maskelyne.
Ktisiali, Kumaon.
A small but very interesting fragment of an aerolite was sent to me a few weeks since by my friend Dr. Oldbam, the Director of the Geological Survey of India. It weighs 63 grains. It was accompanied by the following statement from Dr. Oldham : -
"Small fragment of meteorite that fell close to Kusiali village, in the district of British Gurhwal (say 30° N. lat., 79° E. long.). There are stated to have been eight or ten explosions nearly half an hour before the stone fell, to have been a strong light like burning gunpowder in the track of the stone, which came (apparently to observers) from the north-north-west to south-south-east.
"The mass is described to have fallen on an open surface of hard gneiss-rock, and to have been shattered into fragments, none of which were larger than the piece I send, most of them much smaller."
The fall took place a few minutes before 5 o'clock a.m., on the 16th of June 1860.
Dr. Oldham adds that there was only one other specimen preserved, and that it has unfortunately been lost. The rest of the fragments were eagerly seized by the natives, who attribute to these sky-stones healing properties, that recall to our minds superstitions that have raised minerals into talismans, from the remotest time down to our own days. It may not be impossible, however, that the iron that is present in these bodies in a state of such minute division may have been found to act medicinally as a tonic.

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