* Astronomy

THE HARAIYA METEORITE (No. 237). 

This meteorite was recently obtained from Mr. R. B. Reid of Allahabad, and the following is an abstract of the particulars furnished by him :- 

It fell in the Basti district (United Provinces), about 14 miles west of the Sadr station in the afternoon during August or September, 1878, and was secured by Mr. Reid, who, on account of an exceptionally violent crash of thunder and brilliant flash of lightning, which he saw from his verandah during a thunderstorm, sent out a messenger who returned three days later with the meteorite. It appears that three people were weeding a field about a mile out of the village close to a mahua tree. It was raining hard at the time, and according to one of the survivors " suddenly a crashing peal of thunder resounded, he heard a whirring sound above him, like unto a kite descending then, as if a body came down with a thud on the ground." He and the second man were rendered insensible, and on coming to he saw that an old woman, one of the three weeders, was charred and dead. Close by her was a large mark on the ground, where the earth had been splattered up, giving the appearance as if something had entered the ground. The spot was dug up and at a depth of about 5 feet from the surface the meteorite was found buried.

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