About nine an appearance very unusual began to demand our
attention, a shower of cobwebs falling from very elevated regions,
and continuing, without any interruption, till the close of the day.
These webs were not single filmy threads, floating in the air in all
directions, but perfect flakes or rags; some near an inch broad, and
five or six long, which fell with a degree of velocity which showed
they were considerably heavier than the atmosphere.
On every side as the observer turned his eyes might he behold a
continual succession of fresh flakes falling into his sight, and
twinkling like stars as they turned their sides towards the sun.
How far this wonderful shower extended would be difficult to say;
but we know that it reached Bradley, Selborne, and Alresford, three
places which lie in a sort of a triangle, the shortest of whose sides
is about eight miles in extent.
At the second of those places there was a gentleman (for whose
veracity and intelligent turn we have the greatest veneration) who
observed it the moment he got abroad; but concluded that, as soon
as he came upon the hill above his house, where he took his
morning rides, he should be higher than this meteor, which he
imagined might have been blown, like thistle-down, from the
common above: but, to his great astonishment, when he rode to the
most elevated part of the down, 300 feet above his fields, he found
the webs in appearance still as much above him as before; still
descending into sight in a constant succession, and twinkling in the
sun, so as to draw the attention of the most incurious.
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