I send you inclosed a Short account of a
Me[teor?]. You have on many accounts a Right to every new Th[ing?]
in natural Phylosophy. I leave it to your [Resolu?]tion whether
there be any Thing in my Notion of [torn] phenomena as I
value your Thoughts upon every Thing. And tho’ ever so Short, Yet
Sir Your very much ob[liged] and humble [Servant]
A Few Years since in the Summer Quarter about 6.P.M. and a Clear
Skie I saw a Train of Milk White Spotts, nearly contiguous and
reaching about 20 Degrees East and West. They pass’d thirty Degrees
in about a Minute of Time a little South of our Zenith. I tho’t no
more of them till a few Days since on Recollection of the
Particulars I imagin’d their apparent Motion owing to the Diurnal
Rotation of the Earth. Their place about 15 Miles from the Surface
and that this Region of the Atmosphear is Quiescent with respect to
the Earth’s Motion. And I imagine this Quiescence to arise from a
supernatant Trade from the Pole to the Equator supply’d by a
constant ascent of our Atmosphear within or about the Artic Circle
so as to roll over the descend to the Southern Parts of the Globe
and suppose these Spotts appear’d in this part of it.
If this Conjecture be probable it may be
natural to enquire what accidents it may occasion in it’s Passage
with Regard to Weather and Winds.
Our under Trade vizt. the S.W. is Sometimes in
some particular Place, more rarifi’d; and the Other may be more
condens’d; in which Case probably it may sink down, and Cause an
Accumulation by Stoping a part of the Trade, and then press through
&c. Or it may form a Trough E. and W. and cut a Passage or
force down through the Bottom of it with a southwardly Tendencie so
as to pass. S.W. under the Common Trade (while this takes its
common Rout above) at the same Time filling the Heavens with Clouds
and Rain.
I suppose the Remains of this Supream Trade
which have escap’d Inundations by the way are lost in the
Equinoctial Trade. I form’d some Queries upon these Matters which
contain my Notions more fully, but [at] last thought it needless to
send them to you who have such a happy Talent at Conjecture and so
have omitted it.