An Account of the Fire-Ball Seen in the Air, and of the Explosion Heard, on Dec. 11. 1741. by the Right Honourable the Lord Beauchamp, Near London

Whosoever therefore knows how to extract the *Essences* out of Vitriol and Nitre, whose Centres are Salt, (and the Surface of the Earth is Salt), 1. Possesses the Salt of the Earth. 2. The Salt of the Sea is made from the Sphere of the Sea, and common Salt. 3. That of the Air is made of *Sal Ammoniac* and Salts of Vegetables. 4. The Essence of Fire is made soon and easily from a concentrated Spirit of Wine, or of Vegetables. Thus the Four genuine Elements of Nature are obtained. XXXII. An Account of the Fire-ball seen in the Air, and of the Explosion heard, on Dec. 11. 1741. by the Right Honourable the Lord Beauchamp, near London. On Friday the 11th of this Month, being on the Mount in Kensington Gardens, at a Quarter past 10 o’Clock, the Sun shining bright, in a serene Sky, I saw towards the South, a Ball of Fire, of about Eight Inches Diameter, and somewhat oval, which grew to the Size of about a Yard and an half Diameter. It seemed to descend from above, and at the Distance of about half a Mile from the Earth, took its Course to the East, and seemed to drop over Westminster. In its Course it assumed a Tail of Fourscore Yards in Length; and before it disappeared, it divided into Two Heads. It left a Train of Smoke all the Way as it went; and from the Place where it seemed to drop, there arose a Smoke which continued ascending for 20 Minutes (as another Gentleman and I observed by our Watches); and at length formed into a Cloud, which assumed different Colours. XXXIII. A Letter from John Fuller, Esq; jun. F.R.S. to Sir Hans Sloane, Bart. late President of the Royal Society, concerning the same Meteor, in Sussex. Honoured SIR, Yesterday in the Afternoon, between Twelve and One o’Clock, all this Part of the Country was alarmed with a most terrible Clap of Thunder, as it is generally imagined. The Sound came from the North, where the Weather appeared very black and dark all the Morning. The Sound was double, as if Two very large Cannons had been discharged at the Distance of about a Second from one another: Most People thought, just at the first hearing, that it was the Discharge of Cannons, till by the rolling and echoing of the Sound afterwards, they were convinced it was not. Our Neighbours thought some Powder-mills had been blown up; and I look upon them to be no bad Judges in such kind of Blasts, having been more than once alarmed with them, by the Powder-mills in the Neighbourhood. I have it by Report, that a Countryman, at Work in the Fields about Seven Miles North of us, saw a Flash of Lightning Before he heard the Noise, but I cannot answer for the Truth of it: It is very easy to imagine, that Fancy and Fear in