The Sun.
London, England, 1860-08-08 00:00:00

EXTRAORDINARy METEOR.

The New York papers contain diagrams and
lengthy accounts of a very brilliant meteor which
appeared on the 20th. The _Herald alludes to it as
follows :—" At about a quarter before 10 o'clock on
Friday evening, the atmosphere being very sultry,
and no perceptible motion in the air, a light cloud
appeared in the west, from which a blue-tinted lu-
minous globule shot out, which at the first glance
suggested to the spectators the idea of an artificial
firework. Instantly it lost its globular form, burst-
ing, like an immense skyrocket, into four portions.
The first two are represented .by one of our corre-
spondent as resembling brilliantly illuminated chan-
deliers, with innumerable jets of purple flame ; the
others were globular, and comparatively small,
appearing rather as the tails of the first. They main-
tained their relative distance as they flew athwart
the sky from west to east, occupying in their flight
something like a minute. Whether they vanished
in air or fell on the land or sea.we have not yet as-
certained. About a minute after their passage a
detonation was heard, as from a piece of ordnance ;
but whether it proceeded from the bursting of the
meteor is a matter of conjecture. One very curious
optical delusion which it gave rise to is worthy of
remark. To the spectators it appeared to be no
higher than from a quarter to half a mile, and to be
almost directly over their heads ; and yet, when the
fact is considered that it was witnessed under alnaost
identical circumstances at Philadelphia, some
90 miles south-west of New York; at New Haven,
80 miles east; at Barnegat, 40 miles south; and at
Newburg, on the Hudson, 60 miles north, it will
be perceived that the idea of its insignificant eleva-
tion was most delusive. It must have been at an

immense elevation to have been seen at these widely
remote points, and to have presented at all of them
the same appearance of being so nearly in the
zenith. It is also to be remarked, in connection
with the meteor, that for the previous two or three
nights brilliant flashes of the aurora borealis have
illumined the northern skies—a most unusual dis-
play in the dogdays, and one which we only look
for in the late fall and winter months. The aurora
is generally supposed to indicate clear cold. weather,
but in this case it has been followed by an oppres-
sively sultry state of the atmosphere, thus contra-
dicting our previously conceived notions. It is also
very closely connected in point of time with the
solar eclipse, which took place last Wednesday
morning."

SERIOUS RIOT ON THE BORDER UNION RAIL-
WAY.—On Thursday last, Chief Constable Everitt and
Sergeant Guild, of the Roxburghshire constabulary, ac-
companied by two constables, proceeded to the works on
the Border Union Railway at Shankend, about nine miles
from Hawick, to apprehend a navvie for an offence com-
mitted near Stirling. The man was informed by the con-
stable that he was to go to the Turf Hotel to be examined,
and at first he proceeded quietly along with them. After
proceeding a short way, however, he wished to return
for his coat, to which the police objected. He
then endeavoured to escape from them, when he
was seized and thrown down, and the police, after
considerable trouble, succeeded in putting a handcuff on
one arm. The struggle having been observed by a party
of navvies, they ran to the rescue, and cried to the prisoner
to kick the officers. He followed their advice, but would
have eventually been overpowered had not his companions
rushed on to assist him and force a rescue. The man's wife
was very active in endeavouring to assist her husband.
Sergeant Guild was severely struck, and cut on the face,
and Mr. Everitt received a severe blow on the side from a
large stone. Another man ran and swore he would stab
the chief constable with a pitchfork, which he pointed at
him, if he did not leave off. The police were compelled,
under the circumstances, to abandon the attempt to secure
the man. The leaders in the rescue are well known.—
Caledonian Mercury.
THE HOP DISTRICTS.—The state of the hop
plantation is at the present moment in the highest degree
critical. Considering that the weather is wholly unexam-
pled since the year 1816, the bine, where the cultivation is
good and the manuring high, appears to be flourishing; but
on closer inspection it is found to be full of vermin, chiefly
lice, with here and there a great deal of fly and aphides.
From the reports we receive from other districts we believe
there are few parishes in the county which have not suffered
more than those in the neighbourhood of Maidstone.—
Maidstone Journal.

BLUEJACKETS IN NEW ZEALAND.—I can only,
in passing, notice the gallant exploit of Captain Cracroft,
of the Niger, and his band of bluejackets. This feat has
done much in the way of intimidation ; the Maori now
dreads the sight of a sailor. Cracroft, however, had a nar-
row escape ; as he and his men were entering the pah, pell-
mell with the insurgents, a native took deliberate aim at
him, and was in the act of firing, when a sailor, who saw
him, cut him down. An amusing episode, it is said, took
place in the pah. £lO reward had been proclaimed for the
man who took the rebel flag. Four sailors got hold of it
simultaneously, and in their eagerness to secure the prize
they temporarily forgot the hubbub around them,and their
own danger, and began to pummel each other with 'their
fists.—New Zealand Examiner.
PRINCE LUCIEN BONAPARTE.—This member of
the Bonaparte family, who has attained an honourable
position in connection with scientific pursuits, has recently
visited Norfolk for the purpose of taking " rubbings" of
the monumental brasses in some of the churches. The
Prince, it will be remembered, has also devoted much atten-
tion to the peculiarities of the provincial dialects of Eng-
, land, in which country he is a permanent resident.