ount.--I affirm nothing.--Neither do I pretend either
absolutely to believe: or to disbelieve.--I have not an opportunity to
examine the whole of the evidence.--But it may be examined: and so I
leave it to be.

This, however, I will say: that _first_ I saw a fragment of this stone;
which had come into the hands of Sir Charles Blagden, from the Duke of
Leeds: and afterwards I saw the stone itself.--That it plainly had a
dark, black crust; with several concave impressions on the outside,
which must have been made before it was quite hardened; just like what
is related concerning the crusts of those stones that fell in
Italy.--That its substance was not _properly_ of a _granite kind_, as
described in the printed paper; but a sort of _grit stone_; composed
(somewhat like the stones said to have fallen in Italy) of sand and
ashes.--That it contained very many particles, obviously of the
appearance of gold, and silver, and iron; (or rather more truly of
_pyrites_).--That there were also several small rusty specks; probably
from decomposed pyrites;--and some striated marks;--that it does not
effervesce with acids;--and that, as far as I have ever seen, or known,
or have been able to obtain any information, no _such_ stone has ever
been found, before this time, in Yorkshire; or in any part of England.
Nor can I easily conceive that such a species of stone could be formed,
by art, to impose upon the public.

Whether, therefore, it might, or might not, possibly be the effect of
ashes flung out from _Heckla_, and wafted to England; like those flung
out from Vesuvius, and (as I am disposed to believe) wafted to Tuscany,
I have nothing to affirm.

I wish to be understood to preserve mere records, the full authority for
which, deserves to be investigated more and more.

Having, nevertheless, gone so far as to say thus much; I ought to add,
that the memorial of such sort of large stones having fallen from the
clouds is still preserved also in Germany.

For one is recorded to have fallen in _Alsace_, in the midst of a storm
of hail, November 29th, A. D. 1630;[DD] which is said to be preserved in
the great church of _Anxissem_: and to be like a large dark sort of
flint-stone; having its surface operated upon by fire: and to be of very
many pounds weight.

And another is said to be still preserved at Vienna.

This last is described by _Abbe Stutz_, Assistant in the Imperial
cabinet of curiosities at Vienna, in a book printed in G