A NIGERIAN AEROLITE.
[To THE EDITOB OF THE SPECTATOR"' SIR,.-SOME months ago, while visiting a village in this province, a thunderbolt or aerolite—I am too ignorant to know which—struck one of the round huts in the village. A violent storm was raging at the time, with much vivid lightning. The " stone " crashed through the roof, and, after circling round the wall on the inside, digging a deep channel in its course, it finally buried itself at a depth of some ten feet. I had the ground dug up, and after some difficulty the stone was found. It is shaped like an axehead, or like a slightly flattened egg, with the broad end sawn off and filed to an edge. It is four inches in length and two and a quarter inches in width at its widest end, gradually narrowing, to a blunt point. At its greatest depth, about three and a quarter inches from its point, it measures one and a half inches. From this point its curves to both ends, as well as to either side, are beautiful. Is it reasonable to infer that, as this form has been undoubtedly acquired by its tremendous velocity through the air, its figure and outline might be regarded as indicative of the least-resisting shape which should be employed for projectiles or flying machines ? It has a smooth, mottled surface, is non-magnetic, and weighs a little over half-a- pound. I shall be glad to show it to any one who is interested on coming home next April.—I am, Sir, &a,
The Residency, Busse, Northern Nigeria.
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