on, whose veracity it is said could not be
doubted.--This stone, the Professor tells us, is also a parallelopiped,
with the angles rounded; and its internal substance is like that of the
others; only with more metallic spots; especially when viewed with a
magnifying glass: and the black external crust appears to be minutely
crystallized.

Many others, of a similar kind, were in the possession of different
persons at Siena.

And besides the falling of these from the cloud, there is described to
have been a fall of sand; seen by keepers of cattle near _Cozone_,
together with the falling of what appeared like squibs; and which proved
afterwards to be stones, of the sort just described, weighing two or
three ounces:--and some only a quarter of an ounce.

Amongst other stones that fell; was one weighing two pounds, and two
ounces; which was also an oblong parallelopiped, with blunted angles,
(as they are called, but which I think meant plainly prismatical
terminations, and are said to have been about an inch in height;) and
this was most remarkable for having, a small circle, or sort of belt
round it, in one part; wherein the black crust appeared more smooth; and
shining like glass; as if that part had suffered a greater degree of
heat than the rest.

Another, also, was no less remarkable, for having many rounded cavities
on its surface: as if the stone had been struck with small balls, whilst
it was forming; and before it was hardened; which left their
impressions.--And some appearances, of the same kind, were found on one
of the four surfaces of another stone, in the possession of Soldani.

On minute examination, the Professor found the stones were composed of
blackish _crystals_, of different kinds; with metallic or pyritical
spots, all united together by a kind of consolidated ashes.--And, on
polishing them, they appeared to have a ground of a dark ash colour;
intermixed with cubical blackish crystals, and shining pyritical specks,
of a silver and gold colour.

The conclusion which Professor Soldani evidently forms, is; _that the
stones were generated in the air, by a combination of mineral
substances, which had risen somewhere or other_, AS EXHALATIONS, _from
the earth_: but, as he seems to think, _not from_ Vesuvius.

The names of many persons, besides those already referred to, are
mentioned; who were eye witnesses to the fall of the stones. And several
_depositions_ were made, _in a regular juridical manner_,