* Astronomy

Title: A Resident's Wife in Nigeria
Author: Larymore, Constance Belcher, Mrs

On our way back to Bussa we spent two days at Kaiama, and while there a terrific tornado came up one afternoon, and we were very thankful for the solid protection of the bungalow there. We stood on the verandah, watching the magnificent lightning, as the storm passed away over the town, and, simultaneously with a blinding flash, came a report like a Howitzer, which made us both wonder if anything had been ' struck.' Early the next morning arrived the Sariki himself, and with an air of mystery and some trouble, informed us that ' a stone from God ' had fallen during the storm, burning and wrecking a hut - happily unoccupied at the time - and had buried itself at some depths in the ground. His people were scared and worried, and were already ' making ju-ju ' and preparing offerings of blood and oil on the spot where the ' demon ' lay buried. They seemed, in a dim sort of way, to connect the event with our visit, and when we suggested digging up the stone, they obeyed with the greatest alacrity, and the ' devil ' was accordingly exhumed and handed to us, while we, in return, made a present of money to remove unpleasant impressions by means of a little feast. 

The find appeared to be an aerolite of most singular appearance, and I cannot describe it better than by quoting a letter written by my husband to the Spectator on the subject : -

'It is shaped like an axe-head, 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 wide 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 an inch and a half ; from this point its curves to both ends are beautiful. It has a smooth mottled surface, is non-magnetic, and weighs a little over half a pound.'

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