Accounts of Instances of Aurora Borealis. 91 



believe, not sparingly, in either Norfolk or Suffolk. He in- 

 troduced it into the collection of the botanic garden, Bury 

 St. Edmunds, where it grew, and propagated itself by seeds 

 readily. — J. D.~\ 



Art. VIII. Accounts, from American Newspapers, of Instances of 

 Aurora Borealis observed in North America, on Nov, 17. and 18., 

 1835; transmitted by Dr. Dana to Dr. Dalton, and communicated, 

 with the permission of the]latter, for publication in this Maga- 

 zine. By J. H. Stanway, Esq., Fellow of the Royal Astrono- 

 mical Society. 



The Magazine of Natural History for the last month con- 

 tained (p. 23 — 36.) so many interesting and circumstantial 

 accounts of aurorae boreales which have been seen in Great 

 Britain, and, especially, of those which were visible on Nov. 

 17th and 18th, 1835, that I showed it to our eminent and 

 scientific townsman, Dr. Dalton, who, as may be seen in his 

 lately republished Meteorological Essays, has for many years 

 taken great interest in these phenomena. 



He received, a few days afterwards, a letter from Dr. 

 Samuel L. Dana, of Lowell, in the United States of America, 

 containing accounts of aurorae seen in many parts of the 

 United States on the same evenings ; and as the descriptions 

 of these aurorae, as well as of those seen in Great Britain, 

 are given in such terms as to show that the extent and bril- 

 liancy of the appearances have rarely, if ever, been excelled, 

 and as the occurrences happened on the same days and at the 

 same time (an allowance of about five hours being made for 

 the difference of the clocks at the respective places), it has 

 been j udged that so remarkable a circumstance would be par- 

 ticularly worthy of notice in the history of the auroral phe- 

 nomena. 



For this reason, Dr. Dalton has given me permission to 

 take copies of the particulars sent to him by Dr. Dana ; and 

 I forward them to you in the hope that they will be reprinted 

 in your scientific journal. 



Old Tr afford, near Manchester, Jan. 12. 1836. 

 From the Newhaven Herald. 



Auroral Phenomenon.'- -Last night (Nov. 17.) our northern 

 hemisphere was adorned with a display of auroral lights, re- 

 markably grand and diversified. It was first observed at 15 

 minutes before 7 o'clock (mean time), when an illumination of 

 the whole northern sky, resembling the break of day, was 

 discernible through the openings in the clouds. About 18 

 degrees east of north was a broad column of shining vapour, 



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