of Aurora Borealis observed at Dundee. 35 



in tropical climates. The approach of the storm was indicated 

 by a distant growl, which grew louder as it advanced, and the 

 lightnings streamed from the gathering clouds. As the dark- 

 ness increased the lightnings became more vivid, and revelled 

 in all the exuberance of their wayward fancy, darting from 

 cloud to cloud their forked splendours, and tossing from hea- 

 ven to earth, and from earth to heaven, their broad sheets and 

 bright balls of living flame. About ten o'clock, the storm 

 reached the acme of its magnificence, and was then dreadfully 

 appalling. The darkness was now so intense that the tops of 

 the houses in the streets were rendered invisible; but the gloom 

 was only momentary, for the lightnings flashed incessantly, 

 and with more brilliancy than ever ; the thunder was one wild 

 and deafening roar, — 



" Peal on peal 

 Crushed horrible, convulsing heaven and earth," — 



and the rain rushed down in an almost unbroken torrent. 

 The rain was not of long duration ; but the thunder continued 

 to bellow tremendously till nearly midnight, when it gradually 

 died away in the n.e., and the lightnings were seen to flash 

 for two or three hours longer. In Forfar a young man fell a 

 victim to the fury of the elements in his own bed ; and pro- 

 perty in various places sustained different degrees of injury. 



On the evening of September 24th, there was an aurora with 

 coruscations betwixt^ten and twelve o'clock, but not extensive ; 

 none of the streamers rising above Ursa Major. On the 

 23d and 24th there was a brisk gale from s w., which in- 

 creased in strength on the 25th, but slackened about noon ; 

 and rain fell from one till four, and again in the evening. On 

 the 27th there was much rain; on the 28th a cold stormy 

 breeze, rain with and lightning ; and on the 29th a violent 

 gale. 



The last aurora observed here was on October 21., and, 

 though not of great brightness, attracted the attention of those 

 who were gazing towards the western sky at the dim form of 

 Halley's comet. It was accompanied with many shooting- 

 stars. From the 12th to the 20th the wind had been s.w. ; on 

 the 21st it was n.w., and on the morning of the 22d s.w. again, 

 but shifted to e. during the day, and blew in violent gusts in 

 the evening, with rain from eight till ten o'clock. On the 26th, 

 there was a severe storm of wind and rain, which was much 

 more terrible in its consequences than the thunder storm of 

 August 1 1. The 25th was cold, with an easterly wind, the 

 barometer suddenly sunk very low, and in the evening rain 

 began to fall, and continued till next day, being very heavy 



d 2 



