34 Condition of the Weather attending Instances 



day. These auroras were followed by a very dense hoar- 

 frost, but no immediate fall of rain in this locality, although 

 in Dorsetshire (see VIII. 144.), there was^rain on the evening 

 of the 24th. 



Up to this date, in the present year, 1835, there have been 

 only six manifestations of the phenomenon, and none of these of 

 very great brilliancy. The first occurred on the evening of 

 January 4th, consisting of a beautifully stratified arch of light 

 and shade, rising to a considerable distance above the horizon, 

 and throwing out a few rather vivid streamers. The wind 

 was s.w., with a strong frost, and on the 5th, 6th, and 7th, the 

 sky was obscured, and the streets whitened with a hoar-frost 

 that was falling like a shower ; or, in the homely words of our 

 good old dames, there was " a smore o' rime to th' very 

 doors." There was a thaw on the 6th, but of short continu- 

 ance, as the frost overcame it in the evening. On the 10th, 

 there was a lunar halo; and on the morning of the 11th, a 

 large and well-defined halo encircled the sun, showing dis- 

 tinctly all the colours in the prismatic spectrum, and curiously 

 intersected by long streaks of whitish clouds. The wind 

 veered to n.e. in the evening, and there was a heavy fall of 

 snow, followed next day by a thaw with rain ; wind s.e. On 

 the 19th, there was a violent snow-storm; and, on the 20th, 

 the frost was so intense, that the Perth steamer was stopped 

 from plying on account of the state of the river with ice* 

 Mild fresh weather succeeded; the sky-lark was in full song 

 on the 29th ; and on the 30th, the blackbird and thrush poured 

 the rich sweetness of their mellow song. The next aurora 

 was on February 7th, and vivid. On the 5th, the wind was 

 n.w., and the 7th s.w., and on the 8th n.w. again, and stormy, 

 with rain and snow. On the 3d of March there was an aurora, 

 but neither brilliant nor extensive ; and on the 4th a fire- 

 ball, wind N.w. The weather was very stormy from the 25th of 

 February to the middle of March. On the 5th, the wind was 

 s.w., with much rain in the evening, and on the 7th n.e., with 

 a heavy fall of snow. On the 25th, there was another aurora, 

 without coruscations; wind n.w., accompanied with much 

 hoar-frost, and followed by cloudy weather, but no rain till the 

 the 31st, when a good quantity fell. Wind n.e. on the 27th, 

 s.w. on the 28th, and E. on the 31st. 



There were no more aurorae until the 24th of September; but 

 on the 1 1th of August there was a thunderstorm of such awful 

 intensity, as will render it memorable in this quarter for many 

 a day. It began about seven o'clock in the evening, and con- 

 tinued till past midnight, during which period a scene of such 

 terrific grandeur was presented as is seldom witnessed, except 



