at Swafiswick, near Bath. 27 



of hazy light. From a quarter before nine, till a quarter past 

 nine p.m., the phenomena were of the most striking description. 

 A broad, elliptical, but ill-defined, arc of light extended from 

 about e. by n. to w. by n. The altitude of the centre of this 

 arc of light, which, at a quarter before nine, p.m., was about 30°, 

 became gradually less ; the arc itself finally, as it were, dis- 

 solving, and leaving only a general and faint light along the 

 horizon. Meanwhile, however, streams of light, varying in 

 intensity and breadth, were sent up from different parts of the 

 arc, at irregular intervals, towards, and reaching, the zenith ; 

 sometimes appearing stationary ; at others, visibly moving 

 with great velocity. But the most remarkable feature of the 

 phenomenon was the rapidity and intensity of the coruscations, 

 often thrown up simultaneously from almost all parts of the 

 arc of light, and producing an effect somewhat similar to the 

 consecutive and concentric waves on a pond after throwing in 

 a stone : there were certain parts of the heavens in which these 

 waves of light were usually much more brilliant than in others. 

 These coruscations were very similar in appearance to those 

 in the imitative-aurora electrical experiment in the exhausted 

 flask ; and they followed, often, so rapidly, and in masses of 

 such breadth, as to have somewhat the effect of immense clouds 

 of luminous striated smoke. 



The arc of light, when first observed, about a quarter before 

 nine p.m., passed across the stars^ a and /3 (the pointers) in 

 Ursa Major. The principal stars in that constellation were 

 visible through the luminous arc, but somewhat feebly. About 

 the zenith, and extending eastward as far as the Pleiades, the 

 clouds of luminous matter darted sometimes from e. by s. to- 

 wards the n., and sometimes from e. to w. A considerable 

 breadth of the heavens between the N.w. and the w. was 

 overspread with a dull red light. About nine p.m. a bright 

 meteor, or falling star, was observed ; it appeared about the 

 middle of the constellation Camelopardus ; its direction was 

 opposite to that of the auroral coruscations, darting towards 

 the n.e. point of the horizon ; and its train visible, probably 

 about 10° or 15°. 



Thebarometer, which, at the place of observation, stood, on 

 the 13th, at 29*86, had gradually sunk, at nine a.m. on the 

 18th, to 29*49, but at ten p.m. had risen again to 29*52. 



The minimum temperature of several preceding days had 

 varied from 30° to 36° Fahr. ; but in the night, between the 

 17th and 18th, had not been lower than 42°. 



The wind had gradually veered from n. on the 15th, to 

 n. by w. on the 16th, and w. by n. on the 17th, to w. on the 

 1 8th, and blew steadily, and rather briskly, during the whole 



