1 44 Supposed Connection of Meteoric Phenomena, 



itself ceased, and was renewed three times. It was a true hur- 

 ricane. The air next day was affected by excessive cold, which 

 caused the inhabitants to be on the alert, and to exhibit the 

 greatest activity in repairing their dwellings. This hurricane 

 must, I think, have been connected with some terrestrial con- 

 vulsion ; as, on the following day (17th), a shock of earth- 

 quake was felt at Coblentz. The shortest day was the 

 brightest, warmest, and longest, ever remembered ; followed, 

 on the 22nd, by a most brilliant display of the aurora, from 

 5J p.m. till 2 a.m. of the 23d. This beautiful phenomenon 

 was visible throughout the south of England ; the arch which 

 was formed from the n.w. remained throughout the night, but 

 it gradually disappeared, apparently from the effect of a gentle 

 wind blowing to the north. Several meteors attended this 

 display {Jig. 14.). The frost that night was intense. There 



14 



was fog from evaporation, and hoar-frost, on the 23d ; rain 

 at 5 p.m. on the 24th (just forty-eight hours after the aurora) ; 

 on the 25th, the wind was in the west, with fine summer-like 

 weather; on the 26th, in the east; 27th, in the north; 28th, 

 in the east, and variable, with a frost ; and 29th, south, the 

 thermometer at 53°, with heavy clouds, wind, and rain (the 

 universal consequence of the aurora, sooner or later), which 

 continued till the 31st, the year departing in a heavy gale 

 from s.w. which commenced at sunset, after blowing hard all 

 day ; in this respect completing the parallel with 1833, which 



