seen in London^ September 25, 1827, 389 



exhibited in the Aurora Borealis, is the constant theme of 

 spectators and naturalists ; and, upon the late occasion, an 

 observer, apparently of more regularly scientific habits of pur- 

 suit than himself*, has particularly insisted upon a column, of 

 a violet colour, rising west of north, and the place of which he 

 thinks corresponding with that of the magnetic pole ; a coinci- 

 ^ctice from which, as it may seem, he would believe a confir- 

 mation of the magnetic theory of the production of the Aurora 

 to be obtained. In setting do^vn the present description, the 

 trrtter tasks himself to the most faithful description of what 

 he actually saw, and suppression of all desire to support or 

 condemn a theory, of which his mind is capable ; and by those 

 ♦rilles, therefore, the whole statement will be guided. His de- 

 'kcription already differs from that of some of his fellow-wit- 

 nesses, as will be expressly considered below ; but he con- 

 'fesses that while, in point of persuasion, he much inclines 

 to the idea, that all the light displayed by the Aurora is in 

 itself white, and only tinctured to the eye of the spectator by 

 the atmospherical medium through which it is seen ; and 

 M/hile, with respect to all those deeper colours, whether crim- 

 son or purple, or blood- colour, which appal the superstitious, 

 itttd are described by the picturesque narrator as exhibiting 

 *{he terrible in matters of vision, he judges it supposable that the 

 T^hole machinery consists in the same interposition of vapour, 

 'hfear the horizon, which so often gives to the sun and moon 

 themselves the appearance of being coloured like blood : 

 #hile, therefore, he still adheres to his opinion, that the 

 'Vidlours ascribed to the Aurora are wholly extrinsic ; and, to 

 'Bbrrow the words of a scientific writer, *' dependent upon the 

 medium through which they are seen ;" he is obliged to 

 'Acknowledge, that it did appear to him, that the several co- 

 lumns, in truth, were yet variously coloured, of pale, but bright 

 '^ttd pleasing colours, from a pale yellow to a pale pink and a 

 |5a!le' Violet, ahd this in the direction of their height or length, — 

 'tt'jShenomeribn which wholly excludes, as to those columns 

 S,ttd their colours, the influence of an interposing medium, the 

 effect of which would be perceived horizontally, and across the 

 whole range of columns, or part of the range, and not ver- 

 * Literary Gazette, Sept. 29, 1827. 



