seen in London, September 25, 1827. 399 



pendicular to the horizon." Finally, this gentleman speaks of 

 the general luminous aspect, as " much resembling the tail of a 

 comet," and says, that Ursa Major, and other stars, were visible 

 through its medium ; that three meteoric stars also appeared, 

 during the phenomenon, in the east and north-east ; and that 

 the entire horizon was obscured by dark, heavy clouds, from 

 three to five degrees in height*." 



3. Besides these observers, two or three others, if not 

 many more, less scientific, perhaps, but yet entitled to atten- 

 tion, have communicated to different newspapers their accounts 

 of the same phenomena. " The metropolis," says one of these, 

 " was surprised on Tuesday night by a brilliant display of 

 Northern Lights, which but very seldom stray so far south. 

 The last which we beheld in London were in the autumn of 

 1804, about the end of September, or beginning of October ; 

 and the fancied prodigy filled all the superstitious heads, at 

 the time, with fearful prognostics, and loosened the tongues of 

 a hundred prophets. The spectacle, then, was truly magni- 

 ficent. On Tuesday night (the 25th) the northern parts of the 

 heavens displayed, about eleven o'clock, so ruddy a blaze, as to 

 appear like the reflection of a mighty conflagration. An hour 

 later, the red hue was gone ; but the whole horizon, from the 

 north to the east, was lined with a thin cloud, from which the 

 rays of light rolled, or sudden rays flashed up, and as suddenly 

 vanished, to appear in a different part." *' At about half past 

 eleven o'clock," says a second, " my attention was attracted to a 

 singular appearance of light and streakiness in the sky. I ob- 

 served it for nearly two hours. The sky, to the north, was 

 obscured, for about fifteen degrees above the horizon, by a 

 dense stratum of black clouds ; from the upper edge of this, the 

 light became first apparent, extending from nearly north-east to 

 north-west, exceeding considerably in power that arising from 

 the moon just previous to its rising. From this broad stratum 

 of pale yellowish light shot beautiful pencils, of a luminous, hazy 

 appearance, up to the very zenith, changing momentarily in 

 length and intensity. During this period, the wind blew gently 

 from the south ; and I frequently observed, that when it fresh- 



♦ Literary Gazette, as above. 



2 D 2 



