seen in London^ September 26, 1827. 403 



and Deptford seem to have had their attention fixed upon 

 it at different epochs of its progress ; and all the four other 

 writers, who have been cited, seem to speak of a time sub- 

 sequent to its disappearance. The present writer does not 

 recollect the small cloud below it, spoken of by Mr. Adams ; 

 but he well remembers the clouds above it, and along and 

 near the northern edge of which it seems to be formed. He 

 does not recollect seeing its definite southern outline contrasted 

 with the azure sky ; but he well remembers seeing that outline 

 contrasted with the dark clouds above it, or to its southward ; 

 and also the contrast of its definite . northern outline, as con- 

 trasted with the azure sky beneath. 



VIII. It is necessary to take notice, also, of what is said 

 above, by the astronomical observer at Deptford, as to the 

 " flashes converging to the zenith," and, further, of the omis- 

 sion, both by this writer and by Mr. Adams, to speak of the 

 curved beam, streamer, or coruscation, to the east of north, 

 as described above. The whole veracity of the foregoing 

 description depends upon the denial of a uniform conver- 

 gence of the streamers, pillars, columns, or coruscations 

 toward the zenith ; nor was it, in all probability, the inten- 

 tion of the writer at Deptford, to assert any such convergence, 

 but only, to speak of those coruscations, or shifting lights, 

 in the zenith, which are described by Mr. Adams as cross- 

 ing each other from east to west. It is remarkable, at the 

 same time, that neither the one nor the other of these writers 

 have mentioned that direct reverse of convergence which marked 

 the general figure and arrangement of the streamers or columns 

 of the Aurora, and which was so opposite to what would have 

 been given to it by the phenomenon of convergence. In- 

 deed, the violent curve of the extreme column to the N. E. 

 or N. N. E., shrouded, too, as that column was with a body of 

 dense vapour through which its light appeared of a deep and 

 /dull red colour, might make the description of this itself answer 

 to the " broad streak, curved," of Mr. Adams, if we were not 

 certain, from other particulars mentioned, that Mr. Adams 

 really refers to the curve which formed part of the arch. For 

 the rest, no mention of the real directions of the several columns 

 having been made by any observer of the Aurora of the 25th 



