seen in London^ September 25, 1827. 413 



at their upper extremities ; and, though in most respects similar 

 to the Northern Lights (Aurora Boreahs) of our hemisphere, 

 yet differed from them in being always of a whitish colour ; 

 whereas ours assume various colours, especially those of a fiery 

 or purple hue. The sky was generally clear T^hen they ap- 

 peared, and the air sharp and cold ; the thermometer stand- 

 ing at the freezing point." This occasional bending of the 

 columns, " sideways at their upper extremities," instead of 

 uniform convergence toward the zenith, observed by Mr. 

 Forster in the Aurora of the South, is plainly the same 

 peculiarity which was recently witnessed in London, in the 

 Aurora of the North, and a circumstance which, in what- 

 ever way explained, assists in the identification of the na- 

 tures of the two phenomena ; and, if we are still to hesitate, 

 upon account of the whiter light of that of the South, let us 

 believe that particular to originate in some peculiar consti- 

 tution of the Southern atmosphere, from which, in one way or 

 another, not here to be discussed, the cause of the difference 

 may offer itself. But Gmelin's account of the Aurora of the 

 North, to which the attention of the reader has already been 

 called, is that which is here required to follow. It is to serve 

 to illustrate, as will be remembered, much of the foregoing : 

 " This Northern Light," says that author, " begins with the 

 rising of single light pillars in the North, and almost at the same 

 time in the North-east, which, gradually increasing, fill a large 

 space in the heavens, rush about, from place to place, with 

 incredible velocity, and finally almost cover the whole sky, up 

 to the zenith : the streams are then seen meeting together in 

 the zenith, where they produce an appearance as if a vast tent 

 was expanded in the heavens, glittering with gold, rubies, and 

 sapphires. A more beautiful spectacle cannot be described ; 

 but whoever should witness such a Northern Light for the first 

 time, could not behold it without terror ; for, however beautiful 

 the illumination may be, it is attended, as 1 have learned from 

 the relation of many persons, w^ith a hissing, crackling, and 

 rushing noise, throughout the air, as if the largest fireworks 

 were playing off. To describe what they then hear, they make 

 use of the expression, ' Spolochi chodjat ;' that is, 'The furious 

 army is passing P The hunters, who, upon the confines of the 

 OCT.— DEC. 1827. 2 E 



