Electro-Ma-gnetism-^MeteoTology. 171 



of the hemisphere, they were uniformly strongest towards the north and 

 north-east, and were always sure to be seen in that quarter, when they 

 appeared nowhere else. Once or twice I observed them in the south, but 

 they were very faint and stationary. 



" In the days of superstition, these celestial wonders were received as por- 

 tending certain destruction to nations and armies, and filled the minds even 

 of the most enlightened with terror and dismay. At the present day, the 

 Icelander is entirely free from such silly apprehensions, and only regards 

 their uncommonly vivid appearance as predicting a hurricane or storm ; 

 an observation founded on experience, and which I frequently brought to 

 the test, when it invariably turned out, that in less than twenty- four hours, 

 after the Northern Lights were in a great commotion, we had either sudden 

 squalls, or a heavy gale of wind from the north. 



" It was scarcely ever possible for me to view this phenomenon without 

 reflecting on Job, xxxvii. chap* 22. * The golden splendour cometh out of 

 the north ;* and it seems extremely probable, that it is to these Elihu here 

 alludes. The idea not only agrees with the light spoken of in the preced- 

 ing verse, but is far more suitable to the latter clause of the same, ' With 

 God is terrible Majesty.' In some parts of Asia, the northern lights are 

 so terrible, that ' they strike the beholders with terror.' Every animal is 

 struck with terror, even the dogs of the hunters are seized with such dread, 

 that they will fall on the ground and remain immoveable, till the cause is 

 over." — Henderson's Iceland, p. 277. Edinburgh, 1819. 



11. Auroras Boreales observed in Roxburghshire in 1827. — The follow- 

 ing Aurora? were observed at AUerly, near Melrose, in Roxburghshire. 



October 6, - Brilliant. 



November 18, - Brilliant. 



19, - Faint. 



12. Great Dryness in the Antilles in 1827. — A distressing and singular 

 dryness was this year experienced in the Antilles ; during a period of sixty 

 six days not a drop of rain fell. This dryness was succeeded by abun- 

 dant rains, but the crops had been previously almost wholly destroyed. 

 These rains were immediately preceded by an earthquake, which was felt 

 at Martinique on the 3d of June at 8 o'clock in the morning. 



As the yellow fever raged this year with great severity in the Antilles, 

 M. Moreau de Jonnes considers this fact as an objection to the hypothesis 

 that this disease is produced and kept up by a moist heat. These facts 

 were communicated by M. Moreau de Jonnes to the Academy of Sciences 

 on the 17th September last.— ie Globe, September 20, 1827. 



13. Meteoric Stone at Futtehpore. — A communication was laid before 

 the Medical Society of Calcutta from Dr Tytler, giving an account of 

 a meteoric stone which fell at Futtehpore in the Doab, in November 

 1822. On the evening of that day^, a short time after sunset, and before 

 daylight had entirely faded, a meteor was distinctly seen, shooting with 

 considerable velocity in a direction nearly north-west. This appear- 

 ance was also observed by Europeans in the lines, and natives in the 



