370 Mr. J. Glaisher on the Aurora Borealis 



fectly cloudless; the night was beautiful, and the full moon 

 shone with unusual brilliancy. 



At about 6^^ SO'" p.m. a bright red streamer was seen to 

 spring up from the N.W. 



At 6'' 40"^ another streamer was seen in the N.W., and at 

 the same instant one sprung up from the N. ; both of which 

 were of a beautiful red. 



At 6'' 56™ a less brilliant streamer was seen in theN.W., and 

 withiu three minutes after this time, several faint streamers 

 were seen in the N., N.N.W. and N.W, 



From 7^' to 7'^ 12™ a few streamers were seen, and after this 

 time no trace of the Aurora could be seen for some time. 



Between 7'^ 30'" and 9^' 40*" there were occasional streamers, 

 both white and red, appearing between the N.W. and the 

 E.N.E. 



At 9'' 55^ a splendid column of red light appeared in the 

 N.W., whose base was about 5° in breadth. This pyramid 

 exhibited all the lints of the most brilliant sunset, and appear- 

 ed to be composed of streamers whose colours shaded from 

 the most intense crimson into the ruddiest and most brilliant 

 orange, which orange parts again contrasted with the ruddy 

 hue of the next portion, forming b}' means of contrast upon 

 contrast an endless gradation of shade and colour, — a truly 

 sublime and gorgeous appearance. About this time, the fur- 

 nace glow which pervaded this appearance increased in in- 

 tensity, and had all the appearance of the reflexion from an 

 immense conflagration ; in the mean time the orange colour 

 entirely disappeared, and gave place to an uniform deep crim- 

 son, increasing, as before stated, in intensity, and apparently in 

 denseness. 



At lO'i 0"^ the same appearance continued as above; but in 

 addition to it, there was a collection of vertical columns of 

 light from 2° to 3° in breadth; and from the E.N.E, there 

 was a column similar in form and colour to the one in the 

 N.W., with the exception of being less brilliant. These two 

 red columns formed the east and west boundaries of the fan- 

 like appearance of the whole mass, all the columns of which 

 converged to a point a ^qw degrees S. of the zenith. 



The columnar appearances situated between the red columns 

 were of the most silvery light, shaded with a most delicate and 

 pure gray; theywere perpetually glancing and shifting upwards 

 and downwards; the lower parts of each column would suddenly 

 glance into the place of the upper portion of the same column, 

 whilst the upper portion would shoot higher towards the zenith, 

 and then both together suddenly descend. This vibrating mo- 

 tion was simultaneous in all the columns, excepting the splendid 



