316 Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 



dark part was opake. Shortly after (probably between 8 h 35 m and 

 gii 4Qin Cambridge mean time) it was noticed that the bright edge 

 began to divide into streamers, and that stars were visible through 

 the dark as well as through the bright part. At this time the upper 

 edge of the bright band, or the upper extremities of the streamers, 

 reached very little above Polaris, and perhaps two degrees above 

 Venus. The length of the streamers did not at the utmost exceed 

 six or seven degrees. A bright spot formed itself below Venus, and 

 continued in that situation almost permanently during the whole ap- 

 pearance. The streamers, when first formed, were curved, with their 

 convexity towards the west : afterwards they were straight, and their 

 direction nearly perpendicular to the band (perhaps deviating from 

 this direction towards the direction of a vertical). While watching 

 the streamers east of Polaris, a shooting star was seen above them ; 

 the direction of its path coincided with the interval between two 

 streamers produced, but we were not certain whether it approached 

 to them or receded from them. The lateral motion of the streamers 

 was very remarkable. Some of them remained stationary (changing 

 their length only) till they disappeared ; and no instance to the con- 

 trary is recollected in the streamers west of a Persei. But between 

 Polaris and a Persei, most of the streamers, as soon as they were well 

 formed, moved steadily and uniformly to the west (none of them in 

 the opposite direction). I cannot undertake to say that any of them 

 moved from Polaris to a Persei; but several of them moved through the 

 greater part of that distance, and with a velocity which (judging from 

 several estimations) would carry them from Polaris to a Persei in 

 twenty-four seconds. The streamers generally travelled in companies 

 of four or five. In one instance a streamer in motion came in contact 

 with one which either was stationary, or was moving more slowly : they 

 united, and formed a broad streamer, which travelled onwards. This 

 was noticed distinctly (by one of the party) in one instance, and suspect- 

 ed in several instances. This lateral motion of the streamers has not, I 

 think, been sufficiently noticed, but it is sometimes one of the most 

 remarkable circumstances ; and in one instance (Oct. 9, 1830,) I have 

 seen a body of streamers, extending over 30 degrees of length (mea- 

 sured along the band or arch), travel over thirty or forty degrees of 

 azimuth, but from west to east, without sensible alteration. During 

 the whole appearance of March 13th, the phaenomena extended little 

 to the east of Polaris. A few minutes before nine the band began to 

 divide into mases, each mass having a feathery structure. One of 

 these (which soon faded) was about Polaris ; another covered Cas- 

 siopeia : a third was on and above Venus. The two latter remained 

 till about a quarter past nine, and then seemed to have gradually 

 died away. A bright light remained in the N.W. horizon, but no 

 arch or streamers arose. 



The irresistible impression on the persons who saw this Aurora was, 

 that it had some connexion with the clouds ; but from the extreme 

 fineness of the evening, and the total absence of clouds (except that 

 from which the Aurora seemed to originate), it is probable that, if 

 highly elevated, it has been seen by many persons at distant sta- 

 tions. 



