No. III.] APPEARANCES OF THE AURORA. 561 





soon passed off to the eastward, having descended to the horizon before it 

 disappeared. The needle was not in any way disturbed after nine, from which 

 circumstance I am induced to suppose that the Aurora was very distant. We 

 seldom witnessed a greater variety of arches, beams, and flashes, than were 

 displayed this night, both in the horizon and zenith. If these coruscations 

 had passed as near to the earth as they appear to have done at other times, 

 some effect I conceive would have been produced on the needle : the sky was 



cloudless. 



On the following morning, it was perceived that the needle had receded two 



degrees eastward, and it did not regain its usual position before 4h. p. m. — At 

 8h. p. m. a horizontal band of faint light extended from 88° to 245° elevated 

 7° degrees, which remained almost stationary until midnight, at which hour two 

 brilliant arches appeared, whose united extremities bore 279° and 76° ; and a 

 faint broad arch traversed the zenith from 279° to 88°: — needle moved eastward. 

 Shortly afterwards, the horizon was encircled with an illuminated zone, and the 

 northern part of the sky covered with Aurora. 



22d. At 9h. p. m. a continuous arch across the zenith, from 279° to 99°, the 



colour pale yellow : — needle moved westward. 



23d. At 9h. p. m. a low band, parallel to the horizon, extending from 302 

 to 346°, patches at 76°, and some faint streams in the zenith pointing to 

 234° and 54° :— the needle had moved eastward. At 1 Ih 15' a broad brilliant 

 arch extended from 279° to 99° across the zenith, reaching to each horizon. 

 The needle had since 9h. receded 24' westward. At midnight, two arches 

 appeared, one from 54° to 324°, elevated 50°, the other from 234° to 144 

 elevated 12 



24th. At 9h. p. m. a continuous arch, through which the stars were dis- 

 tinctly visible, passed from 99° to 279° across the zenith, and a beam appeared 

 parallel to this, proceeding from 99°, which terminated in the zenith. At 

 midnight, two belts of brilliant light extended from 99° ; one by the south and 

 west, the other by the north, which encircled the horizon at an elevation of 20°, 

 except between the points 324° and 322° : no perceptible disturbance of the 

 needle. 



26th. At midnight, a brilliant arch issued from 313°, and reached to 99°, 

 the centre being elevated 20°. At the latter point, the coruscation curved 

 upwards, and was then prolonged across the zenith to 200°. The stars shone 



4 



C 



