

614 



APPENDIX 



[No. III. 



December 21st. 1820 



Hour. Temp. Wind. 



m 



A. M. 9 -32 Calm. Clear. Minute particles of snow falling 



Noon -28 W.S.W. Light. Sun obscured. Snowfalling in small crystals 

 P.M. 9 -36 N. do. Clear. 



10h.20m. W. do. do. Slight haze in the S.E. near the horizon. 



11 N. Light, do. 



Midnt. -42 do. do. Clear. 



1.23d -41 do. Cloudless. Slight haze. 



During the early part of the evening, there were a few thin horizontal 



clouds in the N.E., but the sky, in general, had a clear grayish-blue colour. 



Some streaks of cirrus were faintly visible in the east. The moon shone 



brightly, but was surrounded by a bur, as was also the candle. Rapid 

 noisy. 



At lOh. 20m. the Aurora rose in the S.S.E., and proceeding across the sky, 

 divided into several broad arches, which terminated about 30° from the 

 western horizon. The common stem in the S.S.E. appeared as if formed by 

 the twisting of the ends of the different arches together, and had a waving 

 irregular motion, sometimes apparently doubling upon itself; and once or twice 

 it separated into small parallel portions, having a lateral motion in the direc- 

 tion of the arch, but with their ends pointing north and south. The arches 

 were three, and at one time four, in number, and gradually diverged more and 

 more from each other towards their western ends. The uppermost passed 

 a little to the southward of the zenith, and they were each about 4° or 5 

 broad. The spaces between them were sometimes faintly illuminated. After 

 they had continued stationary for about ten minutes, the S.S.E. common stem 

 moved slowly round the horizon, until it bore south, leaving a streak of light 

 behind it, whilst the truncated ends, or those which were directed towards the 



ft 



western horizon, approached each other, and were lengthened out to the 

 horizon in the W.N. W. by the rolling motion of smoke. Contemporaneously 

 with these motions, the centre of the arch moved up and down, so as to 

 appear undulated, and even contorted ; the moving parts frequently dilating 

 considerably, and always becoming brighter in the centre, at the commence- 

 ment of their motion. The light had a pale yellow hue, and, when brightest, 



