144 Transactions. 



train leaving Otaki about 6.10 p.m. The western sky was clear 

 generally, but with a bank of clouds extending from the main- 

 land over Kapiti ; wind S.W. and fresh. There was a young 

 moon. I was sitting on the western side of the carriage, look- 

 ing out at the window. I turned for an instant to speak to 

 a companion, and, on returning my gaze to the sky, I saw the 

 appearance about which I write. 



It was a brilliant vertical streak in the north-western sky, 

 having a slight feathery wisp at the top, the upper part having 

 two slight bulbous expansions. Its lustre was apparently that 

 of a white-hot wire. I uttered an exclamation which brought 

 all the occupants of the carriage to the windows. We watched 

 the app ^arance and saw it gradually change in shape. The branch 

 or wisp at the top extended, as did every part, both longitudinally 

 and in breadth. It was visible to us for about a quarter of 

 an hour, and finally disappeared behind a cloud. It was even 

 then quite white, whereas all the clouds were inky-black. It 

 appeared to the last to shine with its own light. The pas- 

 sengers in the other carriages also saw it, and some, I was 

 informed, became strangely excited, two ladies showing fear 

 and symptoms of hysteria. Curiously, a similar report comes 

 from Auckland : some people manifested alarm. By the great 

 majority, however, of those who saw it it was regarded as an 

 object of interest and beauty. Those in the carriage where 

 I sat who had seen waterspouts (of which I was one) agreed 

 that at one stage the streak resembled the slender streak of 

 bright light which is often seen as a waterspout finally dis- 

 appears ; but this streak was (1) much too brilliant, (2) much 

 too minute, (3) much too high for such an explanation. I 

 tried to form an opinion of its altitude and azimuth, but from 

 a train going some twenty miles an hour over a line with curves 

 this is no easy matter, and no reliance can be placed on such 

 a determination. It, however, helps to form an estimate of the 

 accuracy of other determinations. I thought the azimuth would 

 be between 305° and 320°. I guessed the altitude at about 

 16°, but I had no horizon in view. 



The apparition was seen from other stations. At Hokitika 

 it was seen " in the north-western sky." At Nelson it was seen 

 by many persons. One observer, Miss Bertha Maguire, an artist, 

 showed an intelligent and artistic appreciation of the pheno- 

 menon ; she sketched the object as she saw it, and her sketches 

 so accurately represent what I saw that it is hardly necessary 

 that I should exerc se my feeble sketching powers. The dif- 

 ferences between Miss Maguire's sketches and what I saw are 

 small, and consist of the following : I should represent the streak 

 (1) as being more slender, (2) as having a little wisp at the top. 



