262 VOYAGE TO THE 



tentioii continually on the alert ; many of us in conse- 

 quence staid up to a late hour, but nothing was exhi- 

 bited on this occasion more than we had already 

 repeatedly witnessed. 



We were more fortunate the following night, when 

 the aurora approached nearer the southern horizon 

 than it had done on any former occasion that we had 

 observed in this part of the globe. It commenced 

 much in the usual manner, by forming an arch from 

 W. N.W. to E.N.E., and then soared rapidly to the 

 zenith, where the streams of light rolled into each 

 other, and exhibited brilliant colours of purple, pink, 

 and green. It then became diffused over the sky ge- 

 nerally, leaving about 80 of clear space between it and 

 the northern and southern horizons. From this tran- 

 quil state it again suddenly poured out corruscations 

 from all parts, which shot up to the zenith, and formed 

 a splendid cone of rays, blending pink, purple, and 

 green colours in all their varieties. This singular and 

 beautiful exhibition lasted only a few minutes, when 

 the light as before became diffused over the sky in a 

 bright haze. 



We anchored at Chamisso on the 26th, and, after 

 depositing the necessary information on shore, weighed 

 the next morning to proceed to examine the inlet. 

 We were scarcely a league from the land when our 

 attention was again arrested by a fire kindled upon the 

 Peninsula, and eight or ten persons standing upon the 

 heights waving to the ship. The disappointment of 

 the preceding night ought certainly to have put us 

 upon our guard ; but the desire of meeting our coun- 

 trymen induced us to transform every object capable 

 of misconstruction into something favourable to our 

 wishes, and our expectations on this occasion carried 



