250 ARCTIC VOYAGES. Chap. VIII. 



netism, will throw much light on this interesting 

 and, it may be said, mysterious subject. 



The refraction of the atmosphere is fully con- 

 sidered, and the method of obtaining it in low 

 temperatures is given in a paper by Mr. Fisher. 

 The observed refractions of stars at low altitudes 

 and temperatures, the solar and terrestrial refrac- 

 tions by observations of the several officers, are care- 

 fully registered in the Appendix. The various 

 meteorological observations employed a considerable 

 portion of their time ; but this winter, Parry says, 

 afforded but few brilliant displays of the aurora. 

 One of them, however, is noticed as something 

 remarkable. 



" While Lieutenants Sherer and Ross and myself were 

 admiring the extreme beauty of this phenomenon from the 

 observatory, we all simultaneously uttered an exclamation 

 of surprise at seeing a bright ray of the aurora shoot sud- 

 denly downward from the general mass of light, and between 

 us and the land, which was there distant only three thousand 

 yards. Had I witnessed this phenomenon by myself, I 

 should have been disposed to receive with caution the evi- 

 dence even of my own senses, as to this last fact ; but the 

 appearance conveying precisely the same idea to three 

 individuals at once, all intently engaged in looking towards 

 the spot, I have no doubt that the ray of light actually 

 passed within that distance of us." — p. 62. 



It is unnecessary to enumerate the number of 

 lunar observations for the longitude, and those for 

 the latitude by the sun and various stars, by all the 

 officers; the account of the rates of the chrono- 



