Chap. X. FRANKLIN AND RICHARDSON'S JOURNEY. 365 . 



The aurora borealis made its appearance fre- 

 quently, with more or less brilliancy, but not 

 particularly remarkable ; in the month of Decem- 

 ber it was visible twenty-eight of the long nights. 

 Mr. Back gives, in the narrative of his journey, the 

 following extraordinary account which he received 

 from one of the partners of the North- West Com- 

 pany, but he does not vouch for the truth of it. 

 " He was travelling in a canoe in the English river, 

 and had landed near the Kettle- fall, when the co- 

 ruscations of the aurora were so vivid and low, that 

 the Canadians fell on their faces, and began praying 

 and crying, fearing they should be killed ; he him- 

 self threw away his gun and knife, that they might 

 not attract the flashes, for they were within two 

 feet from the earth, flitting along with incredible 

 swiftness, and moving parallel to its surface. They 

 continued for upwards of five minutes, as near as 

 he could judge, and made a loud rustling noise, 

 like the waving of a flag in a strong breeze. After 

 they had ceased the sky became clear with little 

 wind." 



Captain Franklin, Dr. Richardson, and Mr. Hood, 

 were most attentive observers of the aurora. Cap- 

 tain Franklin says, that having observed the aurora 

 upwards of two hundred times, he is not able to 

 attest the fact of the noise ascribed to it. Mr. 

 Back, when on his journey, the night being fine, 

 says, " the aurora was so vivid, that we imagined 



