188 ON THE EFFECTING OF 



to die by drowning, have been interred. The natives use 

 much caution in the interment of their dead, by wedging 

 together large stones over the grave, which is commonly 

 in the cleft of a rock, to prevent the bears and foxes from 



beautiful exhibition of ciirocumulus occurred, the patches being 

 edged with a rich tinting of sun-liglit, which contrasted with good 

 effect to the purphsh-lirown swell of the centre. Out of this assem- 

 blage of small clouds, there issued a J^riUiant radiation of snow- 

 white cirrus, such as has been observed in the journal on the 13th 

 of June. This radiation seemed to shoot from behind and above the 

 cirrocumulus cloud just mentioned, instantaneous, rapid, and resist- 

 less as the polar coruscation. At first a continuous stream of white 

 issuing from an irregular coronal ring, apparently touching the 

 cloud : from this ring a mazy spire descending held communication 

 with the cloud : from the point in which the sun was sweeping his 

 lowest arch, other radiations, shorter and more sharp, came in re- 

 sponse to the former, to which succeeded a gradual but uninteiTupted 

 chano-e of the radiations from the cloud into a reticulated form with 

 recurved points : the ciiTOCumulus also underwent a partial dissolution 

 in the mean time ; the denser patches descending in loose yellowish- 

 brown cirrostratus. 



I have been thus particular in detaiUng the circumstances of this 

 phenomenon, as I am not aware that the Uke has been before ob- 

 served by any person else. Of its utility the philosophic reader may 

 possibly form a better conclusion, than I can presume to do ; yet as 

 many such may not have the opportunity of witnessing the Uke, from 



