14 RECORD OF AURORAL PHENOMENA. 



The blue sky between these streams of light looked at first like so many dark streaks or clouds, until 



the eye had become accustomed to it, and the clearness of the stars in them explained the 



deception. 

 In half an hour after, a bright arch, 34° high in the centre, and about 2° in breadth, extended 

 from the luminous patch in the N. E. over to the W. S. W., so that the magnetic meridian would 



nearly bisect it. This part of the phenomenon remained about an hour, and then became hunt; 



but the Aurora continued to give considerable light, as usual, during the rest of the night." — 



1 Parry, 307. 



N. B.— 1. At 1 p. m., a bright luminous patch in the N. E. 



2. From this point, faint coruscations, passing a little to the N. of zenith, appeared to 



come down to the W. by S. 



3. Half an hour after, a bright arch, 34° high in the centre, from N. E. over to W. S. W. 



4. This remained almost an hour. 



At Sea.— Lat. 61° N. Long. 25 W. October 17, 1818. Robertson. 



"At eight p. m., observed the Aurora to begin in two concentric arches, the greatest arch from true 

 east to west, passing through the zenith; the smaller arch south of the large one, at an altitude 

 of 45°, shooting fine rays from all parts of the arches, but most brilliant from the western part. 



At half-past eight, these arches disappeared, and another most brilliant one was seen north of the 

 zenith, the centre passing through the pole star, the extremities touching the eastern and western 

 horizons, emitting fine rays having all the prismatic colors. This arch was soon broken, and 

 the Aurora flitted about in beautiful coruscations in the northwestern part of the heavens, shift- 

 ing round to the southward. The moon shone unclouded at the time, and the Aurora was some- 

 times seen passing her, eclipsing her in splendor. 



At 9h. 30m. p. m., the Aurora disappeared, the weather moderate at the time, with some light 

 fleecy clouds in the sky, which had a dark appearance when passing under the Aurora." — 1 John 

 Ross (Robertson), App., exxii. 



N. B. — 1. At 8 p. m., two concentric arches, from true E. to W., passing through the zenith. 



2. At half-past 8, an arch N. of the zenith, the centre passing through the pole star; ex- 



tremes touching E. and W. horizons. 



3. Shifted round to the S. 



4. Eclipsed the moon in splendor. 



5. At 9h. 30m., disappeared. 



At Sea.— Lat. 61° 4' N. Long. 49° 50' W. August 4, 1852. Inglefield. 



"An Aurora Borealis was observed at midnight of the 4th, which illumined the whole of the southern 

 sky with its variegated coruscations of brilliant light. 

 During the following day, we stood in to within eight miles of the shore, and it was supposed that 

 we were off Omenarsuk." — Inglefield, p. 13. 



Moose-Deer Island.— Lat. 61° 18' 8" N. Long. 113° 51' 35" W. 1822. Franklin. 



"Observations were made on the Aurora Borealis, in 1822, at Moose-Deer Island, lat. 61° 18' 8" 

 N., long. 113° 51' 35" W., variation 25° 40' 4V' E. Being unwilling, however, to swell the 

 Appendix more than necessary, I shall not insert the tables, but merely remark, that — 

 Although the Aurora was frequently seen there, the coruscations were seldom either brilliant or of 

 the variable kind. They caused but little alteration in the position of the needle, the greatest 

 deviation observed being 18', and did not furnish grounds for any additional inferences to those 

 which were drawn from the observations on the Aurora made at Fort Enterprise. 



