21 RECORD OF A U 110 HAL PHENOMENA. 



Rowe's Welcome.— Lat. 64° 15' 21" N. Long. 87° 43' 46" W. September 9, 1824. Lyun. 



"Rain fell heavily with the gale, and our prospects were most unpromising, when, at ten p. m., a 

 low red line was observed to the westward. 

 It slowly arose as an arch, and the whole of the black clouds began to recede from our heads. 

 A blue and transparent sky in the west, soon discovered a few stars shining, and, in half an 

 hour, the gloom which had shadowed us fell like a dark curtain to the eastward. As it sank, 

 the full moon burst from behind it with the greatest brilliancy; and, in less than an hour from 

 the first welcome appearance of the fiery streak on the horizon, not an angry cloud was to be 

 seen. 

 A magnificent Aurora, composed of all the prismatic colors, flashed wildly and beautifully for a 

 short period, and, as we ejected, a heavy northwest gale succeeded to that from the south- 

 ward." — Lyon (Voyage), p. 91. 



N. B 1. At ten p. m., a low red line to the W. 



2. It slowly arose as an arch. 



3. All the clouds went to eastward. 



4. In an hour from the appearance of the fiery streak, not a cloud to be seen. 



5. Magnificent Aurora composed of all the prismatic colors. 



6. And, as we expected, a heavy N. W. gale succeeded to that from S. 



Fort Enterprise.— Lat. 64° 28' 24" N. Long. 113° 6' W. December, 1820. Franklin. 



"The Aurora appeared with more or less brilliancy on twenty-eight nights of this month, and we 

 were also gratified by the resplendent beauty of the moon, which, for many days together, per- 

 formed its circle round the heavens, shining with undiminished lustre, and scarcely disappearing 

 below the horizon during the twenty-four hours." — 1 Franklin, 257. 



N. B. — Aurora appeared with more or less brilliancy twenty-eight nights of the month. 



Fort Enterprise.— Lat. 64° 28' 24" N. Long. 113° 6' W. January— May, 1821. Franklin. 



" General Remarks. — So few observations of the Aurora Borealis in high northern latitudes have 

 been recorded, that I trust a minute account of the various appearances it exhibits, will not be 

 thought superfluous or uninteresting. 



The remarks of the late Lieutenant Hood are copied verbatim from his journal. They speak 

 sufficiently for themselves to render any eulogium of mine unnecessary. 



To this excellent and lamented young officer, the merit is due of having been, I believe, the first 

 who ascertained, by his observations at Bascpiiau Hill (combined with those of Dr. Richardson 

 at Cumberland House), that the altitude of the Aurora upon these occasions was far inferior to 

 that ivhich had been assigned to it by any former observer. 



He also was the first who satisfactorily proved, by his observations at Cumberland House, the im- 

 portant fact of the action of the Aurora upon the compass needle. 



By his ingenious electrometer, invented at Fort Enterprise, he seems also to have proved the 

 Aurora to be an electrical phenomenon, or at least that it induces a certain unusual state of 

 electricity in the atmosphere. 



The observations of Dr. Richardson, independent of their merit in other respects, point peculiarly 

 to the Aurora being formed at no great elevation, and that it is dependent upon certain other 

 atmospheric phenomena, such as the formation of one or other of the various modifications of 

 cirro stratus. 



With respect to my own observations, they were principally directed to the effects of the Aurora 

 upon the magnetic needle, and the connection of the amount, &c., of this effect with the position 

 and appearance of the Aurora. 



