88 RE CORD OF AURORAL PHENOMENA. 



in our present position, was much to be desired, although a little wind would be beneficial to 

 keep the ice sufficiently in motion to prevent our being frozen in." — Inglesfield., p. 98. 



Moore's Harbor, Point Barrow.— Lat. 71° 23' N. Long. 156° 20' W. Winter of 1853-54. 



" Compared with the last year, the winter set in with great severity ; the ship being frozen in ten 

 days sooner, and the temperature falling below zero on the 28th of September, sixteen days 

 earlier than in the previous season. This winter was altogether colder than the last, with a 

 considerable less fall of snow, and the sky generally clearer; but there is some reason to consider 

 it nearer the mean climate of the place. 

 Associated with this was a more frequent display of Aurora Borealis, suggesting the idea of this 

 phenomenon being connected with terrestrial radiation." — Maguire's Report. 



Baffin's Bay.— [Lat. 72° 10' 11" N. Long. 68° 36' 40" W.] February, 1851. Kane. 



"19th. At 5 a. m., an Aurora visible, passing near the zenith, in a N. N. W. and S. S. E. direction. 



21st. At 1 a. m., a faint Aurora to the east. At 4 p. m., an Aurora passing through the zenith, 

 and extending to the horizon in a N. W. and S. E. direction (true). 



24th. At 6 a. m., a faint Aurora seen about the zenith in a southward and westward direction. 



25th. At 3 p. m., faint Aurora visible, passing through the zenith in a N. W. and S. E. direc- 

 tion. At 10 p. m., several Auroras seen to the northward and westward. 



26th. At 1 a. m., an Aurora to the southward and eastward. At 9 p. m., several Auroras visible 

 in different parts of the heavens. 



27th. At 3 a.m., Aurora passing through the zenith in an east and west direction." — 1 Kane, p. 527. 



Baffin's Bay.— [Lat. 72° 15' N. Long. 68° 40' 22" W.] February 13, 1851. Kane. 



"A fine, pleasant day. At 7 p. m., faint Aurora visible to the southward (true)." — 1 Kane, p. 526. 



Baffin's Bay.— Lat. 72° 19' 40" N. Long. 68° 55' 20" W. February 7, 1851. Kane. 



"I have quoted .the 'fog or cloud-like segment' as forming a prominent feature in the continental 

 descriptions, for the purpose of introducing from my Journal two anomalous exhibitions of 

 Aurora in the same connection. One was in direct conjunction with the diffracted solar rays ; 

 the other, a true daylight Aurora. I give them verbatim from my notes. 

 'February 7. Cold and clear ; thermometer, at 8h. 40m. a. m., at 38°, while on the vessel's stern, 

 and at 42° when freely suspended by the bows outside; my Green's spirit standard, some fifty 

 paces from the vessel, at — 48°: one more illustration of the local influence of ship-board, and 

 of the irregularity of our system of registration. 



The sun was completely visible at about ten a. in., but his rays were subdued by a slight haziness, 

 caused by myriads of crystallized specks that filled the atmosphere. These, when examined by 

 my travelling Fraueuhofer at two hundred diameters, gave in some few cases regular hexagonal 

 prisms, with well-defined terminations; but this symmetry of form was generally obscured by 

 groupings and long oblique truncations. I have now made eight careful examinations of these 

 crystalline spicuke, at varying temperatures, when they come to us accompanied by parhelia, 

 halos, or anomalous columns proceeding from the sun. In every case, there was a decided 

 approach to the six-sided form. 



The sun to-day exhibited an unusual phenomenon. At lOh. 20m., while very low, a column of 

 light was observed stretching from the upper summit of its disk to an approximate height of 

 15°. This expanded fan-fashion as it rose, and was lost by its pencilled radiations blending 

 with the illuminated sky. Thus far it did not differ materially from the vertical or crepuscular 

 rays accompanying rudimentary forms of parhelia. But, by eleven o'clock, this fan-like 

 column had enlarged to a cloudy shaft of bright yellow light, twenty to twenty-four degrees in 

 height, and proceeding from a complete segment of illumination, which was thickly studded with 



