RECORD OF AURORAL PHENOMENA. 93 



February 23, 1825. 



"About one o'clock on the morning of the 23d of February, the Aurora again appeared over the 



hills in a south direction, presenting a brilliant mass of light very similar to that just described 



(2?th January). 

 The rolling motion of the light laterally was here also very striking, as well as the increase of its 



intensity thus occasioned. The light occupied horizontally about a point of the compass, and 



extended in height scarcely a degree above the land, which seemed, however, to conceal from us 



a part of the phenomenon. 

 It was always evident enough that the most attenuated light of the Aurora sensibly dimmed the 



stars, like a thin veil drawn over them. 

 Wc frequently listened for any sound proceeding from this phenomenon, but never heard any." — 



Ibid., p. 62. 



N. B. — 1. Appeared in a south direction ; brilliant. 



2. Most attenuated light of the Aurora always sensibly dimmed the stars. 



3. Frequently listened for sound, but never heard any. 



Port Bowen.— Lat. 73° 13' 39" N. Long. 88° 54' 58" W. Winter of 1824-25. Tarry. 



" On several occasions which seemed the most favorable for the purpose, the electrometer, with gold 

 leaf, was applied to the chain, but without the slightest perceptible effect. 



The chain was attached to the skysail masthead by glass rods, precisely in the manner described on 

 our last voyage, the pointed end of the upper link being considerably above the masthead, and 

 one hundred and fifteen feet from the level of the sea. 



That the atmosphere during the winter months was favorable to the excitement of electricity, appeared 

 from the facility with which a small electrical machine, constructed by Mr. Rowland, was found 

 to act. The sparks given out by this machine, of which the cylinder was only six inches long 

 and five in diameter, Dr. Neill considered as large as are usually elicited from apparatus of 

 much larger dimensions in England. 

 Our variation-needles, %chich were extremely light, suspended in the most delicate manner, and, from 

 the weak directive energy, susceptible of being acted upon by a very slight disturbing force, 

 were never in a single instance sensibly affected by the Aurora, which could scarcely fail to have 

 been observed at some time or other, had any such disturbance taken place, the needles being 

 visited every hour for severed months, and oftener when anything occurred to make it desirable." 

 —3 Parry, p. G3. 



N. B. — 1. Not the slightest perceptible effect produced on the electrometer. 



2. Variation-needles suspended in the most delicate manner. 



3. Were never in a single instance sensibly affected by the Aurora, 



4. Though the needles were visited every hour for several months. 



"There was no want of well-defined clouds this winter; these were almost entirely of the kind called 

 cirro-stratus, or approaching to that modification. Cumuli and cirro-cumuli occurred only with 

 the advauce of spring. 



The sky in this respect differed from that of our winter at Melville Island, and also from those at 

 Winter Island and Igloolik, clouds occurring much more frequently than at the former, and 

 more rarely than at the two latter stations. 



This difference seems to have coincided nearly with the state of the sea in the offing at each winter- 

 ing-place, clouds occurring with more frequency in proportion to the extent of open water in 

 our neighborhood. 



At Port Bowen, we had occasionally lanes of clear water in the offing as late as the 22d of January, 

 and the ice could be heard in motion till the 11th of February; but the water was of small 

 extent after the first month subsequent to onr arrival in winter quarters. 



The occasional occurrence of fog, and the appearance of a dark water-sky to the northward, 

 frequently observed from the hills during the winter, render it extremely probable that Barrow's 



