652 Captain Lyon's 



©r llie ciparnoss of the sky. 'J'lic moon 

 and stars shiue with wonderful lustre, 

 and almost persuade one to he pleased 

 with the surroundinjf desolation. The 

 aurora horealis does not appear affected 

 by the hrilliancy even of the full moon, 

 hut its light continues still the same. 

 The first appearance of this phenomenon 

 is generally in showers of falling rays, 

 like those thrown from a rocket, 

 althouEfh not so bright. Those being 

 in constant and agitated motion, have 

 the appearance of trieklins; down the 

 sky. Large masses of light succeeded 

 next in order, alternating from a faint 

 glow resemliling the milky way, to the 

 most vivid flashes, whicti stream and 

 shoot in every direction with the eflect of 

 sheet lightning, exef'pt tiiat after the 

 flash, the aurora Still continues to he 

 seen. The sudden glare and rtipid 

 bursts of these wondrous sho\\crs of 

 fire, render it impossibh to observe 

 them, without fancying that they pro- 

 duce a rushing sound; but I am con- 

 fident that there is no actual noise at- 

 tending the changes, and that the idea 

 is erroneous. I frequently stood for 

 hours together on tiie ice, to ascertain 

 this fact, at a distance from any noise 

 but my own breathing, and thus I 

 formed my opinibn. Neither did I 

 observe any variety of cohuir in the 

 llaslies, whicli were lo my eye always 

 of the same shade as the milky way, 

 and vivid sheet lightning. The stars 

 Mhich gleam through the aurora 

 certainly emit a mihler ray, , as if a 

 curtain of the finest gauze were inter- 

 posed. It is remarkable that whenever 

 the weather is calm, the aurora has a 

 tendency to form an arch, at whatever 

 position it may occupy in the heavens. 

 On the 2yUi of this month we were par- 

 licularly gratified by a beautiful ex- 

 hibition of this kind at near midnight. 

 A perfect arch w as formed to the south- 

 ward, stretching from east to west; its 

 centre elevated about two degrees 

 above the horizon. The night was 

 serene and dark, which added consi- 

 derably to ifs effect, and the appearance 

 eontiuued unchanged for about a quarter 

 of an hour; but on a slight breeze 

 springing n|), small rajs shot occasion- 

 ally to the zenith, and the arch became 

 agitated with a gentle and undulating 

 motion, after which it spread irregularly 

 and separating into the usual streamers, 

 soon diffused itself over the whole sky. 

 In stormy \»eather the northern lights 

 lly with the rapidity of lightning, and 

 with a corresponding wildncss to the 



Private Journal. 



gale which is blowing, giving an in- 

 deseribabie air of magic to the whole 

 scene. 



I have never conteniplaled the aurora 

 witiiont experiencing the most awful 

 sensations, and can re-.ulily excuse the 

 poor untutored Indians for supposing- 

 that in the restless motions of the 

 norllicrn lights they behold the spirits of 

 their fathers roaming in freedom 

 through the land of souls. 



ESKIMAUX HUTS. 



. Some men now ran before us to 

 apprise the inn)ates of our arrival, and 

 we were then led into the tirst dwelling, 

 where we found six families silently 

 awaitiuij our visit, the women and 

 children sitting with their legs doubled 

 under them, behind the men, who sat 

 on the edge of their slce|)ing-places. A 

 distribution of ornaments being made 

 to the ladies, we were soon established 

 on a good footing and visited each but 

 in its turn. Our astonishment was un- 

 boimded, when, after creeping through 

 some long low passages of snow, to 

 enter the dillcrent dwellings, we found 

 ourselves in a cinsltr of dome-shaped 

 edifices, entirely eonstructeil of snow, 

 which, from their recent erection, had 

 not been sullied by the smoke of 

 the numerous lamps that were burnings 

 but admitted the light in most dclicat* 

 hues of verdigris green and blue, ac- 

 cording lo the thickness of the slab 

 through which it passed. Tlie native* 

 were evidently in their best apparel, 

 and made a very neat appearance; the 

 darkness of their deer-skin dresses 

 affording a strong contrast to the' 

 brilliancy of their habitations. To 

 attempt giving a description of all we 

 saw in one visit would be ridicnious; 

 sufCce it to say, we weie much pleased, 

 and determined on spending the ensuing 

 day with our new friends, of whom 

 about fifty persons of both sexes accom- 

 panied us on board, and we « ere now as 

 familiar as old acquaintances. As we^ 

 walked I assisted in singing to them- 

 sonte songs and chorusses, and met with 

 unbounded applause, in such ditties es- 

 pecially as terminated in " Tol de riddle 

 loll," which never failed to excite loud 

 screams of admiration, and a vast deal of 

 jumping. Our harmony at length arou.scd 

 the auibitionof the ladies, three of « horn, 

 vrhpsc liveliness belied their appearance, 

 which was that of age and ugliness, 

 conmience<l an extraordinary and most 

 monotonous ditty, in which we joined. 

 Dancing was occasionally introduced 

 as a change of amusement, and in tbi» 

 manner 



