Scientific Intelligence. — Meteorology. 361 



is, I believe, according to the best needles I have seen, 9,\ ° 

 above the true dip of this latitude. The greatest variation of 

 the needles was at 10 p. m., when I first placed them in the 

 window, and it constantly decreased. The brilliancy of the 

 aurora increased till 10 o'clock 30 minutes, when its luminous- 

 ness had entirely disappeared ; though there was a bright aurora 

 in the northern horizon. On examining the horizontal needle, 

 I found it constantly in a tremulous motion, though it did not 

 oscillate more than 2°, or perhaps somewhat less. On setting it 

 to oscillating, however, a second time, it came to rest at 71° ; 

 the same was repeated with the same result, viz. 71° ; whereas 

 its ordinary dip is 72°. The luminous appearances of the 29th 

 and 31st were less brilliant; and though I examined the needles 

 to see if any effect was produced, nothing remarkable appeared 

 during the aurora, except that the needles were seemingly a 

 little longer than ordinary in coming to rest. — Silliman's Jour- 

 nal, New York, 2lst April 1828. 



7. A Storm in the Mediterranean accompanied with Castor 

 and Pollux Lights.— On Friday the green shores of Sicily came 

 in view, but the breeze was light, and we advanced slowly. On 

 Saturday it left us altogether, and, when I turned in at night, 

 the sea was smooth and bright as a mirror ; the vast firmament 

 seemed to descend below us ; the ship appeared suspended in 

 the centre of an immense sphere, and, if I may say so, one felt 

 in awe and silence the majesty of space. About midnight I 

 was awaked by a heavy swing of my coat, succeeded by a sud- 

 den dash to the other side: the water was pouring into our 

 room, and I could hear it rush across the upper decks, where 

 all was noise and rapid motion. I hurried on my clothes, and 

 ran up. The gun-deck was clear ; hammocks had already been 

 lashed up and stowed ; it was lighted up, and the lamps shewed 

 it flooded in its whole extent. I ascended to the next. The rain 

 came down in torrents, but I did not feel it, so deeply absorb- 

 ing was the scene. The sky was in a constant blaze : the sea 

 was not high, but the waves were broken, confused and foam- 

 ing, and taking from the lightning an unnatural hue. Above 

 me were the yards covered with human beings, thrown by each 

 flash into strong outline, struggling hard to secure the canvas, 

 and to maintain their precarious footing. The ship rolled tre- 



