- 146 Auroras and Sunset. 
would seem almost an impossibility that the air passing these 
projections for a series of centuries, could have produced so high 
a polish on so hard a substance, and in the total absence of all 
ignigenous matter, it seems equally unaccountable that thiseffect 
could have been produced by fire. Ihave broken off specimens 
and brought them home, which have as high a polish and lustre 
on the surface, as a piece of melted glass; and then, as these 
rocks have certainly been formed where they now lie, it must 
be admitted that this strange effect has been produced either by 
the action of the air, or by igneous influence, and if by the latter 
cause, we can come to no other conclusion than that these results 
are volcanic ; that this wall has once formed the side of an extin- 
guished crater, and that the pipe stone, lying in horizontal strata, 
was formed of the lava which issued from it. I am strongly in- 
clined to believe, however, that the former supposition is the cor- 
rect one, and that the pipe stone, which differs from al] known 
specimens of lava and steatite, will prove to be a subject of great 
interest, and worthy of a careful analysis. 
_Tinclose you fair specimens of every character to be found in 
the locality, and also a very slight outline of the place, copied 
rom my original drawings. saa 
Very respectfully yours, &c. Geo. CaTLin. 
New York, March 4, 1839. 
Art. XVI.—Auroras and Sunset. 
“e 
a 
I. Notice of an Aurora Borealis, as observed at Rochester; 
N. Y¥.; by Prof. C. Dewey. ae 
Tue Aurora Borealis was splendid here as well as over the 3 
country on Tuesday eve, Sept. 3d, 1839. It was distinguished — 
for its streams, and pillars, and cloudy-light—for centering at a 
point a little S. and W. of the zenith, from which it seemed 1 
radiate in all directions, and extended greatly towards the south, 
as well as from the north. The yellow, white, and crimson light 
was splendid. There was no waving motion, like that in Jan. 
1837. a 
T have an account from an observer in the middle of the State 
of Illinois, which may be relied upon, It is as follows: “f 
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