CRUISE OF STEAMER CORWIN IN THE ARCTIC OCEAN. 93 



September 2G. — The aurora of last, evening ended at 2.30 a. m. To-day wind brisk from east in early morning. Frost. 



October 22. — Faint auroral arch, 8 to 10.15 p. m. Gale. Haze and snow the next day. 



November 18. — Faint arch and diffused glow in north. Light wind (7.40 p. in. to midnight). 



November 19 (midnight, to 1.30 a. m.). — Aurora continued from last evening. Wind variable and light snow. Showers 



next day. 

 November 30 ((i.30 p. m. to midnight). — Arch in north along which traveled masses of light. Sometimes the arch was 



continuous; then it showed only in series of broken waves moving back and forth, but mainly from east 



to west. The light waxed and waned frequently, and was often very bright and of a straw yellow. Linear 



haze from northeast the next morning. 

 December 1 (midnight to 2.30 a. in.). — End of last night's aurora ; haze in morning. 



1879. 



February 11 (8.30 to 11 p. m.). — Pale half disk of light on northern horizon ; no movement or color; light south wind 



February 17 (7.45 to 10 p. in.). — Pale yellowish arc in north about, 30° long at base and 20 u high ; high barometer; low 

 temperature; snow fog. 



February 18 (8 to 10.30 p. m.). — Hazy in morning; snow in afternoon. 



February 22 (8.30 to 10 p m.).— Faint arch 25° high in north. Gale from north ended in morning; falling temperature. 



February 23 (10.45 to midnight). — Arch same size and location as yesterday; a trifle more intense; falling temper- 

 ature. 



February 24. — Arch of last evening ended at 12.30 a. m. to-day. At 7 p. m. an arch exactly like that ending this morn- 

 ing appeared and continued until 10.30 p. m. North wind all day ; gale from north next day. 



March 2 (8.15 p. m. to 10.30 a. m.). — Wind light; snow fell the next day. An arch was formed about 15° to 20° high, 

 with its center to the west, of the magnetic north about 10°. At first the color was a faint yellow, but the orig- 

 inal arch soon broke up into long waving pencils of light, tipped, and at times entirely pervaded with a fine rose- 

 tint, changing to purple as the aurora increased in brilliancy. This color invariably began at the lower end 

 of the pencil and remained there, or passed like a wave upward along its entire length. The pencils were 

 continually passing back and forth, one moment scarcely visible, the next bright and glowing. At times the 

 pencils expanded until they formed lovely undulating curtains of rose-colored light, with passing shadows of 

 purple, green, and yellow. The pencils of light were about 10° in height. 



March 22 (8.15 to 10 30 p. m.). — Poorly defined arch in north. Linear haze northwest, by southeast in afternoon. 



March 23. — Faint auroral glow seen through clouds at 9 p. in. Linear llaze in middle of the day. 



March 28 (8.15 to 11.30 p. m.). — Linear haze north and south in middle of day. Faint glow in north. Gale from 

 northeast next day. 



October 8 (8 to 9.80 p. m.). — Two arches formed ; the upper was about 20° high, and sent long pencils of straw yellow 

 light which gilded slowly from south to north with a tremulous motion. The inner arch, about 5° below the 

 other, remained stationary. Accompanying the auroral light was a dark, opaque arch, rising in a curve 

 from the northwest horizon, close to the termination of the auroral arch and sweeping in a curve about 25 u 

 high across the western sky, terminating at. the southwest horizon. This arch was composed of a uniform 

 baud 2° to 3° broad. The upper border of each was transparent, as the stars could be seen through it, but 

 from the upper edge it increased rapidly in density so the lower half showed inky-black and opaque. The 

 segment of sky included in this arch was illumined by a pale, indistinct light, which was barely intense 

 enough to make a contrast between it and the sky outside the arch. Gale from south on same and on 

 next day. Snow and rain same day. Air filled with a peculiar, smoky, Indian-summer-like haze the next day. 



November 11 (8 to 10.30 p. m.). — Two point arches low in northern horizon. Gale from east; northeast in evening and 

 next day. 



November 13 (8 to 10 p. m.). — Faint glow in north. Temperature fell next day. 



November 16 (9.30 to 11.45 p. m.). — Linear haze east and west, next day. Faint glow in north. 



November 17 (11 p. m. to midnight). — Faint glow in north. Linear haze same and next day. 



November 18 (midnight to 2 a. m.). — Aurora of last evening developed to bright arch, with moving pencils of light soon 

 after midnight; then faded. Linear haze from north to south in middle of day. 



December 9 (8.30 p. in. to midnight). — Faint arch in north, light, north wind. 



December 10. — Arch midnight to 8 a. m. ; also 5 p. in. to midnight. The latter aurora reached its greatest intensity at 

 9 p. m., when it consisted of two arches, the outer of which rising from the horizon just north of east passed 

 in a curve over the sky just beneath the pole star, and touched the horizon just north of west. This arch 

 consisted of a faint nebulous light through which the stars were plainly visible. The lower arch, rising and 

 terminating just within the outer, contained about one-third the space. The lower arc was rose-tinted along 

 its lower border, and on its upper half flickering straw-yellow, and inclosed a half disk of inky blackness, 

 effectually hiding the stars. The lower arc repeatedly broke along its upper surface, throwing up long fila- 

 ments and tongues of yellow light over which passed shades of rose anil green, which invariably moved from 

 east to west. Steady north wind, light. 



December 11 (midnight to 3 a. m.). — Fading aurora of last evening; also from 8 to 10.30 p. in. a faint arch in the 

 north, a few pencils and rays of light, with slight motion for a time; wind light and variable. Early the 

 next morning the sky was covered with small, round, uniform balls of fleecy white clouds. Towards noon 



