Aurora. 353 



I can scarcely believe that Rome, where I have 

 spent so many happy years, is now the capital of 

 united Italy. I heartily rejoice in that glorious ter- 

 mination to the vicissitudes the country has under- 

 gone, and only regret that age and infirmity prevent 

 me from going to see Victor Emmanuel triumphantly 

 enter the capital of his kingdom. The Pope's reliance 

 on foreign troops for his safety was an unpardon- 

 able insult to his countrymen. 



***** 



The month of October this year (1870), seems to 

 have been remarkable for displays of the Aurora 

 Borealis. It seriously interfered with the working 

 of the telegraphs, particularly in the north of Eng- 

 land and Ireland. On the night of the 24th Oc- 

 tober, it was seen over the greater part of Europe. 

 At Florence, the common people were greatly 

 alarmed, and at Naples, the. peasantry were on their 

 knees to the Madonna to avert the evil. Unfortu- 

 nately, neither 1 nor any of my family saw the 

 Aurora ; for most of our windows have a southern 

 aspect. The frequent occurrence of the Aurora in 

 1870 confirms the already known period of maxi- 

 mum intensity and frequency, every ten or twelve 

 years, since the last maximum occurred in 1859. 



A A 



