130 MR BAIRD ON THE AUKOEA BOREALIS. 



degreo of light, and tlioiigli, at the time of their commencement, it only- 

 wanted thirty-six hours of now moon, the niglit was fully as light and 

 clear as if she had been at her full. At all times, and during every 

 variety of configuration, the stars could be distinctly seen shining 

 through them with scarcely any diminution of their brightness. The 

 brightest exhibitions, during the evening, were very evidently from the 

 westward, and what struck me as remarkable, the greater part of the 

 southern hemisphere at times was covered with them also. The 

 morning of Thursday the 19th was clear, with slight frost ; but as the 

 day advanced it became cloudy ; the frost gave way, and rain suc- 

 ceeded in the evening. The rain increased as evening advanced, and 

 continued all night, and all the morning of next day, the 20th. In 

 the forenoon, however, it cleared up, and continued fair, though 

 frequently threatening rain, all the rest of the day. 



'21st, Clouds continued to cover the sky, and collect in great quanti- 

 ties in the forenoon, at 1 p. m. passing into nimbus, which soon 

 extended all over the sky, and descended in continued heavy rain dur- 

 ing the whole day. In the evening the wind, which all along had been 

 from the westward, began to rise, and soon increased to a smart gale, 

 with much and heavy rain all night long. The wind fell, and the rain 

 abated in the morning of the 22nd, which commenced fine ; but during 

 the forenoon the clouds again collected from the westward. Extensive 

 nimbus again formed, and spread over the whole sky about 1 p. M., 

 and descended in torrents of rain during the rest of the day, and 

 during the whole night. Early in the morning the Tweed was 

 observed, from the previous day and night's rain, to be swollen to top 

 flood, and all the streams were flooded throughout the neighbourhood. 

 As the rain, however, came from the west, it was in the western parts 

 of the country that the greatest damage was done. A reference to the 

 newspapers of the period will shew a constant succession of fatal 

 accidents, where, from the swollen state of the streams, considerable 

 loss of life took place, both men and horses being in many cases swept 

 away and overwhelmed by the torrents. But it was at G-reenock that 

 the most fearful devastation took place, and the dreadful event that 

 occurred there during the night and morning of the 21st and 22d, 

 whether considered in the view of the mere damage done to property, 

 or the more frightful loss of human life, will long be remembered in 

 that quarter with feelings of dismay. The very large reservoir which 

 collects the water destined for the supply of the various mills and 

 public works about Cartsdyke, and which is situated on high ground 

 about a mile above that suburb of Grreenock, was so immensely filled 

 by its overflowing feeders, that the embankments, though said to be 

 150 feet thick, became no longer able to bear the huge pressure of 

 water, and gave way with dreadful fury. The torrent of water which 

 now escaped, rushed into another dam a little below it, which also 

 gave way, and, increased thus to a frightful extent, bore death and 



