30 CANADIAN NIGHTS 



but slightly clouded with a thin gauzy film round 

 the horizon, and, on looking up, one could see 

 that the air was full of minute crystals of ice. 

 It was tolerably cold — probably about fifteen or 

 twenty degrees below zero — and perfectly calm. 

 All round the horizon ran a belt of pure bright 

 white light, passing through the sun. This belt 

 was not exactly level, but dipped a little to the 

 east and west, and rose slightly to the north and 

 south. The sun was surrounded by a halo showing 

 rainbow colours on the inside, which faded into 

 white light on the outside edge. A bright per- 

 pendicular ray of white light cut through the sun, 

 forming, with the belt that ran round the horizon, 

 a perfect cross. There was a similar cross in the 

 west, and another in the north, but none in the 

 south at first, but after an hour or so a fourth 

 cross formed in that quarter also. Right overhead 

 was a partially formed horizontal rainbow, the 

 colours of which were very bright. Sometimes 

 this rainbow would develop into an almost perfect 

 circle ; then again it would diminish till there 

 remained only a small segment of the circle. The 

 points where the solar halo cut the belt which 

 encircled the horizon were intensely brilliant — 

 almost as bright as the sun — and rays of white 



