i INTRODUCTION 33 



et sur leurs pitons, qui brillaient d'un vert 

 argente. Les vents retenaient leurs haleines. 

 On entendait dans les bois, au fond des vallees, 

 au haut des rochers, de petits cris, de doux mur- 

 mures d'oiseaux, qui se caressaient dans leurs 

 nids, rejouis par la clarte de la nuit et la tran- 

 quillite de 1'air. Tous, jusqu'aux insectes, 

 bruissaient sous 1'herbe. Les etoiles etince- 

 laient au ciel ? et se reflechissaient au sein de 

 la mer, qui repetait leurs images tremblantes." 

 In the Arctic and Antarctic regions the 

 nights are often made quite gorgeous by the 

 Northern Lights or Aurora borealis, and 

 the corresponding appearance in the Southern 

 hemisphere. The Aurora borealis generally 

 begins towards evening, and first appears as a 

 faint glimmer in the north, like the approach 

 of dawn. Gradually a curve of light spreads 

 like an immense arch of yellowish-white hue, 

 which gains rapidly in brilliancy, flashes and 

 vibrates like a flame in the wind. Often two 

 or even three arches appear one over the 

 other. After a while coloured rays dart 

 upwards in divergent pencils, often green 

 below, yellow in the centre, and crimson 



