Auroras. 231 



(•al rays, while the western half was convolved in such vast glowing circles that 

 nearly a quarter of the heavens seemed on fire. The eastern half consisted of 

 bosses or birch broomheads, springing into life and dancing merrily to and fro 

 along the vertex of the highest rays forming the arch; to each broomhead was a 

 com])lete nucleus, well defined, about which the rays, inclined about 45° to the 

 east, played most fantastically. One was quite alone in its glory, for not only had 

 it the embellishments of its sister broomheads, but golden hair radiated from its 

 head in all directions. 



[Willi Hall's notes it may be interesting to compare those made 

 by Lieutenant Weyprecht, of the Austrian ship TegetthofF, while wit- 

 nessing the auroras of the Eastern Hemisphere.] 



There in the south, low on the horizon, stands a faint arch of light. It looks 

 as if it were the upper limit of a dark segment of a circle; but the stars which 

 shine through it in undiminished brilliancy, convince us that the darkness of the 

 segment is a delusion produced by contrast. Gradually the arch of light grows 

 in intensity and rises to the zenith. It is perfectly regular; its two ends almost 

 touch the horizon and advance to the east and west in proportion as the arch 

 rises. ISTo beams are to be discovered in it, but the whole consists of an almost 

 uniform light of a delicious tender color. It is transparent white, with a shade 

 of light green not unlike the pale green of a young plant which germinates in 

 the dark. The light of the moon appears yellow, contrasted with this tender 

 color so pleasing to the eye, and so indescribable in words, a color which nature 

 appears to have given only to the Polar regions by way of compensation. The 

 arch is broad, thrice the breadth, perhaps, of the rainbow, and its distinctly 

 marked edges, are strongly defined on the profoifnd darkness of the Arctic 

 heavens. The stars shine through it with undiminished brilliancy. The arch 

 mounts higher and higher. An air of repose seems spread over the whole phe- 

 nomenon; here and there only a wave of light rolls slowly from one side to the 

 other. It begins to grow clear over the ice; some of its groups are discernible. 

 The arch is still distant from the zenith; a second detaches itself from the dark 

 segment, and this is gradually succeeded by others. All now rise toward the 

 zenith ; tlie first passes beyond it, then sinks slowly toward the northern horizon, 

 and as it sinks, loses its intensity. Arches of light are now stretched over the 

 whole heavens ; seven are apparent at the same time on the sky, though of infe- 

 rior intensity. The lower they sink toward the north, the paler they grow, till 

 at last they utterly fade away. Often they all return over the zenith, and become 



