f>94 THE WORLD'S WONDERS. 



magnificent crown or cupola of light, with the appearance of which 

 the phenomena attains its highest degree of splendor. The bril- 

 liancy of the streams, which are commonly red at their base, green 

 in the middle, and light yellow toward the zenith, increases, while 

 at the same time they dart with greater vivacity through the skies. 

 The colors are wonderfully transparent, the red approaching to a 

 clear blood-red, the green to a pale emerald tint. On turning 

 from the flaming firmament to the earth, this also is seen to glow 

 with a magical light. The dark sea, black as jet, forms a strik- 

 ing contrast to the white snow-plain or the distant ice-mountain ; 

 all the outlines tremble as if they belonged to the unreal world 

 of dreams. The imposing silence of the night heightens the 

 charms of the magnificent spectacle. 



But gradually the crown fades, the bow of light dissolves, the 

 streams become shorter, less frequent, and less vivid ; and finally 

 the gloom of winter once more descends upon the northern 

 desert. 



The aurora varies greatly in shape, sometimes assuming a ser- 

 pentine form, then again an oval, and at other times representing 

 giant lances which flash with a splendor almost dazzling to behold. 

 Not frequently it may be seen in the shape of an arch ; some 

 observers sent out by the French government saw, from their 

 station in Finland, no fewer than nine arches, separated by dark 

 spaces and resembling in their arrangement magnificent curtains 

 of light, hung behind and below each other, their brilliant folds 

 stretching completely across the sky. 



An aurora seen on the night of October 18, 1864, is thus de- 

 scribed by Capt. Hall : "At 10 p. M. I went out, and the aurora 

 was spanning the azure vault. A smart breeze from the north 

 was blowing nearly the whole night. This seemed to add to the 

 briskness of the merry dancers as they crossed the heavens to and 

 fro. An hour before, the sky was clear, not a cloud or an aurora 

 ray to be seen ; now, a belt extended across the heavens, arch- 

 like, some 25 above the horizon, its direction being from south- 

 east to northwest. I watched the rising arch. Every few mo- 

 ments gave varied and magnificent changes. At length patches 



