tEbe 1FUabt>Sftg in ffijl 73 



Venus, too, blazes with a glory that I never remember 

 at home, and the Milky Way is altogether a different 

 object. I do not think, however, that these sights are 

 due so much to the atmosphere as to the altitude of 

 the objects." 



rn 



After this graphic description by Mr. Badcock of 

 the Fijian night-sky, perhaps a little pen picture of 

 an English morning-sky may not be out of place. It 

 depicts what I saw from my then Northern home on 

 February 20th, 1907. It was written out in the open 

 air. 



In the magnificent sky at six o'clock this morning 

 Mars and the gems of Scorpio, near the meridian, 

 composed a glorious scene. The red planet and the 

 great southern red star Antares were within five 

 degrees of each other ; Beta and Delta Scorpii 

 were to the right of the planet ; Antares was 

 flanked by Sigma and Tau. A goodly company, 

 truly, against the dusky blue sky of the windy 

 morning ! The star was much redder than the 

 planet. 



Away to the right of these fiery objects, and at a 

 somewhat higher level, sparkled the blue-white 

 Spica, hanging, with the other stars of Virgo, over 

 the south-west horizon. And hi a straight line high 

 upward was golden Arcturus, brilliant and beautiful. 

 On the southern sky-line lay a heavy bank of 

 blue-black cloud. Antares was on its fringe, and as 

 I watched it there came a sudden burst of light in 

 the south-east. It was positively startling. Had a 

 great meteor blazed out ? No, Venus was but 



