486 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO J JOp. 



denly down from the mountains, as if there had been some sudden eruption of 

 water. And on the 26th of the same month, in the county of Antrim, there 

 was a very sudden and surprising flood, which swelled the Six Mile-River to 

 such a degree, as to break down two strong stone-bridges, and three houses, 

 and carried away 600 pieces of linen cloth, that lay bleaching ; it filled many 

 houses several feet deep with water, tore down some large rocks in its passage, 

 and left several meadows covered a foot or two deep in sand. In the south-east 

 part of the county of Derry, they had that day but little rain, with some 

 thunder: but beyond the mountains, in the north-west part of the county, 

 there was a great flood in the river Roo. 



There have been also several uncommon or monstrous births, viz. a cow in 

 the year 1706, had calved six living calves. Also, December 6, 1706, a mon- 

 strous human birth at Londonderry, viz. with two heads, four arms, and but 

 one body at the navel. It was of both sexes, female on the right side, and 

 male on the left. This child or children were born alive, but lived only a little 

 while. 



The last curiosity is, as I imagine, that which some call the northern stream- 

 ing, which I do not remember the Society had ever any accounts of; and this 

 being one of the most particular accounts I ever met with of it, and very 

 agreeable to such another appearance in the heavens, which was seen in Eng- 

 land, in September or October, 1706 : Mr. Neve's account being so particular, 

 will I hope be very acceptable to the Society : it is thus. " On Sunday, 

 November 16, 1707, after a frosty morning, and fair still day, the wind north- 

 westerly, about half an hour after 8 in the evening, there appeared a very 

 strange light in the north. The evening was clear and star-light, only the 

 horizon was darkened with condensed vapours in the north, reaching about 10 

 or 15 degrees above the horizon. From the cloud proceeded several streams or 

 rays of light, like the tails of some comets, broad below, and ending in points 

 above. Some of them extended almost to the tail of Ursa Minor, and all were 

 nearly perpendicular to the horizon, and as bright as if the full moon had been 

 rising in the cloud. But what was most surprising, was the motion of the dark 

 and lighter parts, running strangely through each other in a moment ; some- 

 times to the east, and sometimes to the west. It continued, after I first saw it, 

 about a quarter of an hour, often changing its face and appearance, as to form 

 and light ; sometimes broken, sometimes entire and long rays of light in the 

 clear sky, quite separate from, and above the cloud, and none below in the 

 cloud." 



To prevent mistakes, says Mr. Derham, I think it necessary to observe, that 

 this light which Mr. Neve saw, is very different from that like the tail of a 



