VOL. LIV.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. l^J 



unexpectedly discovered a most glorious and exceedingly resplendent white 

 column, in the southern part of the hemisphere, which in lustre surpassed every 

 thing of the same kind that he had ever seen before. The base of this column 

 seemed to be between 20 and 30 degrees distant from the horizon, and was 

 many degrees broad. The meteor ascended gradually near 30 degrees, passing 

 to the south of the zenith. It was much narrower at the vertex than the base, 

 and consequently approached somewhat towards a pyramidal form. It remained 

 a few minutes in a fixed and permanent state, after it had arrived at its greatest 

 altitude, and was completely formed. About ll*" IS"" it became fainter, 

 and much less vivid ; and there then darted from it towards the west several 

 whitish rays and coruscations. At ll'^ 20™ the lucid column was barely visible, 

 declining apparently southward, and soon after it totally disappeared. He went 

 to bed at 11*' 30", when the atmosphere was covered with the same kind of 

 luminous vapour, that before the formation of the bright Colossean pillar had 

 appeared ; and, in the southern part of the hemisphere, diversified by undula- 

 tions of shining matter, that exhibited a most beautiful and agreeable scene. 



It may not be improper here to remark, that a meteor called an aurora 

 borealis, was seen at Lisbon, according to one of the public papers, the very 

 same night. It is said to have lasted about 4 hours, and to have engaged the 

 attention of the philosophers there. From the similarity of certain circum- 

 stances it might have been denominated an aurora borealis, though appearing in 

 the southern part of the heavens, as that Mr. S. observed actually did. In- 

 stances of aurorae australes, at least in our part of the world, are very rare. 

 At present that observed by Mr. John Martyn, only occurs. The account of 

 this appearance, transmitted by that gentleman to the r. s., and published in the 

 Philos. Trans., vol. 46, p. 319, highly merits the attention of the curious 

 meteorologist. This phenomenon, seen by him, January 23, 1749-50, and 

 that now sent in several respects pretty well agree ; but in others they almost 

 totally differed. Some of the public papers informed us, that an extraordinary 

 phenomenon was observed in the air at London, the preceding night, viz. 

 March 4, 17^4; which in a few particulars resembled this now communicated, 

 but in the rest those two meteors were dissimilar enough. 



LIF'. Extract of a Letter from Mr. John Horsley, Fourth Mate on board the 

 Glatton East India Ship, to the Rev. Mr. Nevil Maskelyne, F.R.S. Dated 

 Batavia, Nov. 16, 1763, giving an Account of his Observations at Sea, for 

 finding out the Longitude hy the Moon. p. 329. 



Mr. H. sailed from Spithead March the 8th, 1763 ; the 19th he had 4 

 observations of the distance of the moon from the sun ; by taking the medium 

 the longitude agreed exactly with that by account. The 21st he had another 



VOL. XI!. Y 



