EXPHIUTION TO POINT BAKKOW, ALASKA. 365 



motion being principally in direction of its length, while Hashes of the most vivid coloring beamed 

 out in most bewildering variety. At the same time nninenius rays and ]>!itches of quivering light 

 appeared in various parts of the sky in quiek succession, dancing and gyrating to and fro swift as 

 the lightning's Hash. While the northern half of tiie arch remained thus brilliant, the southern 

 half faded away. A lew minutes afterwards a patch of rosy greenish light appeared in the middle 

 of Orion and in a minute or two developed into numerous sheafs of rays with the greatest variety 

 sind intensity of motion and displaying the most brilliant colors as they rose and converged to a 

 point close to the star Algol, forming an imperfect but most brilliant corona, which swayed and 

 swirled and eddied round our zenith with a kaleidoscopic magnificence utterly indescribable; the 

 changes of tint, aspect, and position were so rapid and numerous that the eye stro\e. to following 

 their bewildering confusion in vain. The general motion was to the N., though a brilliant curtain 

 was at the same time moving towards the zenith from the N. The brilliance of the moon seemed 

 to have little effect on the intensity of the colors which appeared. The colors were very numerous, 

 orange, yellow, rose, ruby-red, peach-blossom, emerald-green, and numerous intermediate tints 

 changed and interchanged in beautiful confusion; the whole phenomena of waving wreaths, flick- 

 ering fumes, rays, curtains, fringes, bauds, and flashing colors, the strange confusion of light and 

 motion, presented a picture of which words can convey a very poor idea. The whole display lasted 

 about 30 minutes. There was also intense magnetic disturbance during this time, the needles being 

 almost unmanageable. A. peculiarity of this Aurora was its lowncss in the atmosphere, several 

 patches of cloud apparently not very elevated appearing far above it. Did not entirely disappear 

 until about 12 midday. The apparent elevation of the cloud may have been caused by an optical 

 illusion. 



December S and !>, 1.S.S1. id. 50 />. m. to Id . m. First appeared as a patch of nebulous light 

 immediately below Ursa Major; other patches soon afterwards appeared, and several partially 

 developed arches were observed up to midnight, when it brightened a little and several broad 

 diffused bands were found passing through the zenith. Quivering rays appeared to the SE. in 

 Orion, and a partly formed corona in the zenith at 1 a. m. After this to 10 a. in. occasional bands, 

 patches, and rays of light appeared in various parts of the sky. and several times ft complete arch 

 was formed, but mostly pale and ill-defined. The magnetic needles were disturbed to a consider- 

 able extent about 8 a. in. 



December 10, 1881, 10.30^7. m. to 12 in. Faint detached rays appeared in various parts of the 

 northern quarter of the sky, and a few converged towards the zenith from Ursa Major. Soon 

 afterwards they laded considerably, and for intervals of half an hour at a time were entirely in- 

 visible. 



December 11, 1881, 5 a. m. to 8 a. m. Faint and irregular in shape, no variety of color, and but 

 little motion other than the general motion of translation. 



December 11, 1881, 11 p. m. to 11.15 p. m. Straight auroral bands converging towards the 

 zenith, all faint and pale, lasted about 20 minutes. 



December 12, 1881, 2 a. m. to 10.50 a. in. Two narrow bands (brightness 2) running from the 

 north point to the SE. For the next four hours the sky was clouded, but at 7 a. 711. a pale cur- 

 tained band low down in the north under Cygnus with a few rays above it; this rose and expanded 

 into numerous others, which covered the sky for about 20 on each side of the zenith, running from 

 NW. to SK. There was very little motion at this time, but the magnetic needles were a good deal 

 disturbed. At 9 a. m. there was a very irregular curtained arch in the zenith which constantly 

 and rapidly changed both its position and character, the magnets being still disturbed. From 0.20 

 to 10.30 a. m. the aurora was invisible, but at 10.30 it reappeared in the shape of several bands 

 and patches of ftoceulent light in various parts of the sky and lasted 20 minutes, when it tinally 

 disappeared. 



December 12 and 13, 1881. 9 p. in. to 10.30 . m. First seen at '.' p. m. as a broad pale arch of 

 lambent luiuiniferons vapor running from N. to SF. with its center in Gemini. Front this posi- 

 tion it did not materially change until nearly 1 a. m. of the 13th. The dark segment was very 

 Strongly marked below it. This is the first aurora of this kind T have seen since our arrival: it is 

 also the, first that has remained for so long a period stationary nearly four hours. About 1 a. m. 

 it began moving upwards and augmented greatly in brightness, and in a few minutes developed 



