412 EXPEDITION TO POIXT BARROW, ALASKA. 



was NE. of tin- zenith remained, very pale and hazy, while at 4.15 it \viis very much broken and 

 hii/.y, and traces of the western band were reappearing. The horizontal force was low and agi- 

 tated. The haze and clouds continued increasing, and a few faint traces were seen at 5 a. in. The 

 needles were hardly disturbed all night, though the intensity was comparatively low, much higher, 

 however, than for the last twenty-four hours. 



January 5 and 0, 1883, 10.15^. m. to '2 p. m. Flashes and streamers, very pale, began to appear 

 in the XE. about 4.30 p. m. local time (9.15 Washington time), and at 10.15 had developed into a band 

 ot short bunches of streamers extending from the X. to E. through Orion, Gemini, Lynx, and Ursa 

 Major (brightness 1). This soon disappeared, and no more was seen, the sky being partially ob- 

 scured by haze till 2 a. in., when there was a motionless narrow band across the zenith (brightness 

 to 1 ) visible through the haze from the XXW. to ESE. near Gemini. This was wholly visible at 

 2.15. Several bauds showed through the clouds at 3 a. m., one in particular in the XE. (bright- 

 ness 2) at an altitude of about 40. At 3.15 the band had reached an altitude of about (HP and 

 the whole sky rouud^tho zenith was covered with waving bands. The sky then became completely 

 obscured, only clearing partially at 8 a. in., when yellowish bands (brightness ( to 1), waving 

 slowly and partly hidden by clouds, were visible, running from Ursa Major through Auriga, Per- 

 seus, and Aries. The sky rapidly cleared at 9.17, and there was a quiet white band (brightness 

 to 1) near the southern horizon, running E. and W., sending up streaming patches through Leo 

 and Coma Berenices, and at the W. end in and near Canis Minor. The aurora was unchanged at 

 10.17 except for additional patches in the X. in Trianguluui, Pegasus, and Ai:dromeda. Traces 

 only were seen the next two hours. At 1 p. in. there were two bands (brightness to ] ) from Bootes 

 to Cygnus, through Corona Borealis and Hercules, and a baud through Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, 

 Cepheus, and Cygnus. The last traces were seen at 2 p. m. close to the zenith and near Cassi- 

 opeia. The horizontal force was unusually high about an hour before the aurora began, and a dis- 

 turbance commenced at 4 a. ui. lasting about twelve hours. It reached its maximum at 'J a. m., 

 and had a second period of violence at 2 p. in., the horizontal force being most affected both times 

 and falling low. 



January 7, 18.'5, 12.15 a. m. to 11.17 it. M. The weather was cloudy early in the evening, hut. the 

 clouds began to break away at about 7 p. m. local time (12 midnight Washington) ; an auroral 

 light was visible through the clouds iu the XE. At 1 a. in. a zone (brightness 1), and much ob- 

 scured by the now breaking clouds, was observed passing about 15 west of the zenith from NW. 

 to SE. At 1.15 the zone was more broken into separate bands, and the middle band, which was 

 brightest, was observed to pass through Cygnus, Cassiopeia, Perseus, and Orion. The sky was 

 rapidly clearing at 2, but the aurora was still much obscured. It appeared to be the same general 

 form, but much broader and brighter, one bright streak in particular (brightness 2 to 3) across the 

 zenith. At 2.15 the zone had sunk towards the XE.. still hidden in the bank of clouds, with an 

 altitude of about 00. There was also a bright patch showing through the clouds in the XXW. 

 close to the horizon. The sky. was clear at .".. and starting from Aquila low r in the XXW. came a 

 broad band across zenith through Cyguus, Cepheus, Ursa Minor, Camelopardalis. and ending in 

 Gemini (brightness 1), much twisted near the zenith, and a hazy band through Corona Borealis, 

 and ending in a bright patch (1 to 2) in Bootes in the XE. At 3.15 there were four rather broad 

 arched bands across the eastern sky, starting from the same place iu the XXW. and ending in the 

 clouds in the *SE. near Leo, the highest through Ursa Minor and the lowest close to the horizon. 

 These, however, only lasted a few minutes. At 4 the zone was very broad and consisted of three 

 widely separated bands, broad and hazy (brightness to 1); the starting points were close to <r Lly- 

 dne in the ESE., and A- Aquila 1 in the XXW. The western band was narrow, and ran through 

 Orion and the lower part of the square of Pegasus; the middle was broader and ran through Cyg- 

 nus, Ccpheus, Cassiopeia. Cameleopardalis, Gemini, and Cancer; and the eastern ran through Lyra 

 and Ti-sa Major, going no farther than Leo. At 4.15 the middle and eastern bands were brighter 

 (brightness 1), and the middle band had moved about, .V west. At 5 a. m. the whole sky was cov- 



1 with bands running from Pegasus in the XXW. to Leo in the ESE., the SW. edge being in 

 Aries, Taurus, Orion, and Canis Minor, and the. XW. in Coma Berenices. Bootes, Corona Borealis, 

 Lyra, Cygnus, and Lacerla. The SW. half was quiet (brightness 1) with confluent bands, but in 

 the XK. half Ilieie were several bands of streamers approaching the curtain form and vibrating 



