126 Miscellaneous Intelligence. 



i 



Gold is also stated to occur on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada ; 

 and it is reported that the Mormons have found other mines near the 

 Great Salt Lake. 



[The writer, when in the region of the Sacramento, in the fall of 

 1841, (having then journeyed on horseback with a party from Fort 

 Vancouver to San Francisco, and followed down the Sacramento from 

 its source,) remarked the fact that the region resembled other gold dis- 

 tricts in its rocks, and has a sentence to this effect in his Geological 



Report of the country, written out at the time, though but just now be 

 ing published. The character of the country may occupy some pages 

 in a future number of this Journal. — J. D. Dana.] 



2. Auroral Bow of April 7, 1847. — About 10 p.m., April 7, 1847, 

 a well defined and bright Auroral bow, spanning the heavens from East 

 to West, and passing the zenith, was seen throughout the Northern, 

 Middle, and Western States. Some account of the phenomenon was 

 given in this Journal, vol. iii, ii ser., p. 440, and vol. iv, p. 145. A de- 

 scription of the same is also furnished by Mr. Daniel Kirkwood, in the 

 Literary Record of Linn. Assoc, of Perm. College, Gettysburg, vol. iii, 

 p. 188, June, 1847. The object being isolated, distinct, and regular in 

 its motion, the opportunity for determining its elevation was a most fa- 

 vorable one. Observations were secured by Dr. P. W. Ellsworth, at 

 Hartford, and by myself at New Haven, from which it results that the 

 bow was elevated one hundred and ten miles above the earth. The 

 original observations which were for a long time mislaid, are now pub- 

 lished in order that all who are interested may be able to determine the 

 value of this conclusion. 



(1.) Observations at Hartford. N. lat. 41° 45' 53"; W. long. 

 72° 40' 45" 



9a 59 f/ » 0* H. ra. t. Southern edge of bow is half way between Regulus and eta Leonis. 

 10 30 " « *X Regulus. 



u 2 30 « * at pi Leonis . 



The times above given were taken by a lever watch of regular move- 

 ment. This was compared early next morning with a clock which was 

 kept correct by transit observations. The watch was then found 2m. 

 20s. fast, and may safely be assumed to have varied but a few seconds 

 during the night. The times are consequently to be diminished 2m. 20s. 



(2.) Observations at New Haven. N. lat. 41° 18' 33" ; W, long. 

 72° 56' 45" 



9 h 54 m N. H. m. t. Bow complete and brilliant: southern edge 



rather more definite than the northern ; both well defined. 



56 Southern edge touches Pollux; Castor is also within the 



bow, which is here a little wider than the distance be- 

 tween these stars. 

 56 m 40 s Southern edge touches mu Leonis. 



57 Northern edge touches Castor. 



58 Southern edge touches both epsilon and zeta Leonis. 



59 The bow for 10° or 15° each side of the meridian is bent 



convex towards the North. 

 10 10 Northern limb touches A returns; a waving motion is visi- 

 ble within the bow about the meridian; the movement 

 being from E. to W. 



\ 



