294 Miscellaneous Intelligence. 



whose interesting account of the display I extract from his letter to me, 

 dated at the place last named, Nov. 18, 1848. E. C. H. 



(1.) Odessa, 46° N. lat. 31° E. Ion. u On Friday last, November 5, 

 O. S. (17th), ourcily was favored for two hours with a phenomenon ex- 

 tremely rare here. A magnificent Aurora Borealis overspread a large 

 part of the heavens. At seven o'clock the light in the north led to the 

 supposition of a distant fire, but its continuance and mild character dis- 

 sipated all doubts; it was certainly the Aurora Borealis, although faint. 

 Towards eleven o'clock, the light hitherto diffuse, appeared in more 

 distinct sheafs, and columns of various lengths, rising almost vertically 

 from the horizon to the zenith, without touching either; the moving 

 rays successively increasing and diminishing, and shooting with more 

 and less brilliancy. At eleven this sea of white light began to assume 

 a rosy tint, which every moment became deeper; the whole sky below 

 Ursa Major, and to a great distance right and left, at this time presented 

 the sublime spectacle of a vast conflagration, fed by some immense in- 

 visible city, — for the horizon below was blue, (or rather of that bluish 

 white which is said to be a sign of cold.) Towards the zenith the mov- 

 ing sheafs of tinted vapor were lost in hues of purple and violet and 

 in the deep blue of the starry sky. At ll h 10 m the entire tail of Ursa 

 Major was covered with the blood-red sea ; five minutes later, the rosy 

 tin-ts gradually faded. The display seemed about to terminate, but 

 soon passing now more to the left, below the polar star, the reddening 



began with still greater intensity, and covering more space than before. 

 Still shifting from white to more vivid hues, the phenomenon continued 

 visible until an hour and a half after midnight. During the whole time 

 the air was calm and mild. The morning of that day had been windy 

 and cold : between 2 and 3 p. m. some flakes of snow had fallen ; the 

 temperature became milder at evening." 



(2.) San Francisco, Up. CaL, 38° N. lat. 122° W. Ion. " Last even- 

 ing there occurred here a beautiful exhibition of the Aurora Borealis, 



similar to those witnessed at New Haven eleven or twelve yea rs ago. 



This is the first glimpse I have had at any auroral appearance since I 



left the United States, [Oct. 1845.] I was at my camp on the western 



side of the Bay of San Francisco, eighteen miles south of this place, 



and in lat. 37° 37' N., long. 122° W. of Gr. My attention was first 



called to the aurora about half past 6 p.m. (Friday, November 17), 



when the northern sky presented a beautiful display "of waving colored 



light with a faint appearance of streamers. The prevailing red hue 



was in all respects similar to that of the Auroras referred to above, 



strongly resembling the reflection of the light of a conflagration from 



the clouds. In altitude the light did not reach above the pole star. 



The western extent of it was the handle of the Dipper, (Ursa Major,) 



and the eastern was concealed partially by light clouds which were 



scattered over the northern sky, the center apparently coinciding with 



the magnetic meridian : the declination of the needle at the place being 



very nearly sixteen degrees east. The Aurora gradually grew fainter 



till a little after seven, when it became entirely invisible. Being quite 



unwell at the time, I did not sit up to watch for its re-appearance. One 



of my men however who was up some time in the night, probably 



about 11 or 12 p. m m told me this morning that it was more brilliant at 





