292 The Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights. 



the high mountains, and the iron region generally. The 

 power of iron gradually and noiselessly to disarm the clouds, 

 is strikingly exemplified by the following simple experiment, 

 Take and insulate an iron rod through the roof of your house; 

 bring it down to your chamber, and when the thunder storm 

 comes within two miles of the rod, sparks of electricity may 

 be drawn from the rod ; connect the rod by a chain with the 

 ground and the efi'ect, ceases, as the fluid passes impercepti- 

 bly to the earth. Now if such are the extensive effects of a 

 small rod in disarming the clouds and atmosphere of the elec- 

 tric fluid, what must be the effect of those immense masses 

 of iron, situated in those northern regions, in gradually draw- 

 ing down the same fluid 1 This hypothesis derives support 

 from the following well known facts, to wit; that south of 

 the equator, the thunderstorms are much more frequent and 

 terrific than north of the line, particularly within the iron re- 

 gions. This remarkable fact cannot be so well and satisfac- 

 torily accounted for, as upon this hypothesis of the accumu- 

 lation of the electric fluid south of the equator, until seeking 

 an equilibrium natural to all fluids, it bursts forth in torrents 

 to the land and to the water; whereas at the north and within 

 the specified region, it is gradually drawn off without noise 

 or struggle. A point of much difficulty still remains to be 

 discussed, to wit, what causes the electric fluid to ascend 

 near the pole; and what is the medium of conveyance? 

 And here I must assume another fact, if that indeed can be 

 called an assumption, that is proved by the strongest evi- 

 dence that can be produced, except by absolute and perfect 

 knowledge or demonstration, to wit, that around the north 

 pole there is an open sea, at all seasons of the year. Without 

 citing authors by name, I refer to all the accounts published, 

 as well by those who have sailed on scientific voyages of 

 discovery, as to the accounts of those who have been em- 

 ployed in the whale fishery. And more particularly to the 

 latter, who have penetrated still 'farther to the north than 

 any scientific expedition. This fact being taken as histori- 

 cally true, the theory is as follows. The electric fluid, seek- 

 ing an equilibrium, spreads itself by attraction in all direc- 

 tions from the centre of the iron regions, but of course 

 most in that direction where most attracted, which is 

 northerly, until it reaches the open sea near the pole where 

 it rises in the vapor that constantly ascends from the water 

 in that region. That electricity ascends as well as descends, 



