19 



which preceded it, and continued to rise until the morning of 

 the 29th ; at the time of the phenomenon it stood at 30.052. 

 The temperature of the air was 55.0, and that indicated by the 

 wet-bulb thermometer 53.4. During the phenomenon the 

 sky is described in Mr. Clibborn's notes as " covered with a 

 white fog, apparently composed of a thin stratum of very 

 opaque and fine vapour, sufl5cient to obscure the stars, which 

 I do not recollect having noticed near the moon, nor within 

 the limits of the imperfect circle." The halo was faint, ex- 

 cepting those parts of it which were at about the same altitude 

 as the moon, and where the prismatic colours were distinctly 

 visible. The intensity, however, was continually changing, 

 apparently with the changes of brilliancy of the moon's disc. 

 " The arch was all along quite imperfect at top, where we 

 could at no time discover any trace of a false moon, or even 

 any diffused light or appearance of arch." 



•' The true moon," writes Mr. Clibborn, " appeared to be 

 elongated, and its outline was hazy and indistinct ; that of 

 the false moons was still more so. At times," he adds, " we 

 were disposed to think there were three false moons on the 

 eastern side, placed a little behind and above each other, 

 with three distinct tails of light stretching towards the east. 

 On the west, the moon was too diffuse to say that any appear- 

 ance of the kind at any time presented itself." 



" The whole phenomenon disappeared, by the clouds clos- 

 ing over the moon, at 7 minutes before 11 o'clock." 



From some rough measurements made by Mr. Clibborn, it 

 seemed that the two false moons were not exactly at the same 

 altitude as the true moon, appearing to fall below it by about 

 half its own diameter. " The false moon towards the east was 

 the more perfect ; and the tail which extended from it appeared 

 to fade away into space, and must have been perceptible for 

 30 or 40 degrees." 



The most remarkable, and at the same time the most un- 

 common feature of this phenomenon was the beautiful cross. 



