165 



21st, 2.30 Two definite curtains crossed the heavens; one con- 

 voluted to form a scroll. Just W. of N. there were 

 four vertical streamers; E. of S. there were two 

 streamers. All the E. sky was occupied by nebu« 

 lous masses of aurorae. Throughout the morning 

 hours the aurora was specially vivid and ever 

 • * changing. There was a noticeable absence of 

 aurora to the W., N.W., and S.W. 

 4.00 Xo curtains visible, but a large number of vertical 

 beams remained constant in position for a few 

 minutes. Large nebulous masses appeared in the 

 zenith. 

 6.00 Large nebulous masses on either side of Mount Erebus. 

 Where the nebulous aurorae had been seen there 

 appeared faint cirrus clouds after they had dis- 

 appeared ; these were quite detached from the main 

 body of the clouds. It appeared as if the aurorae 

 had been drawn to these single clouds, and it was 

 difficult to say when the actual aurorae faded and 

 when the faint clouds were not illuminated. 

 8.00 Faint aurora. Blizzard conditions prevailed most of 

 the day. 



18.1-5 A slight aurora on the X. flanks of Mount Erebus. 



20.00 Xebulous bands over Cape Bird. 



20.30 An auroral light in the direction of Cape Bird, and 

 especially in a long line southward along the Ross 

 Island highlands. The arc was nebulous, and 

 resembled a luminous fog. It was brightest in the 

 S. The S.W. edge of the arc was bordered by a 

 faint cloud. What were nebulous bands half an 

 hour earlier in the direction of Cape Bird developed 

 into a nebulous ellipse over the northern highlands 

 of Ross Island, just as happened yesterday even- 

 ing. A high vertical streamer, exactly as accom- 

 panied last evening's aurora, rose from the W. 

 border in the same position. 



20.4o During the next 15 minutes a strongly luminous 

 nebula appeared on the X. flanks of Mount Erebus, 

 extending X. to the position past Cape Bird. This 

 nebula appeared to reach close to the snow at 

 the 4,000-feet level, and further X'. it seemed to 

 reach near to sea level. The whole area glowed 

 simultaneously, the luminescence fading from the 

 S. end. This glow appeared to extend 1,000 feet 

 in the vertical, where it appeared in front of the 

 slopes of Mount Erebus, and thicker in the direc- 

 tion of Cape Bird. The luminous nebula stood out 

 brightly between us and the slopes of Mount 

 Erebus. To-night there was a peculiar haze in the 

 atmosphere, stars being invisible below 10° of the 

 horizon and faint for a further 5° above this. 

 During a high wind, earlier in the day, a haze 

 covered the whole sky, though the largest stars 

 remained visible in the zenith. Early evening set 

 in with permanent horizon haze. At 20.00 this 

 haze was coloured with the peculiar greenish-yellow 

 tint of the aurora. By 21.00 it appeared to be lit 

 with a pinkish glow. At 22.00, for the most part, 

 the colour appeared of a deep puce tint ; this 



