196 



21st. patch of nebulous auroral glow remained fixed in 



position on the E.N.E. horizon for half an hour; 

 this appeared even to extend below the horizon 

 line. A great blaze of nebulous aurora descended 

 on to the northern slopes of the cone of Mount 

 Erebus, appearing even to haze the horizon. 

 During all this time the whole top of Mount 

 Erebus was ablaze with aurora, high streamers 

 appearing and quickly breaking down into 

 nebula. A tiny cloud immediately above the cone 

 appeared to be the chief centre of illumination. 

 The luminosity increased around it, being a 

 maximum against the black edge of the cloud 

 itself. Streamers rose from the upper surface of. 

 the cloud, and a nebulous glow intervened 

 between the cloud and the mountain top. The 

 great curtain which formed the dominant feature 

 of this display remained fairly steady, but ex- 

 hibited a slight body-drift to the S. Another 

 great curtain ran out parallel and somewhat S. of 

 the former. The excitation came from the N.E. 



21.30) The long curtains contracted their southern ends 



21.40/ on to Mount Erebus, developing into a great 

 paraboloid, with apex directed to the S.S.W. away 

 from the mountain ; and some 45° in azimuth from 

 it. The luminosity gradually contracted from 

 the mountain and concentrated at the apex of the 

 curved band, there fading into an auroral haze. 



21.45 A glow seen on a dense cloud-bank 10° up in the 

 S.S.E. Faint streamers descending on to Mount 

 Erebus. 



22.00 Streamers rising from a glowing cloud-bank to the 

 8.E. 



22.10 This display was probably some distance behind the 

 cloud. A faint streamer 30° up to the E.N.E. 

 A luminous haze now enveloped the horizon. 



22.45 A curtain in the N. 



24.00 A haze filled the atmosphere, so that smaller clouds 

 obscured. A curtain appeared trending somewhat 

 E. of N., and extending from the X. to a point 

 60° up in the E.S.E. 

 22nd, 6.00 An auroral glow over a belt of clouds in the S.E. 



18.30 No aurora seen. The sky was not sufficiently dark 

 to see any but the brightest display. 



19.30 Streamers descending in the direction of Mount 

 Erebus, apparently eastward of it. 



20.00 Auroral glow on the horizon from E. to S.E. A high 

 streamer descending apparently on to Mount 

 Erebus. 



21.00 A faint nebulous curtain stretching in a S.W. direc- 

 tion from Mount Erebus to the far W. A 

 luminous display on the horizon from E. to S.E. 



21.30 A great curtain of considerable brilliance, com- 

 mencing in the N.E. and extending to the S.W. 

 for some distance on the W. side of Mount Erebus, 

 then swinging round and completing a large part 

 of a circle around the mountain. At the same 

 time streamers appeared in the S.E., and, 



