92 Notice of the late Aurora Bor eatis. 



states, in most portions of which there were no material vari- 

 ations in its appearance, while farther south, it assumed a 

 less uniform character. In this city, it was first observed at 

 about half past nine, P. M., at which time the light, except- 

 ing as regards its whitish hue, resembled that produced by a 

 fire at some distance, and to such a cause it was, for some 

 time, attributed by many. The light soon however became 

 more intense, and its outline more distinctly defined, gradu- 

 ally assuming a columnar shape, and extending from about 

 N. N. W. to a point in the opposite horizon, about E. N. E. 

 In about ten or fifteen minutes from the time that I first ob- 

 served it, waves of light, in detached masses, but all in the 

 line of the luminous arch, began to flow from the eastern to- 

 ward the western part of its course, until the whole were 

 blended, and the heavens were adorned with the beautiful 

 arch, extending from the terminations which I have above 

 named, to a point about fifteen degrees north of the zenith. 

 The greatest breadth of the arch at its centre, was about nine 

 or ten degrees, tapering from that point to the western ex- 

 tremity, (where the light was much brighter,) almost to a 

 point. The eastern segment was, at no time, so distinct as 

 the opposite, but was rendered very beautiful from the con- 

 stant passage of the waves of apparently illuminated vapor, 

 the lines of which were at right angles with the line of the 

 arch, and extending from north to south, toward the western 

 part, and in an opposite direction to the course of the wind. 

 The whole arch moved with a gradual and pretty uniform 

 motion, toward the south, and passed the zenith at about 

 three quarters past ten, presenting to the eye, throughout its 

 whole length, a broad, bright band of wavy light, studded 

 with stars, which were seen distinctly through it. As it pas- 

 sed the zenith, towards the south, its eastern limb became 

 less distinct, breaking up into columns of great brightness, 

 with dark spaces between them, and diminishing in lustre 

 and magnitude until they disappeared. In the mean time, 

 the western segment became more exact in its outline, and 

 was as well defined, as a pencil of rays passed through a prism 

 into a dark room. The color was a bright white, and slowly 

 faded, until about two hours from the time of its first appear- 

 ance, when it was no longer visible. The Aurora Borealis 

 had, for several evenings, been unusually brilliant, and the 

 atmosphere, was at this time, cool and very clear. On Tues- 

 day evening, during the continuance of the arch, the light of 

 the common Aurora was not very brilliant, but after its dis- 



