100 Notice of the late Aurora Borealis. 



flames reverberated from the top of an oven, all in constant 

 motion, sometimes the whole rapidly revolving in a spiral, 

 forming altogether a scene exceedingly beautiful, magnifi- 

 cent and sublime, of which it is not in my power to give a 

 perfect description. 



The light of this aurora was so bright as to obscure that 

 of the moon, then in the S.E. about two or three hours high, 

 and about as many days after the full. I viewed this phe- 

 nomenon for half an hour or more, which left such an im- 

 pression on my mind, as I think I never shall forget. This 

 exhibition, as I may call it, occurred about the year 1754 

 or 1755. 



The second time I saw the like appearance was about the 



years . It very much resembled that above described, 



though the second was I think, alittle more south, than the first, 

 and abounded more in red rays. I have some faint notion, that 

 during the first exhibition, I heard the noise attending the 

 rapid motions of the columns, though I cannot speak with 

 any certainty, but I certainly have more than once, heard 

 such rushings, during the vibrations of the aurora, as plainly, 

 though not so audibly, as ever I did that of a rocket, which 

 though fainter, it very much resembled. 



I recollect also, that once during an appearance of an 

 aurora, I examined its effect upon the magnetic needle, and 

 found it much agitated, more especially when there was a 

 more than ordinary vibration of the meteor, but to what ex- 

 tent, or to what number of degrees, I cannot say, but cer- 

 tainly enough to determine, that the needle was much affec- 

 ted by the aurorse. ****** 



Extract of another Letter from Dr. Holyoke, dated Salem, 

 Sept. 26, 1827. 

 ********* * 



Since my last, of the 19th instant, I luckily fell in com- 

 pany with a friend, Ichabod Tucker, Esq. a clerk of our su- 

 preme court, and a respectable character, who informed 

 me, that while he lived in Connecticut, near New Haven, in 

 the month November or December, 1781, or in January, 

 1782, he saw an exhibition of an aurora borealis, exactly 

 similar to that second, which I gave you a description of, 

 only that he took no notice of the absence of the blue col- 

 ored rays. This he saw while walking about two miles, in 

 a N. E. direction, so that he had half an hours time to 



