14 



a visible portion of vapour ; and if so, the aurora will have the 

 appearance of steam ; whereas in the latter, as the currents de- 

 scend from an aerial element, and are exposed to the effects of 

 the sun, they must be drier. This difference has been observed 

 by several navigators. 



The southern aurora consists of long columns of clear white 

 light, shooting up from the horizon, and gradually spreading over 

 the whole sky. These columns are bent sideways at their upper 

 extremities, and are in every respect similar to the northern lights, 

 except in being always of a whitish colour, whereas the northern 

 lights assume various tints, especially those of fiery and purple 

 hue. The figure is identical — indeed exactly such as would be 

 produced by the convergence, or vice versa, of the magnetic 

 currents : and the difference in the colours is precisely what we 

 should have been led to expect from the different nature of each 

 pole. The saturated or hydrogenous nature of the currents 

 coming from the south pole towards the north, will account for 

 the observed peculiarity of the southern hemisphere in its gene- 

 ral temperature, moisture, rains, the growth of vegetation, &c, 

 as compared with that of the northern. 



The great ocean of air which envelopes the planet we inhabit, 

 and to which we are every instant beholden for supplying us with 

 the elements of vitality, is governed by the magnetic currents. 

 Whatever substances may be decomposed and converted into 

 gases, and rise in the atmosphere, are again returned into the 

 earth by means of the currents. Nothing can be destroyed; 

 on the contrary, whatever substances we may consume, reduce, 

 or decompose, become again, by means of the enveloping mag- 

 netic fluid, what they were before they existed, in the form of 

 vegetable, stone or water, active agents in the business of the 

 world, and main supports of vegetable and animal life, and are 

 still susceptible of running again and again the same round, as 

 circumstances may determine. 





