AURORA AUSTRALIS. 255 
sixth engineers, who were all interested spectators, and nothing 
in the account was allowed to pass unchallenged.” 
In conference with Mr. Bayldon before he wrote the account 
for me, I asked him if possible, to compare what he saw with the 
pictures given in “ The Aurora Borealis,” by Alfred Angot (1896 
London), and the references are to the plates in that work. 
He says, ‘‘ If the arches in the frontispiece were more regular 
they would fairly well represent the rising of our arches, but ours 
were much farther apart, and were most perfect when near the 
horizon. Figures 2 and 3 resemble the bands of light which we 
noted before 8-30 p.m., but ours were much fainter, and moved 
from east to west as if they were arches pivotted at north and 
south points. Figure 6 resembles many conditions we saw after 
8:30 p.m., while figure 7 fairly represents the rays we saw radiat- 
ing in all directions from the southern horizon, though with us 
they did not radiate with anything like the regularity and pro- 
fusion shewn in the diagram. Figure 8 resembles very many 
patches of auroral light which we saw after 8:30 p.m., excepting 
the dark lines, which we did not see. The lower point of No. 8 
might answer to what we have called a water spout. Figures 12, 
13 and 14 (without the hook) were many times illustrated, especi- 
ally in the circle and spiral chord, which we have described, 
though we saw nothing approaching figure 13 in grandeur. 
“There is one feature of the illustrations which strikes us all as 
very different from what we saw, and that is they all shew the 
lower edge of the arches as defined and the upper one as shading 
off into drapery. In all that we saw, this was reversed ; with us 
the upper edge was defined and the lower edge shaded away into _ 
drapery. : 
“The aurora first became visible at 6-30 p.m.,on April 20th, 1897 
(apparent time at ship), as a bright diffused light in the southern — 
horizon, above a heavy bank of cumulus, the sky being perfectly 
_ Clear elsewhere and stars shining brightly. Soon separate and 
distinct beams of light flashed from this diffused light in every 
