256 H. C. RUSSELL. 
direction—horizontally, vertically, and obliquely—like electric 
search lights increasing in length, breadth and vividness until, at 
7°30 p.m., the vertical beams reached to within 10° of the northern 
horizon. Faint beams of light during the same time also formed 
in the east, and swept rapidly across the entire sky from east to 
west, passing through the zenith and reaching from the southern 
to the northern horizons. Cones and patches of intense bright 
light also appeared in all directions, discharging beams and flashes 
of light incessantly from one to the other, like electrical discharges 
or lightning. This continued until 8:30 p.m. The moon rose at 
7°18 p.m., and every particle of cloud disappeared, the night being 
very bright and clear with moderate north-west breeze. Barometer 
29:00; thermometer 44°. 
“At 8:30 a most remarkable change occurred; until then the 
aurora had been simply composed of white light of homogeneous 
structure, now colours and hues of every description appeared 
suspended vertically in the sky. A narrow arch—the upper 
edge perfect in outline as a rainbow, the lower edge serrated 
and fringed, owing to the difference in length of the beams or 
bars of which it was composed—suddenly appeared 15° above 
the southern horizon of rich green and yellow hues, and rapidly 
rose toa higher altitude. Another of the same description formed 
and followed it, others followed in similar order until there were 
six distinct arches of drapery, the first tier then being about 60° 
above the northern horizon. They were long narrow arches from 
5° to 20° wide and made up of vertical stripes and streams of light, 
like Mr. Angot’s frontispiece, which were suspended in a pendulous 
position in the sky, the upper half of the drapery being bright 
green and yellow, while the lower. half was of pink and roseate 
hues. Rapidly the arches changed and contorted into fragmentary 
scrolls of many shapes; in all parts of the heavens other such 
formations appeared cloud-like and evanescent to north, south, east 
and west, in some cases lasting only a few seconds, in others for 
a minute or two; all of the brightest green, yellow, and roseate 
