54 EED RIVER EXPLORING EXPEDITION. 



was ascertained by me with Delcro's barometer. In the 

 previous season the aneroid barometer gave 328 feet as the 

 height, which was a greater degree of accordance between 

 the instruments than I generally found. Major Long 

 estimates the watershed between Lakes Winnipeg and 

 Superior, at 1200 feet above the tide. Major Delafield 

 calculates the height of Cold Water Lake at 505, to 

 which if 161 be added for the Prairie Portage, and 641 

 for Lake Superior, we have 1307 feet for the height of 

 Prairie Portage over the sea. Captain Lefroy, by baro- 

 metrical measurements, made in connection with the 

 Observatory at Toronto, makes the west end of Prairie 

 Portage 1361 feet above the sea ; but the distance 

 between the two places of observation renders the result 

 liable to some error." 



At our camp on the Height of Land (Aug. 12th) an 

 atmospheric phenomenon of singular beauty occurred. 

 The night was very beautiful and calm. The moon 

 shone with great clearness and brilliancy, and numerous 

 meteors darted through the sky in the south and west. 

 Early in the morning, before daylight, I noticed a distinct 

 arch of what at first sight I mistook for an aurora, but, 

 observing its position to be nearly due west, referred it to 

 very elevated clouds illumined by the sun's light. Its 

 appearance was like that of a dim auroral arch, well 

 defined, and forming the complete segment of a circle 

 to the height of 45°, its form being persistent as 

 long as observed. The remaining portion of the sky 

 was clear, the moon and planets shining at the time 

 with a very brilliant lustre. It occurred to me that it 

 might be the forerunner of a storm, an idea which the 

 rising sun, lighting up the tops of the trees beneath a 

 perfectly cloudless sky about an hour afterwards, banished 

 for a few hours. Towards noon the sky became overcast 



