OF THE POLAR SEA. 



27 



deavour to procure from them some guides 

 and hunters to accompany our party. Two 

 Canadians were sent by Mr. Keith with 

 these letters. 



The month of April commenced with 

 fine and clear, but extremely cold weather ; 

 unfortunately we were still without a ther- 

 mometer, and could not ascertain the de- 

 grees of temperature. The coruscations of 

 the Aurora were very brilliant almost every 

 evening of the first week, and were gene- 

 rally of the most variable kind. On the 3d, 

 they were particularly changeable. The 

 first appearance exhibited three illuminated 

 beams issuing from the horizon, in the 

 north, east, and west points, and directed 

 towards the zenith ; in a few seconds these 

 disappeared, and a complete circle was dis- 

 played, bounding the horizon at an eleva- 

 tion of fifteen degrees. There was a quick 

 lateral motion in the attenuated beams of 

 which this zone was composed. Its colour 

 was a pale yellow, with an occasional tinge 

 of red. 



On the 8th of April the Indians saw some 



