METEOROLOGICAL PHENOMENA. 



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time. Suddenly the waves ceased, the luminous belt or 

 ring increased in brilliancy, lost its regular form, and here 

 and there broke into faint streamers, of a pale yellow 

 colour. The streamers, rapidly increasing, soon reached 

 the zenith, and finally meeting beyond it, shot forth from 

 the luminous arc with swift motion and in rapid succes- 

 sion. Their colour varied from straw to pink. The 

 display of streamers is quite common in this part of the 

 continent. The waves are also not unfrequently seen; 

 but none of the half-breeds or the Indians, whom we saw 

 a few days afterwards, had ever witnessed such a brilliant 

 spectacle as the heavens presented during the early part 

 of the night, when the immense pulsations, 14° to 20° in 

 breadth, and expanding in their apparent ascent from east 

 to west, rolled in tranquil, noiseless beauty, through the 

 heavens overhead. 



At 10 p.m., on the 27th of October, when camped on 

 the shores of Lake Manitobah, near Oak Point, a half- 

 breed awoke me to witness a crimson Aurora of surprising 

 magnificence. Unfortunately a few clouds were flitting 

 athwart the sky, which prevented the centre arc from 

 being visible, but perhaps they increased the depth of the 

 colour. The light was generally steady at the edges of 

 the clouds. The appearance of streamers was recognized 

 only in the clear portions of the sky and above the clouds, 

 where the rose or crimson tints were much fainter. It 

 reminded me of the reflection of a vast prairie on fire ; 

 the deep rose and crimson tints lasted for half an hour ; 

 then gave way to white and straw-coloured streamers, 

 occasionally tinged with pale emerald green. 



Coloured Auroras are not unfrequently seen during the 

 summer months, but they rarely possess the extraordi- 

 nary beauty of those which have just been described. 

 These beautiful " dancing spirits of the dead " impart a 



