( 3°4 ) 
IV‘ Ibe Defcription of an Aurora Borealis mm- 
tion^d in the foregoing Letter^ 
i 
My LORD, 
A Bout Seven *o Clock at Night I was told that 
the Meteor call’d by our Sailors, Merry Dancers, 
was vifible, and very bright - Having feen feveral be- 
fore, but had no opportunity of being particular in 
my Obfervaiion, I went out into the open Air, clear of 
Houfes, that I might have a better view all round 
the Horizon ; from whofe Northern part a role 
feveral Streams of Light, as if from behind a black 
Cloud. They were very many, and I believe, there 
was no poffibility of numbering them, their Motion 
being fo quick, Ihooting upwards to the Zenith with 
a Motion not be follow’d by the Eye. They had al- 
fo another Motion which feemed to be fide-ways, 
their higher Ends terminating fometimes in a fliarp 
Point, fometimes in two or three Points ,* they ap- 
peared from the NorthWefi to North-Eafi j but were 
brighteft in the North, Their Colour was pale like 
that of Jupiter through a Telefcope, but not near fo 
bright. Mod of ’em reach’d the Zenith, where mix- 
ing with one another, they whisk’d round and form’d 
an Appearance like the curling Flame of aGlafs-Houfe- 
Fire ; they had a very irregular Motion, fometimes 
turning inwards, fometimes outwards, like the Fen'- 
dulum-Spring of a Watch. This circular Light was 
the brighteft, and feem’d to occupy near ten Degrees 
of the higheft part of the Hemifphere : Several 
Strokes of Light feem’d to dart from it to the South ; 
