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XV. An Account of a remarhahle Aurora 
Borealis, ohferved at the Ohfervatory of 
the Marine at Paris, by M. Meffier, of 
the Royal Academy of Sciences^ and 
F.R,S» Tranfated by J. Be vis, M, D. 
RR,S. 
Read May 25, B *1 H E morning of the 6th of Au- 
1, 69. guff, 1768, was, for the moftpart, 
ferene, and the afternoon was quite fo. At near 
nine at night, the weftern horizon was illuminated 
with a very fenhble twilight, which increafed greatly 
upon that which the fun had left. I fufpedted that 
this quantity of light could be only owing to a be- 
ginning Aurora Borealis ; and, accordingly, about ten 
o’clock, the fky being perfe( 5 lly clear, excepting one 
thick cloud, about the fame height as Arfturus, repre- 
fented in my drawing, Tab. V. The Aurora was at 
that time conhderable ; feveral dreams of light had 
then diot up from the horizon. At half an hour after 
ten, the Aurora occupied nearly one half of the ho- 
rizon, extending from the weft to the north-eaft, and 
the horizon feemed to be covered with an uneven 
thick fmoak, from which iftued feveral ftreamers of 
light ; two of which, to the weft ward, arofe to a great 
height, pafting through the tail of the Great Bear, and 
were fenfibly inclined to each other, tending lo unite 
2 in 
