^8 Mr. Hey’s Account of 
did not eclipfe the brightnefs of thefe corufcations. The wind 
was at north, or a little inclined to the eaft. 
The laft phenomenon of this kind which I faw was on the 
26th of April. Having gone into my ftudy about a quarter 
before ten in the evening, when the window-fhutters were by 
accident left open, 1 obferved in the W. a luminous appearance, 
of the colour of the mod common aurora borealis . From this mals 
or broad column of light iffued three luminous arches, each of 
which made a different angle with the hoirzon. Fnat neaieit 
to the fouth feemed to arife at right angles with the horizon ; 
while that neared to the north made the fmaneft angle, and 
paffed towards the N.E. through the conffellation Auriga, 
having Capella clofe to its upper edge. 1 he houies adjoining 
to my own prevented me from leeing the termination 01 any 
of thefe arches; and neither the time during which they re- 
mained vifible, nor the obfeurity of the atmofphere, would 
permit me to trace their courfe with more accuracy. I had not 
viewed them many minutes when they were rendered in vifible 
by a general blaze of aurora borectlis , which poiletled the jpace 
juft before occupied by thefe arches. 
As there was nothing peculiar in the appearance of this 
mrora borealis , except that it feemed to proceed from the W. 
where I had firft obferved the large column of light, I attended 
to the effeft which the corufcations had in obfeuring the light 
of the ftars. 1 was foon fatisfied that where the aurora borealis 
was denfe, it in tireiy hid from view the ftars ot the fecond 
magnitude. I obferved this particularly with refpect to the 
ftar 13 in the left (boulder of Auriga. But the corufcations 
were never fo denfe, while I (laid to look at them, as to render 
Capella invifible. The wind was betwixt the IN. and IN.E. 
this evening. 
After 
