lip in the N. w. about the place of the, 
former, which increased in size and bril- 
iaocy until an illumination had formed at 
the top, at first resembling the half of a 
gpear, cut longitudinally; it then took 
nearly the form of the index generally 
drawn on maps to show the N. point; al¬ 
ter this, nearly the form of a battle axe, 
having for its shaft a most beautiful col- 
Jumn of light, the largest of the kind I 
ever saw. The whale horizon, between 
the N. W. and N. E. and occasionally 
much more East, was so much illuminated 
as to cast distinct shadows on the N. sides 
of white and light colored building’s. This 
part of the exhibition had frequently a 
slight blush ol red. About 1;2 o’clock I 
was called up, and rode 5 or 6 miles in a 
direction favorable for observing it again. 
I did not notice more than two or three of 
the belts and none after 9 o’clock; but the 
horizontal part continued with very bril¬ 
liant corruscations until daylight hid its 
phenomena from view. This is but the 
second northern light I have seen in this 
country in upwards of seven years. The 
other was on the night cf the memorable 
llth ol September', lei4, after Commo¬ 
dore M’Oonough’s victory on Lake Cham¬ 
plain. I am informed it wan very brilliant 
there, but here it was not, and was confi¬ 
ned to a narrow compa* near N. E. I was 
informed also of one in April of that year, 
bat did not see it. They are, I believe, 
much leas common here titan at the north 
eastward; and even there, in some years, 
they are unfrequent. During the revolu¬ 
tionary war they were frequent and attend¬ 
ed with unusual phenomena; but from 
1783-to 89 there were very lev/ and those 
not remarkable. In 89, which was very 
wet. there were several of extraordinary 
appearance# They continued frequent for 
<> or 7 years. In 1805, 6, 7, and 8, there 
were many ; but in 1809, 10, and 11,1 re¬ 
collect of none worthy of remark. It was, 
however, I think in one of those years 
that the Rev. Mr. Gross ancl some of his 
pupils in Vermont discovered a part of 
one of those lights to be included between 
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