Page:A Voyage of Discovery and Research in the Southern and Antarctic Regions Vol 1.djvu/74

8 At 7h. 45m. , when it had risen to forty-three degrees, the colour became generally more deeply red, but much fainter near the edges, and by a few minutes after eight entirely disappeared. At half-past nine the same portion of the heavens was again illumined in a similar manner. Two coruscations, of a paler colour and yellowish tinge, were at this time distinctly visible, radiating from the point of first appearance; they were what might be termed about one foot broad, and ten feet apart at the altitude of twenty-five degrees, where they blended with the other light. At half-past ten the whole gradually passed away.

The wind was N. by W.; the compass was not at all affected during its continuance; the stars were seen through it, and the moon, which was for some time behind a cloud, seemed to produce only a comparatively slight change, when she afterwards shone forth with great brilliancy.

Much anxiety was expressed by the inhabitants of the island at this unusual phenomenon: various and absurd were their conjectures as to the cause. The more prevalent were, either that a new volcano had burst forth, or that some very large vessel had been destroyed by fire. Both these suppositions were proved erroneous on the arrival of the Terror at 8 on the 24th. She was about two hundred miles to the northward of Madeira at the time of its occurrence, and the description given of it by Commander Crozier and the officers of that ship