Page:Philosophical Transactions - Volume 029.djvu/424

 Weſt to the true Eaſt, there did not appear any ſign of Light to ariſe from, or joyn to, the Horizon; but on the contrary, what appeared to be an exceeding black and diſmal Cloud ſeem’d to hang over all that part of it. Yet was it no Cloud, but only the ſerene Sky more than ordinary pure and limpid, ſo that the bright Stars ſhone clearly in it, and particularly Cauda Cygni then very low in the North; the great Blackneſs manifeſtly proceeding from the Neighbourhood of the Light which was collected above it. For the Light had now put on a Form quite different from all that we have hitherto deſcribed, and had faſhioned it ſelf into the Shape of two Lamin or Streaks, lying in a Poſition parallel to the Horizon, whoſe Edges were but ill terminated. They extended themſelves from the N. by E. to the North Eaſt, and were each about a Degree broad; the undermoſt about eight or nine Degrees high, and the other about four or five Degrees over it; theſe kept their Places for along time, and made the Sky ſo light, that I believe a Man might eaſily have read an ordinary Print by the Help thereof.

Whilft we ſtood aſtonifhed at this ſurprizing Sight, and expecting what was further to come, the Northern End of the upper Lamina by degrees bent downwards, and at length cloſed with the End of the other that was under it, ſo as to ſhut up on the Northſide an intermediate Space, which ſtill continued open to the Eaſt. Not long after this, in the ſaid included Space, we ſaw a great Number of ſmall Columns or whiyiſh Streaks to appear ſuddenly, erect to the Horizon, and reaching from the one Lamina to the other; which inſtantly diſappearing were too quick for the Eye, ſo that we could not judge whether they aroſe from the Under or fell from the Upper, but by their ſudden Alterations they made ſuch an Appearance, as might well be taken to reſemble the Conflicts of Men in Battle.