Note 182 — Chapter X

“Brilliant and active coruscations of the Aurora Borealis,” says Captain Back, “when seen through a hazy atmosphere, and exhibiting the prismatic colours, almost invariably affected the needle. On the contrary, a very bright Aurora, though attended by motion, and even tinged with a dullish red and a yellow in a clear blue sky, seldom produced any sensible change, beyond, at the most, a tremulous motion. A dense haze or fog, in conjunction with an active Aurora, seemed uniformly favourable to the disturbance of the needle, and a low temperature was favourable to brilliant and active coruscations. On no occasion during two winters was any sound heard to accompany the motions. The Aurora was frequently seen at twilight, and as often to the eastward as to the westward; clouds, also, were often perceived in the day-time, in form and disposition very much resembling the Aurora.”—Narrative of the Arctic Land Expedition.