A General History & Collection of Voyages and Travels ... - Nauticus

seen in the heavens, similar to those in the northern hemisphere, known by the name of AuroraBorealis, or Northern Lights; but I never heard of the Aurora Australia been seen before. The officerof the watch observed that it sometimes broke out in spiral rays, and in a circular form; then its lightwas very strong, and its appearance beautiful. He could not perceive it had any particular direction;for it appeared, at various times, in different parts of the heavens, and diffused its light throughoutthe whole atmosphere.[2][2] "The natural state of the heavens, except in the south-east quarter, and for about tendegrees of altitude all round the horizon, was a whitish haze, through which stars of thethird magnitude were just discernible. All round, the horizon was covered with thickclouds, out of which arose many streams of a pale reddish light, that ascended towards thezenith. These streams had not that motion which they are sometimes seen to have inEngland; but were perfectly steady, except a small tremulous motion which some of themhad near their edges."19th.--In the night the southern lights were very bright at times, and the colours muchmore various and vivid than they were on Wednesday night, their motion also was greater,so that on the whole they were extremely beautiful."20th.--At nine o'clock in the evening, the southern light sprung up very bright about theeast point of the horizon, in a single steady pillar, of a pale reddish light. Its direction wasnot directly towards the zenith, but gradually deflected towards the south, and grew fainteras it ascended, so as to vanish about south-east, and at forty-five degrees of altitude."15th March.--The southern lights very bright at times, and exceeding beautiful; theircolours being vivid, and their motion quick and curious."18th.--A little after nine o'clock in the evening it was very clear, and the southern lightswere exceeding bright and beautiful, and appeared of a semi-circular or rainbow-like form,whose two extremities were nearly in the east and west points of the horizon. This bow,when it first made its appearance, passed a considerable way to the north of the zenith; butrose by degrees, turning, as it were, on its diameter, and passing through the zenith, settledat length towards the southern horizon. These lights were at one time so bright, that wecould discern our shadows on the deck."--W.It was thought proper to bring together all these similar remarks of so accurate and faithfulan observer. There is reason to believe that the southern lights had never been seen by anynavigator before this voyage of Cook's.--E.At nine in the morning, we bore down to an island of ice which we reached by noon. It was full halfa mile in circuit, and two hundred feet high at least, though very little loose ice about it. But whilewe were considering whether or no we should hoist out our boats to take some up, a great quantitybroke from the island. Upon this we hoisted out our boats, and went to work to get some on board.The pieces of ice, both great and small, which broke from the island, I observed, drifted fast to thewestward; that is, they left the island in that direction, and were, in a few hours, spread over a largespace of sea. This, I have no doubt, was caused by a current setting in that direction. For the windcould have but little effect upon the ice; especially as there was a large hollow swell from the west.This circumstance greatly retarded our taking up ice. We, however, made a shift to get on boardabout nine or ten tons before eight o'clock, when we hoisted in the boats and made sail to the east,inclining to the south, with a fresh gale at south; which, soon after, veered to S.S.W. and S.W., withfair but cloudy weather. This course brought us among many ice isles; so that it was necessary toproceed with great caution. In the night the mercury in the thermometer fell two degrees below thefreezing point; and the water in the scuttle casks on deck was frozen. As I have not taken notice ofthe thermometer of late, I shall now observe, that, as we advanced to the north, the mercury