X. But, taking, now, a final leave of the description of the Aurora of the 25th of September, and of the observations specially suggested by it, let us here examine the several particulars which are commonly offered as part, at least, of its true history; an undertaking, for the greater convenience of which the account given in a modern work of much and [p405] deserved reputation, shall be quoted and considered sentence by sentence, as follows:
1. “AURORA BOREALIS, Northern Light, or Streamers; a kind of meteor, appearing in the Northern part of the heavens, mostly in the winter time, and in frosty weather.
2. “It is in the Arctic regions that it appears in perfection, particularly during the solstice.
3. “In the Shetland Islands, the Merry Dancers, as they are called, are the constant attendants of clear evenings, and prove great reliefs amidst the gloom of the long winter nights.
4. “They commonly appear at twilight, near the horizon, of a dun colour, approaching to yellow; sometimes continuing in that state, for several hours, without any sensible motion, after which they break out into streams of stronger light, spreading into columns, and altering slowly into ten thousand different shapes, varying their colours from all the tints of yellow to the obscurest russet.
5. “They often cover the whole hemisphere, and then make the most brilliant appearance.
6. “Their motions, at these times, are most amazingly quick, and they astonish the spectators with the rapid change of their form.
7. “They break out in places where none were seen before, skimming briskly along the heavens; are suddenly extinguished, and leave behind a uniform dusky track.
8. “This again is brilliantly illuminated in the same manner, and as suddenly left a dull blank.