They state in their report, "it is believed that a line of ducted through the centre of Broad street to Southrailway leading to a large city, cannot exert its full ca- | wark, let it be remembered that such road mnst pass pability, without the construction of branch lines near its point of termination, by means of which the trade may be conveniently diffused. It would be difficult for the board to fix the localities of such branch lines, as they must occupy, in some degree, the streets of the city, and otherwise interfere with its internal regulations." They close their remarks with a strong recommendation of the Schuylkill ronte. "While considering this subject, they have been struck with the importance, in a commercial point of view, of a line from the stationary engine near Judge Peters' to some point on the Schuylkill, affording a complete communication with the ocean. As such a line must follow the west side of the river, the difficulty before suggested would not be felt; and but for want of authority under the existing law, the board would be prepared to direct its construction. Language more emphatic than this, could scarcely be found to manifest their opinion of the advantages of the Schuylkill route. Whilst they now refuse to carry the line over the Schuylkill at Judge Peters' farm, which they have authority under the existing law to do; they assert, that they would cause a line from the stationary engine at Judge Peters', to be constructed along the western side of the Schuylkill, affording complete communication with the ocean, if they had authority so to do. The engineer of the state has recommended this line along the western side, in his report. fourteen streets, and in the course of time not fewer al leys, before it can reach the southern boundary of the town To such evils the commisssioners have already called the attention of the Legislature, and therefore stop the nominal location of the road at the “territorial point." Can it be believed that the citizens of Philadelphia, who possess property valued as sites for costly and large houses, in what are termed the fashionable parts of the town, where land is sold at the rate of $60 or 70,000 per acre, will consent to the interruption of their objects, and the means of their intercourse, by vast trains of cars carrying produce from the country to Southwark, delaying at the intersection of the streets every thing moving either up or down. Can it be believed that the inhabitants of this country will be satisfied with a route which shall expose their trains of cars to be stopped at every street, by the innumerable drays, wagons, pleasure carriages, and other matters, which in the distance from Vine strect, to Southwark, might interrupt them in passing fourteen times, without any consequent good, or possible advantage to themselves. Such rail road would be at the control of the city authorities, and at any annual change of the council chambers, the rail road and all its contingencies might be destroyed by the interest of the citizens developed too late. Certificates attached to the draft exhibited in the committee room when the resolution was offered. The committee appointed to investigate the claims of various routes, urge that this line down to tide water opposite to the city, "will be absolutely necessary," and that it requires attention before all others. The commissioners, representing all sections of the state, declare to the Legislature that they would make it, if they had authority. Will you then, deny to them the authority to perform that which your interests require-that which they are appointed to investigate-sides of the river will be best suited to the purposes that which they in all other instances are allowed to perform, to make a rail road of 2 miles-to terminate a chain of improvements, which must cost millions, in such manner as shall be found the best. "I am well acquainted with the ground upon which the red lines represent proposed branches for terminating the Columbia rail road, at and opposite the city of Philadelphia. I am of opinion that the crossing of the Schuylkill at the points C and D (that is, below Fair Mount dam, will be the most eligible scite of communication with the tide water of the city front, and that the location of these branches on the eastern and western of transit and trade, being immediately adjacent to the wharves and landing places where at all times coasting vessels may discharge and take in cargoes from, and to all parts of our extensive coast. These lines should extend to the tide waters of the Delaware through the Northern liberties and Southwark, so as to form a girdle of communication round the city." They are not prepared to encounter the difficulty attending the entrance at the "territorial point," although they are prepared in order to possess "a larger front," and to obtain "complete communication with the ocean, to direct the construction of the road opposite to the city, instead of crossing the river two miles above, winding along the northern section of the town, leaving the wharves on its western front, and paved streets, affording access as well to the heart of the city, and to Dela-watering committee. ware, as to the scene of business on every side. Let the Northern Liberties have a share-let the people of Southwark participate in the trade, but oblige not the inhabitants of the interior to seek new customers at Kensington-compel them not to deposit their mounds of coal-masses of lumber and timber-vast collections of flour, grain, whiskey, iron, and manufactured commodities intended for export or home trade, where speculators will require remuneration for land measured by the inch, without intrinsic or positive advantages, except those derived from the caprice of fashionable resort. Let not trade be forced from its natural channel-let not traders be driven into new connexions-let not the inhabitants and their produce from the interior be forced to a "territorial point," by a supposed defect in the law which the commissioners cannot overcome. Will not the legislature, disregarding sectional interest, passing by personal jealousies, contemning individual interference, amend any imaginary or real defect, involving the interests of the commonwealth which their wisdom directs them to protect. If it should be urged that the rail road can be con WILLIAM STRICKLAND, Engineer. "Having been called on by a representative of the city of Philadelphia, to give facts in connexion with the regulation of the streets, and a survey of the shores of the Schuylkill, made by me by the direction of the I state, this plan of the city is correct. The draught designates by the line A to B-the route on the west side of the Schuylkill to a point below the permanent bridge for the Columbia and Philadelphia rail-road, of which the canal commissioners say in their report, "They would be prepared to direct the construction if they had authority under the existing law," as, "affording a complete communication with the ocean." A branch from this line can be conducted over a bridge at C & D near the present upper bridge, where the river is about 400 feet wide, its bottom and shores being rocky and firm, and at such elevation as to conduct it to E.; thence along the line F, passing near the eastern shore of this river, affording means of direct intercourse throughout the western front of the city, Southwark, and part of the Northern Liberties, and giv ing communication with the ocean by means of brigs, and other sea vessels which ascend the Schuylkill. "This line by its proximity to the river would most conveniently give venders of produce and manufactured commodities from the country the option of passing down the paved streets to the centre of the population, or by rail roads through Southwark and the Northern 1829.] NAVIGATION OF THE SCHUYLKILL "December 17; 1828. a line "I have taken into consideration the project of building a bridge over the Schuylkill river in with Arch street, Philadelphia. The data you give is not sufficient for an accurate estimate; but a bridge can be built on the following dimensions per $63,500— calculating for three piers and two abutments, one to stand in the centre of the river, and one on each shore, the abutments to be placed on the brow of the bank or at the points to which each end of the bridge will terminate without allowing much to be filled in against the abutments. The piers and abutments to be stone laid in cement. The top of the piers to be four feet above low water, and to be 200 feet from centre to centre, the abutments on the city shore to be 175 feet from the centre of the pier, the opposite one to be 125 feet, making 700 feet of superstructure. The bridge to be divided into parts of twenty feet each, one for a common road way and the other for a rail road, the whole The object of extending the superstructure to each bank is to avoid the expense of filling in the abutments, and to give a free passage along both shores. I presume the length calculated will be sufficient, if not a little more will not add much to the cost; and from what I know of the location I think the estimate sufficiently large. to be roofed and weather boarded. CANVAS WHITE. Extract of a leller from William Strickland, Esq. Engineer, dated Dec. 12, 1828. "I will now briefly state to you my views of this matter-the commencement and termination of a great public line of rail road, such as the one under consideration surely is, should not stop short at any particular point or street of the city; nor should the line branch through streets at all, for reasons which may become obvious to you when you reflect upon crossing places at every street, lane, or alley, of a populous city. "The proper points of commencement or termination should be at the wharves of the Schuylkill and Delaware rivers, and where the products of merchandize from the country can be landed, and transhipped from and into vessels or wagons upon the borders of tide waters, and where in all commercial cities similar situations are the scites of storehouses, landing-places, and deputs, &c. &c." NAVIGATION AND ADVANTAGES OF THE From a Pamphlet lately printed with this title. The river Schuylkill is navigated by brigs employed in European commerce, carrying 300 tons of coal, as well as by smaller vessels. The length of the permanent bridge from abutment to abutment is 554 feet 6 inches-that of the upper ferry 353 feet 4 inches, by the measurement of a person who states the facts. By Samuel Hains' note on the draught, the end of the upper bridge, where it touches the abutment is twenty-two feet from the waIt has never been reached by floods or ice. ter. 47 Two hundred and thirty-five sea vessels have, since the first of April last, been loaded in this river, for various ports in the eastern and southern states. John Brandt "deposes and says, that he is about thirty-five years of age-that he has lived since his birth, with the exception of about two years, near the mouth of the Schuylkill-that he is well acquainted with the trade of that river, and is sure, as well from his own experience and observation, as from the declarations of masters of vessels navigating the same, that it is a perfectly safe and convenient river for vessels carrying not more than 400 tons-that vessels having the wind in their favour may, and do, without risk or difficulty, come from the Delaware to the permanent bridge in from one to two hours, and that under any, unless the from three to six hours, and far oftener in three than most adverse, circumstances the passage is effected in six." measured the depth of water on the bar near the mouth "The deponent further declares, that he this day of the Schuylkill, and that he found the same to be fif and that immediately inside the bar, the depth was five teen feet in the most shallow part that could be found, fathoms, or thirty feet, and that the tide this day was but a fair and ordinary one. The deponent further says, that he never heard of a vessel being lost in the harbour than the Delaware. The deponent further deSchuylkill, and that he considers this river a far safer clares, that the bar near the mouth of the Schuylkill, which is the only impediment, has been for years, and continues to be, gradually decreasing." sloop Caroline, and that he came round from the DelaEmly Sharp"deposes and says, that he is master of the ware river to the permanent bridge over the Schuylkill, this day, at nearly low water-that his vessel draws seven feet, and that he came from the mouth of the Schuylkill to the wharf at the permanent bridge in fiftyeight minutes-that he has frequently come up with the wind a-head in three hours, and that the usual passage, with a favourable wind, is from one to two hours. "He further says, that he considers the Schuylkill a perfectly safe river, affording an easy and convenient navigation, having for the last ten or twelve years been in the habit of trading up this river." Thomas Hewitt, Jr. sworn before Bela Badger, Alderman, says, "that he has transacted business on the river Schuylkill for two years-that he has "during that time seen vessels of from 200 to 250 tons burthen, coming to and going from the wharves, and that 300 tons of coal have been shipped in one vessel which departed without difficulty-and that store rents on the Schuylkill are not more than half what they are on the Delaware." Stephen Baker, being engaged in the Schuylkill trade, with the northern states, also sworn before Bela Badger, says, that he employed Captain Powers, of the brig Volant, to sound the Schuylkill bar, which he did carefully, and reported that there was at low tide 8 feet, and at high tide 14 feet of water-that his house shipped, in 1827, between 80 and 90 cargoes, and that vessels drawing above twelve feet water pass the bar, and meet with no obstruction either there or in the river." Gideon Scull, engaged in the trade on the Schuylkill, affirmed before A. Pettit, Alderman, says, that he has shipped large quantities of coal on board of vessels drawing from eight to twelve feet water, and never found any difficulty in their ascending or descending said river:" That he believes "that all vessels not drawing more than thirteen feet of water, can with ease and safety enter and proceed up to the permanent bridgethat the rate of store rent on the Schuylkill is not more than half that charged on the Delaware." Timothy Caldwell, sworn before Bela Badger, Alderman, says, that "the New York and Schuylkill Coal Company have constantly running from the city of Philadelphia, at the Schuylkill, to New York, three vessels carrying from 200 to 250 tons of coal each trip. The brig Fame, when loaded, carries generally above 250 tons; these vessels come up the Schuylkill without difficulty, and discharge their cargoes at the wharves. The brig Fame drew, when fully loaded, 12 to 12 feet of water, and always passed the bar without touching." Gideon Scull states, that "coal, iron, castings, nails, &c. are delivered from the river Schuylkill to any part of the City, Northern Liberties, and Southwark, at 40 cents per ton-flour at 4 cents per barrel-whiskey at 6 cents per barrel, or 40 cents per hhd.-corn, as well as all other kinds of grain, at 14 cents per bushelother articles not enumerated, at the rate of 40 cents per ton." Trade of the Schuylkill in 1828. J. R. and J. M. Bolton state that they have received, from April, 1828, to December, 1828, 5360 tons of coal at their wharf on the Schuylkill, of which 1898 tons have been shipped in brigs, schooners, and sloops, to New York, Salem, Providence, Massachusetts, and New Brunswick. They have received, also, at the same wharf,— 26316 barrels of flour, 1811 barrels of whiskey, 633 hhs. of whiskey, 17468 kegs of nails, 1170 tons of sundries, that is, wheat, corn, iron, butter, flaxseed, &c. &c. Capt. Dodge. Capt. J. Stevens from the 4th of March to the 23d of December, 15 tons of leather. &c. 1635 tons of coal, 51312 staves, 740000 feet of lumber, 327 tons of pig metal, 2563 bushels of wheat, 189 bushels of rye. That they have sent into the country from the same place, James Donley states that there have been sent from the Pennsylvania Canal Boat Company's wharf, on the Schuylkill, by way of the Union Canal, from the 17th of March to the 17th of November last, 3061 tons, 17 cwt. of merchandise, and that between the same periods there have been received through said canal the following articles 8735 barrels of flour, 181 tons, 17 cwt. of iron, 9 hhds. whiskey, 17 tons, 15 cwt. of lard, butter, &c 39000 shingles, 119 bbls, of flaxseed and clover seed, 7034 hoop poles, 251 bbls. whiskey, cider, &c. 35953 staves. Robert Flemming certifies that the amount of coal re March; is 2500 tons-of which 2200 tons have been shipped to New York and Albany. from Mount Carbon during the last season, 4470 tons Morris and Johnson state that they have received of coal, of which they have shipped 1217 tons. Waln and Morris state that the following vessels, consigned to them, went into the river Schuylkill, landed their cargoes on that part of the city, took other cargoes on board at the same, and sailed for foreign ports, viz.ceived by him from Mount Carbon since the 1st of May 15. Schr. Post Boy, 162 tons. July 30. Brig Freighter, 280 Aug. 22. Brig Two Sons, 220 30. Brig John Harris, 313 Sept 18. Brig Clothier, 190 19. Brig Mary Jane, 203 Oct. 7. Schr. Post Boy, 162 J. Harman, Jr., whose store is on Spruce street wharf on the Schuylkill, states, that he has received from the 5th of July to the 23d of December, By the Brig Arthur Danald, 446 bbls. mackeral. Schrs. Volga and Henry, 778 do do. Capt. G. Dennison. 291 half bbls. do. all of which were sent up the Schuylkill Canal, He has received of flour 122 barrels. Whiskey Butter Lard Soap and Tallow Nuts Pig Iron Coal 24 hhds 205 bbls. kegs, & tubs. 10 barrels. Benjamin E. Valentine, the former agent of the New York and Schuylkill Coal Company, states that up to the 1st of July last, about 500 tons of coal had been received from Mount Carbon, and the present agent says that since that period about 2000 tons have been received, and that about 2200 tons altogether have been shipped. Joseph Haines states that he has received about 2200 tons of coal during the last season, of which about 2000tons have been shipped to Boston. WEATHER.-16th. For several days during the present week, the navigation of the Delaware was interrupted by floating ice; and the Schuylkill was com pletely frozen across, and hundreds of persons skaiting upon it. But the heavy rain on the 14th, and the present mild weather will soon destroy the ice-of which 1576 tons of coal were shipped by sea vessels, brigs, there is still a considerable quantity floating in the Del. sc hrs. &c. to N. York, Boston, Wilmington, &c. Isaac Stoddart States that from the 31st of March to the 18th of December, he has received at the North America Coal Company's wharf, on the Schuylkill, 11825 tons of coal-of which 8054 tons have been shipped in sea vesselsthe residue sold to citizens of Philadelphia. J. W. Wynkoop states that he has received since March last, at his store on the Schuylkill, 1910 tons of coal-of which 508 tons were shipped to New York. John Shippen and Co. state that they have received since March, 4978 tons of coal, lime, and limestone, of which 1878 tons were shipped to New York and New Jersey. Pittsburg from Baltimore. They sold at 25 cts. per doz. 4 wagon loads of Oysters in the shell lately arrived at 1 wagon with 5 horses brought 68 bushs. Valued $170. des, No. 59 Locust street, Philadelphia; where, and at Printed every Saturday morning by William F. Ged the Editor's residence, in North 12th st. 3d door south of Cherry st. subscriptions will be thankfully received. Price five dollars per annum payable in six months after the commencement of publication--and annually, thereafter, by subscribers resident in or near the city, or where there is an agent. Other subscribers pay in advance THE REGISTER OF PENNSYLVANIA. DEVOTED TO THE PRESERVATION OF EVERY KIND OF USEFUL INFORMATION RESPECTING THE STATE. EDITED BY SAMUEL HAZARD. VOL. III.-NO. 4. PHILADELPHIA, JAN. 24, 1829. AURORA BOREALIS. NO. 56. few minutes after, the sky in the north appeared very bright, as if illumined by a distant fire. I immediately went to the third story window of a very elevated build We comply with the request of a subscriber in pub -lishing the following article-which gives a more de-ing on the west side of Broadway, and from a window tai' d'account than we have seen, of those remarkable lights which were witnessed in this city in 1827 and 1828. MR. EDITOR if possible a still better view of it, I proceeded immesaw a very extraordinary light in the north. To obtain diately to the roof of the house, an elevation of about ninety feet above the street, which enabled me to overlook the whole city, and afforded a clear view of the horizon in every direction. From this situation was The frequent appearance of these lights during the seen a broad band of light, in the form of a long low summer and autumn of 1827, so unusual in our latitude, arch, stretching round from five to six points of the is probably within your recollection. Those which were compass, and extending in the centre a few degrees seen in August of that year, exceeded in splendour any above the horizon, and the north star directly over the thing of the kind witnessed within the memory of the centre of it. Immediately under the arch, and apparently oldest observer. They were slightly noticed in our pa- extending from the horizon to the under part of it, pers at the time; but not with that attention which the there was a pretty dark thick cloud. In this arch, and extraordinary character of the occurrence seemed to immediately under it, on the upper part of the dark demand. The account which I enclose you, is taken cloud where the arch and cloud seemed to touch each from a New York paper, and is from the pen of a gen- other, were two remarkably bright spots; one near the tleman, distinguished for the accuracy of his observation, eastern, and the other near the western extremity of the and the fidelity of his description; and is much more arch; and from those spots, a large quantity of bright minute and precise, than any other I have met with. I light, of a circular form, seemed to issue and to rise to a should be glad to see it preserved in something less small distance above the arch. Shortly after, similar fugitive than the pages of a daily journal, and although spots of bright light appeared, at various distances from it may not fall exactly within the plan of your work, I one another, all along the arch, and from these the should be much obliged by its insertion. These phe-light seemed to issue, and to rise to various heights nomena have always been viewed with interest by men above the arch. of science, and their causes have furnished much matter About 11 o'clock a new appearance presented itself. of speculation to the learned; and the northern naviga- A number of perpendicular bright white columns tors and travellers acting under the orders of the British or pillars, apparently several degrees in length, were government, have I believe been directed to notice and seen in quick succession, moving horizontally and appareport upon them particularly. It would not be inap-rently directly over the arch from the eastern to the propriate to your meteorological columns; and, I think, would be interesting to many of your readers. A SUBSCRIBER. January 12, 1829. [From the N. Y. Commercial Advertiser.] The Aurora Borealis, or Northern Light, which is very common in high latitudes, and rare in latitude fortyone, was seen from the city of New York, and many other parts of the United States, in great splendour, on the nights of Monday and Tuesday, the 27th and 28th of August. For the gratification of those who did not see it on either night, or the bright arch which passed over the city on Tuesday night, and for the information of those who may be disposed to speculate upon the causes of these interesting phenomena, I propose to describe their appearance, and to give a brief account of the weather immediately before and after. On Saturday the 25th of August, the wind was North Easterly, the sky cloudy, and the air cool, and there were strong indications of an approaching North East storm. Early on Sunday morning it commenced raining, and rained very heavily on Sunday and Monday. The wind was fresh on Sunday, but could scarcely be called a gale. In the afternoon of Monday the wind backed round to the West of North, and it cleared off. Early in the evening, thick clouds, the remnants of the materials of the storm, were seen floating in the West, from North to South, a few degrees above the horizon. The moon went down, at eighteen minutes past nine o'clock, and a VOL. III. 7 western extremity of it. These columns or pillars, were wholly invisible until they came within the range of the arch or its light, and disappeared the moment they passed it. Upon reflection I was inclined to think that these columns or pillars were vapour in that form, driven along or over the arch by a current of wind and illumined by the bright light of the arch, or of the light which produced the arch, as they came and passed within its range. The brightness immediately above the western extremity of the arch, and in that part of the heavens where these columns had disappeared, seemed to me to become more vivid immediately afterwards. Not long after these columns or pillars had disappeared, the dark cloud beneath the arch seemed to be rising, and by half past eleven o'clock, or thereabouts, had covered the arch, and had spread over a considerable part of the northern section of the sky, and in a short time afterwards was driven by the wind to the south east, and the arch again appeared as bright as before. Some time after this, the horizon beneath the arch again became darkened as before, and another dark cloud seemed to occupy the place of that which had risen and been dispersed. About half-past twelve o'clock, there was another and a very extraordinary display-a row of pillars of extreme beauty and brightness appeared all at once standing along or on the the arch, extending apparently from five to ten degrees above it. They appeared to be at equal distances from one another, but of unequal heights. This colonnade remained for one or two minutes and vanished. Shortly afterwards, bright spots again appeared in the arch, as in the former part of the night, and from which large quantities of bright light seemed to issue, and to extend, as before, to unequal heights above the arch. These appearances continued in greater or less degrees of magnitude and brilliancy, until the light of day intermingled with the light of the Aurora; and the light of the North was lost in the light of the East, or ceased to be distinguishable from it. There may have been some other displays of it which were not seen by me; but, as I was very anxious to see an Aurora Borealis, and watched its appearances, with some intermissions of a few minutes, from half-past nine o'clock until broad day light in the morning, it is not probable that any very interesting displays of it escaped my attention. This Aurora appears to have been seen all over the Northern and Eastern section of the United States, where the storm had entirely ceased, and the weather permitted-and was most probably seen all over the Northern section of this continent, unless prevented by the state of the weather-but it does not appear to have been noticed in the newspapers, and probably was not seen south of Baltimore. The North-east storm appears to have commenced and terminated much earlier, and to have been much more violent in the South than in the North; to have been of nearly the same duration in most places, and to have extended more than a thousand miles along the Atlantic sea board of the United States, and several `hundred miles into the interior of the country. were several changes in its appearance, and some circumstances connected with it which deserve to be noticed. A considerable time before it became vertical to us the limbs seemed to have become narrower, and much more dense than the centre of it; and small perpendicular columns of light seemed to be moving hori zontally under the arch, from its eastern towards its western limb. Some time afterwards, there appeared to be a row of small perpendicular pales or panels of bright light nearly under but not attached to the arch. These pales, or panels, were at equal distances from one another, but of unequal heights, decreasing regularly from the centre of the arch towards its western limb; and they appeared to be moving horizontally and slowly from the centre towards the western limb of the arch, and as they disappeared the western limb appeared to become more dense and brighter. Shortly before this the ends of the arch seemed to have a spiral motion, and to have become twisted into the form of a roll, and about the time the centre of the arch became vertical to us, the whole arch, from one extremity to the other, assumed the appearance of a great roll, and appeared to increase in brightness. About the time it assumed this appearance it passed our zenith, and shortly after the eastern end of it seemed to unfold itself, and spread, and melt away; and then the centre unfolded and melted away in a similar manner, leaving the western limb very bright, the largest end uppermost, and greatly resembling an inverted column or cone. It remained in this situation a few minutes, the upper end gradually inclining more to the south than the lower end, and soon after it seemed to unfold and to float off in small patches, and melt away as the other parts of it had done. While the centre of the arch was nearly vertical to New York, there was a bright path or streak of light stretching a considerable distance across the North river, immediately under the arch, and similar to the reflected light of the moon, when in its first or last quarter, and a few degrees above the horizon. During the greater part of the time, and particularly when the arch became vertical to us, the stars were as distinctly visible as they are through a light cloud or mist, and had the same appearance. This arch may have appeared to others differently, and many of those differences may have been owing to the situation of the spectator, the position of the arch, and the time when it was seen. As it moved from north to south it must have been vertical to those north of us, and over whom it passed, before it became vertical to us; and by those far south of the place of its final dissolution, it could not have been seen in its greatest beauty and magnificence. I had a fair view of it from half past nine o'clock, when it was not probably more than ten degrees above the horizon, until about eleven o'clock, when it dissolved and disappeared. On Tuesday night, at half past nine o'clock, I again ascended to the roof of the same building from which I had viewed the Aurora Borealis on Monday night. In the north, there was a broad band of light, in the form of an arch, very similar to that which was seen the night before, and the position and colour of the arch were nearly the same, except that it appeared to stretch about one point farther to the east and west, and may have extended from six to seven points of the compass, and the light was less bright than that of Monday night. The north star appeared to be directly over the centre of it. Immediately over the arch, and a few degrees above it, there was another arch of nearly the same form, but not very bright. I at first supposed that these arches might have some connexion with the moon, which was then about half an hour high; and shining pretty brightly; but after the moon had set, I observed no other change than that both the arches appeared brighter than before it went down, and the upper arch had risen a little higher than it was when I first saw it; and I then supposed the light of the upper arch might be produced by the light of the lower. The upper arch continued to move slowly from north to south, inclining a little to the east, and as it moved towards New I then thought that this arch was composed of vapour, York, it seemed of course to rise and to extend to the and that it might have received its light from the arch east and to the west, until the centre of the arch became of the Aurora Borealis, then in the north. Any stream vertical to New York. At this time, the eastern limb of cloud, mist or vapour, stretching across the sky from appeared to me to pass over Long Island, a little to the horizon to horizon, directly over our heads, must of nenorth of Brooklyn, and to extend nearly to the eastern cessity appear in the form of a great arch. Any stream horizon, and the western limb to pass over New Jersey, of cloud, mist or vapour, blown sideways by the wind, a little to the south of Powles Hook, and to extend from horizon to horizon, from north to south, or from nearly to the western horizon. The arch seemed to re- any point of the compass to an opposite point of it, main in this situation a short time, then passed our ze-must, as it advances towards us, appear to rise, and to nith, and was shortly after broken, dissolved, and disap-assume more and more the form of an arch, until it be peared. After this arch had risen to a considerable comes vertical to us or reaches the zenith; and from the height, and extended its limbs to the east and west, its time it passes the zenith, it must as it goes from us ap brightness was greatly increased, and it became an ob-pear to descend, and gradually to lose more and more jeet of great beauty, and its novelty attracted general the form of an arch until it reaches the opposite horizon. attention; but when its centre reached the zenith, and its extremities extended nearly to the eastern and western horizon. and it stood suspended under the blue and spangled vault of heaven, across the bright arch of the milky way, it became an object of supreme beauty and of universal admiration; a more beautiful and magnificent spectacle cannot be conceived. In the progress of this arch through the sky, there This arch resembled an arch of vapour or cloud illumined by the brightest meridian sun, and rendered perfectly white, and it formed and broke, dissolved and disappeared in the same manner as such arches form and break, and clouds of other forms dissolve and disappear. In the morning of Wednesday, the twenty-ninth of August, there was a great arch of vapour or cloud, stretching from the south-west to the north east, and |