THE AURORA BOREALIS A STORM WARNING.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 1519, 12 February 1886, Page 3

THE AURORA BOREALIS A STORM WARNING.

Dr Christian had observed that an unusually brilliant display of aurora barealis was invariably followed on the third day by a storm—a theory which was proved at a most appropriate moment, when the British Association sat at Edinburgh in the year 1834. He applied his observation practically on another occasion as follows:—"A few years afterwards while visiting in September a Dumfriesshire friend, who farms a portion of his estate as a study and amusement, we were returning late from a distant dinner-party, when we were greeted on the way home by a magnificent aurora. The weather ; had long been extremely beautiful, and favourable for the operations of a rather late harvest. I therefore told my prognostic, relating the previous incident as an illustration of its accuracy. My friend was good enough to say that, as he confided in my observation, he should apply it next morning. Next morning at breakfasttime, the farm-steward arrived, as was his wont, for the day's orders. In reply to a question what his people were doing, he said the weather was so fine and steady, that he was thinking to take them from the " stooks" to repair a river embankment. "Do no such thing," wss the rejoinder; " finish the leading of your corn ; there is to be a great storm." "Weel, sir," observed the steward, "I'm sure neither you nor me ever saw a Drawer day than this in Nithsdale." " Never mind that," replied his master ; M lead your corn and thatch your stacks—you have got all this day to do it. Tomorrow you may do what you like; the storm will set in to-morrow forenoon." At breakfast time next day the steward reappeared tor his orders in a most lovely autumn morning, to which he did not fail to call our particular attention. His master was staggered—still I reminded him that Nithsdale storms usually set in not till eleven in the forenoon. At half-past ten the south and south-west began to put on an ominous aspect; at eleven, he recognised every indication of a serious storm; and it was resolved that we should go to the field and see what the steward thought of the matter now. Before we reached him, great drops of rain began to fall, and the atmosphere had a most lowering appearance. The steward looked steadily aside at his work-people, and was evidently shy of opening the conversation. But when appealed to for his opinion by his master, he said, with great emphasis, ' Weel, sir, it's just looking awfu'. But how ye cam to ken o't yesterday morning is mair than I can tell.' A great storm and flood arose, and lasted for two days." This prognostic Dr Christian adds, he-has never found to fail.— From a Scotch Physician, in Blackwood's Magazine,