Connecticut western news., 1872-09-13
AurOrA RnrAaliS.

This beautiful phenomenon has never been seen in European countries to the southward of London at least not ln modern times and yet when we reflect upon the phenomena in early times, to which superstition affixed the ap- pellation of showers of fire, fiery swords, etc, even as far south as Jerusalem, 1t IS scarcely possible to doubt that they have heen seen further south than they appear at present.
 In Scotland, the Aurora Borealis was unknown previous to the commencement of the eighteenth century, when the Northern Lights were supposed to be prnph tic of the intestine troubles that | followed the Hanoverian succession.
 The same superstition prevails i'll the
 northern parts of England, where 1t IS confidently asserted that they never
 were seen until the execution of the
 Earl of Derwentwater, in l7l5, with
 which event it is not doubted but they
 were in some degree connected.
 A living traveller relates curious fact
 connected with their appearance in the
 Southern States of North America, which
 shows with what avidity theimaginatiou
 raises superstition on natural phe-
 romena. "In the autumn of 1789," he
 says, "Iw at Norfolk in Virginia,
 where frequent subject of tsa.table
 gossip was prophecy, printed in New
 England, stating that the world was 10
 be destroyed by fire, on specific day in November in that year; prophecy
 which, absurd as it was, actually made a deep impression even on those who pro.
 tossed to laugh at it, It hrppened On
 this very day that I crossed E'iz tbeth . river, and stopped in Portsmouth to
 spend the evening at house where there was large party of both sexes. here
 the prophecy became the subject of con versation; and the day being nearly
 past, the whole party were speedily be- coming most courageous philosophers All at once, our ears were assailed by loud murmurs outside. We rushed tt tbe door, and were much astonlshed al
 finding the whole population of the place in the street :; the greater part of them on their knees, and ute ring the londes
 lamentations. Attracted by the brillian cy of the the heavens, raised my ,ye: upward, and observed a very vivi6
 Aurora Borealis casting it's coruscation
 over more than half the hemisphere. Or E turning round, I saw the whole party o1 their knees, and evidently in grea ; trepidatiop. The scene was certainl. awful, yet could not restrain a burs of laughter when my friends, with thu utmost horror, begged me to desist, ant not draw the wrath of offended heavel upon them.
 :, With difficulty I Iatlength persuaded : some of them to listen to me, when as sured them that all they saw was a com mon phenomenon ill more northern lati tudes I also endeavored to convinc
 some of the strangers nearest to me tha there was no cause for alarm but 3 could gain no converts. I succeeded t however, in drawing my own party bac n into the house, where I was considere' s something more than human, from re I lieving their minds from the horror e which assailed then. Towald midnight e the Aurora dispersed, as did the fears c the good people of Portsmouth. O e crossing the ferry to Norfolk, fouu U that the same species of alarm had ez e isted there."
 Q HISTORICAL AND LEGAL YEARs.-Th