The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-10-09
TIE ARCTIC NIGHT AT NORWAY.

OF Scotland, or even at ThrOndhjem (621 de-
grees), gives any adequate forecast of the true
arctic night. Near the arctic circle you may.
Tor about fortnight at midsummer, see the
sun decend below the horizon at 10 minutes
to IL, leaving subdued light, as if he were
behind a cloud and rise again at 10 minutes
past nearly at the same spot, which of course
is north, with enhanced splendor. For the
few minutes of the suns absence night chill
is perceptible. which is dispelled directly by
his rising rays; but so far we have not yet
reache the arctic summer. The next night
if you have been voyaging on meanwhile, you
must be degree or SO within the circle, and if
the weather is fine and he northern horizon free
from high land, you may carefully watch the
golden orb mot generally SO red as with u.s.
descend toward the horizon but, when about
three times his own diameter from the hor-
Ton, after few minutes Of apparent stand
Still, begin to rise again, moving toward the
cast The beHt and br;lliancy of the sua this
night al, 81 that paiasols hre generally
nsed till the interest Of the few In4nuu es of
crisis causes them to be discarded, and that if
there be not too much wind, holes may be
made in WOODEN clothes, pipes lighted etc.
by ordinary burning glasses; the sun may be |
gazed on, though with some pain, by the
naked eye. The further north you go, the
higher is the suns lowest point. till at Tromso
60 deg. 40 min.) Le is five or six times his
diameter above the horizon, and the longer is
the period during which he never sets, which
is q full month at Hammerfest GO deg
40 MINI The amount of light, Of
course d:minsnes during the even
ing, but after ha!f-past 10 remains
the same, and appears toward midnight rather /,
to increase 1t has great softness than the t
light OF day, and sheds peculiar warm glow
over the sea and rocks, which must be seen TO
be thoroughly understood. After mid aight it : :
is interesting to watch the evening light change il
its character; about half-past twelve or rather c
later it assumes whittier color, more like what &
we know as early morning light an hour after q
sunrise The birds fly about, the fishes Jump. ,
and animated ture seems to know as little OIL
night as inanimate. On shore, for instance, at
Iromso, people are out walking or standing ut s.
their house doors, enjoying the nighta we do
the day. Perhaps they retire to sleep at one or
TWO; but sleep seems scarcely necessity to
them, and they are up again early It deserves
to be recorded also that photographer at W
Tromso took successful portraits Of large
group of steamboat passengers exactly ut mid
night of June 9th. 1t need hardly be men.
toned that neither within the artic circle nor =
south of it any stars visible =,
at midsummer, nor till the end of July; and %.
the moon but rarely. and then as pale as at CT
noon in England. Of course. this descrip
hon is true only of bright cloudless nights:
here are dull nights there, as there are dali
lays with us and many traveller may steam III
rom Throndhjem to the North Cape without
'ver seeing the sun at midnight, or being able
o read the smallest print all night through FI
lis portfolio. as the present writer could do
hortly after leaving Throndhjem. CA
The temperature is very different from what :
. often supposed 1t varies to an extraordi- ca
AIRY degree with the ciearness Of the dav and Z
nth the direction of the wind north or n
Ortheast wind brings severe cold; yet if it be Pr
OF very strong. the sun shining free from
louds counteracts it so far as to make every +
lnny seat very hot. Especially at night and
4 tho early morning is this heat remarkable. q
scause then We expect cold and dew A south g.
west wind is OF course mild, and would T.
Iuse great heat but that it generally brings 8
ouds and rain, as on the similarly circum- =
anced west coast of Scotland. On the land the
'at is felt in the Arctic region far more than !.
/ the sea. The soil undergoes no cooling =
ocess in the night, and is therefore unfreshed a.
any dew. The hills afford frequent shelter S.
'm the wind. and exclose many q spot on g.
lich the sun pours his full heat while on :.
ard ship the wind is alwaps present. On "
is account many of the valleys in the far
nth have an intolerable and worse than
pical heat, and large tracts are said to be :, Ih
solutely uninhabitable, from the MOSQUITOES. the
sinst which protection is found to be of W ~
} slightest use London Saturday Revieao. tiona