The New England Weekly Review

"The Northern fires
Shake their wild tresses o'er the startled sky."
Prentice.

There is something indescribably grand and awful in the majestic illuminations of the Aurora Borealis in the Northern climates. Those of 1828 will never be forgotten by any one who had an opportunity to gaze upon them. Spreading at times over the whole sky, from the verge of the horizon to the zenith—they gave to the Heavens the appearance of one vast ocean of many colored flame, surging and tossing, like agitated waves. Then there would come a change—broad flashes like the mighty and flaming sword of the angel-warder of Paradise—would cross the dark ground of crimson, and then wave to and fro as if shaken by some unseen and terrible power. Suddenly—a new scene would be presented—tall pillars of light would rise up along the horizon, like that which shone of old over the sands of Arabia in the van of the
Israelites—and then a broad arch would stretch
itself out upon the sky—like a beautiful pathway
of the Messengers of Heaven, glorious as
that in the vision of the Patriarch, when, in
slumber he saw the angels ascending and descending before him.

The Boston papers contain glowing descriptions of the splendid display of the Northern
Lights which have been recently witnessed.

The following is from the Boston Commentator:

"There was a magnificent display of the Northern Lights, last Saturday night, between the
hours of seven and ten. During all the early
part of the evening a large section of the horizon, from the eastern point of the compass to
the northwest, was burning with an intense
splendor, like that of a tremendous conflagration seen through a thin haze. At half past 8,
streaks of dazzling brightness began to shoot up
to the very zenith, and as the flashes diverged
from a common centre, and thin, pointed blades
of light were continually piercing their way
through the sky, and shifting about from place
to place with inconceivable swiftness, the effect
was beautiful beyond description. Occasionally a broad band would wave and flutter for a
minute or more in one spot, like a great flag in
a smart breeze, and this would presently be lost
in an immense sheet as of white fire, which
would suddenly overspread the whole heavens.
Altogether it was a glorious spectacle."

A Worcester paper thus notices some of the
peculiarities which attended the magnificent
spectacle;

"During some of the time it was indescribably splendid, displaying to a great extent, the
prismatic colours with all the brilliancy of the
rainbow. Twice, during the evening, appearances were witnessed, such as we have accounts
of in former times, when, without much help
from the imagination, armed hosts might be seen
engaged in battle, with banners waving, and
troops of horsemen riding to and fro."