74

69.

[image signed indistinctly Lady R?-two figures in horse drawn sleigh].

Parhelion.

This afternoon Doctor Macleroy was driving the
horses on the snow in his sleigh, we went as far as a place
called Kingston Mills, where we turned round to return
home to the Dock Yard. All at once we both observed the
sky to assume an unusual beautifully mottled appearance
which prevailed all over, more particularly in
the zenith, as if a mirror had been placed thereby
some divine agency to reflect back the snow that covers
the earth to a degree of fleecy whiteness in small
waves, more lovely and more uniform in size and
shape than possible to be imagined, when we first
observed this our backs were towards the sun but we had
no sooner turned round, than we were fortunate enough
to witness a phenomenon very rarely to be seen,
a most beautiful Parhelion of two suns.

The mock sun was nearly the same size, as the great
luminary itself, but not quite so brilliant, nor
did it display a perfect circle. The prismatic hues
were beautifully developed in the centre, from where
they spread out in faint tints in the colours of the
rainbow that kept constantly and incessantly changing.
As it spread out towards the edge, it became rather
ragged and of a pale yellowish colour of the most
delicate tint. The wind was blowing from
the South West - the Thermomenter 50 below zero.

Appearances of this kind have been mentioned
both by the ancients and moderns, Aristotle observed
that in general they are seen near the horizon