John Swinton

“ As from the similarity of certain circumstances it might have been denominated an Aurora Borealis, though appearing in the southern part of the heavens, as that I observed actually did; a more particular and distinct account of this phænomenon might possibly enable us to determine, with some degree of probability, whether or no it was the same with that by me here so imperfectly described. Could the identity of these meteors be clearly evinced, or indeed rendered probable, several curious corollaries, relative to the altitude, motion, velocity, &c. ”

“ Some of the [3] public papers informed us, that an extraordinary phænomenon was observed in the air at London, the preceding night, viz. March 4, 1764; which in a few particulars resembled that of which I have taken the liberty to communicate to you a short account in this letter, but in the rest those two meteors were dissimilar enough. Perhaps these Auroræ Australes may some time or other hereafter be more frequent than hitherto they have been, and by certain new circumstances attending them farther elucidate the theory of this species of meteors ”

“ I have not yet been able to meet with an instance of a similar phænomenon in any physiological papers, published before the year 1750. But accounts of two or three meteors somewhat resembling that above described, in our Philosophical Transactions [1] , then occurred. ”