June 26, 1885 SCIENCE 527
TROMHOLT'S UNDER THE RAYS OF THE AURORA BOREALIS
'Wenn jemand eine reise thuht, so kann er was erzählen,' — it must have been with this text that Tromholt sat down to write the story of his life in Lapland. He was there to study the aurora borealis; hut not content with doing a goodly amount of work, and doubtless setting the results down in awe-inspiring columns of figures, he devoted a part of his time to trips to Lapp encampments near his observing station at Koutokaeino, a more extended one to the Finnish station at Sorlankyla, and another along the north coast to Boris Glebe on the Russian boundary.
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As a Scandinavian, he may well be proud of the scenery of Southern Norway, which he refers to in the opening chapter. He says, " Dig a canal right through Switzerland, and steam down it: that would give some idea of the voyage along the coast of Helgeland, Lo- fodden,and Finnemarkcn." It may be even unjust to refer to Norwegian waters as canals, but still moat will catch the author's meaning.
Bossekop was the name of the place where Tromhoit and his party finally left the steamer which had brought him from Bei-gen. This hamlet is north of the arctic circle, and lies at llie head of the Allen Fiord. We are somewhat surprised at our author's statement that Itosse- [ kop is surrounded by green hills with soft oiit- ■ Uoes, as most northern landscapes remind one
��strongly of the top of Mount Washington; and we are not much re-aasnred by the picture given of the place, which shows the usual assortment of barren boat-houses, and the trader's house and stores. One frame-house and its adjuncts constitute a bamlet in Norway.
It was in June, 1882, the party landed, and besan the preparations for their series of obser- vations, which were to be con- liiuied from Aug. 1. 181*2, for one jear. The description given of the routine at the sta- tion is not of such a character as to lead one to be anxious to emulate the work of such cs- jilorers. To sit blinking by the lire, wailing for the aii|ioinled lK>ur, and then to venture out with u cup of hot water I'or tlic wet-bulb til ermo meter, in one baud, and an oil-lamp in the other, to npend a few minutes I'eading the thermometer and barometer, and sketching the aurora, and roughly measuring ila position; and to rclnrn to the tireside, at last, with nearly frost-bitten fingers and a frozen lamp no longer burning. — this surely is not an alluring esist- ence. But hour after hour the operation was gone through with, first by one, and then by another, of the party.
Tromhoit himself left the main party at Bossekop, and travelled south about 63 miles to Koutokaeino. His reason for doing this was, that, by obsenations at the two stations f the same auroral arch, some estimal be formerl of the height at which the light is formed.
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In a chapter of ninety odd pages. Tromhoit reviews the theories of the aurora, classifies as best he can the different phenomena connected n'ith them, and gives his own ideas in regard to what is actually going otv wts-tv -^^t *.•*», -»-
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