A Phenomenal Rainbow

Abstract

A VERY beautiful rainbow was observed here on the evening of May 26 last, just before sunset. A light easterly air prevailed at the time; but the thin bank of stratus cloud upon which the bow was projected had drifted slowly across from the south-west, and now hung in the eastern sky. The sun was quite low at the time, and during the last two or three minutes before setting was shining through a thin layer of stratus which lay just above the horizon; but there was no apparent diminution in the startling vividness of colour exhibited in the arch. This extraordinary brightness, however, was not the only noticeable feature; immediately below the great arch, and contiguous to it and to each other, were four narrow arches, in which the vivid colours were repeated; these did not reach the horizon, but faded when about three parts of the way down. There was also, some distance above the main arch, a secondary bow, with the four narrow arches appearing again; but here, instead of being below, they were directly above the arch, and, of course, not so bright as the primary set. The whole appearance was curiously like some of the solar phenomena observed in the Arctic sky, and was so beautiful as to attract the attention of several working bushmen, who are not prone to fall into ecstacies over any natural wonders.