33 8 RefieBlon and Refratiion of Light 



and though well known under the name of fog banks, yet 

 has their appearance been fo impofing as to illude the niceft 

 fcrutiny, and to promife refrefhments to the fatigued and 

 fea-wom mariner which he could not obtain. The moft 

 antient account of thefe aerial caftles and iflands which 

 has been tranfmitted to us, is the reprefentation of a beau- 

 tiful ifland fituated nearly in the middle of the Atlantic 

 ocean, between the coafts of Ireland and Newfoundland, 

 firft obferved by fome Danifh and Irifh fifhermen about the 

 year 900, and from that period to the commencement of the 

 14th century frequently by the Anglo-Saxon, Englifh, and 

 French fifhermen and mariners*. 



But, as this ifland could never be approached, it was called 

 the inchanted i/land, and fuppoied by the maritime inhabi- 

 tants of Scotland, Ireland, France, and Spain, to be the 

 country of departed fpirits, and confequently denominated in 

 Erfe Flath Innis, or the Noble Ifland; in Irifli Hy Brajil, 

 or the Country of Spirits; by the Anglo-Saxons, Icockane, 

 or the Country in the Waves ; and by the French and Spa- 

 niards, who iuppofed it to confift of two diftincl: iflands, 

 Brajil and AJfmanda, or the Iflands of Ghofts. And fo 

 much perfuaded were geographers of the 16th and 17th cen- 

 turies of their real exiftence, that they have place in all or 

 moft of the maps of the Atlantic in thofe periods ; and even 

 in the laft century De l'Ifle, the French geographer, in his 

 maps has placed them as follows : Brafil, lat. 51 north, long. 

 i°eaft of Ferror; and Affmunda, lat. 46° 30' north, long. 356 

 eaft of Ferror. Even fo late as about the year 1 750 an Eng- 

 lifh (hip, returning from Newfoundland, near lat. 50° north 

 difcovered an ifland not heretofore known, which not only 

 appeared fertile, but covered with verdant fields and fhady 

 woods, among which cattle were feen to graze ; and only the 

 appearance of a violent furge hindered the captain and crew 

 from landing, according to their defire f. So well convinced, 

 however, were they of its real exiftence, that, on arriving at 

 London, (hips were ordered out to complete the difcovery : 

 but no ifland could be found, nor has any land been difco- 

 vered in that track from that time to the prefent. Commo- 

 dore Byron, in his Voyage round the World, mentions a fog 

 bank in a high fouthern latitude, which appeared like an 

 ifland, with capes and mountains, deceiving the moft expe- 

 rienced feamen on board for fomc time. 



From thefe evidences of the frequent appearance of the 

 fata morgana, I (hall proceed to defcribe fome Seen near 



* Iceland. Ann. Ortclius in Theiauro Geo. Antient Sax. Poem. 

 f Swinburne's Travels. 



the 



