from Vapours, Fogs, Ml/Is , &c. $$y 



than thofe reprefented by the reflection and refraction of light 

 From fogs and vapours arifing from the fea, lakes, and moraffes, 

 replete with marine and vegetable falts. For fuch vapours, by 

 means of the faid falts, form various polifhed furfaces, which 

 reflect and refract the light of the fun, and even the moon, in 

 various directions ; thereby not only diftorting but multiplying 

 the images of objects reprefented to them in a mod furprifing 

 manner; forming not only images of caftles, palaces, and 

 other buildings, in various ftyles of architecture, but the moil 

 beautiful landscapes, fpacious woods, groves, orchards, mea- 

 dows, with companies of men and women, with herds of 

 cattle, walking;, (landing, lying, &c, and all painted with 

 fuch an admirable mixture of light and (hade that it is im- 

 port! ble to form an adequate conception of the picture with- 

 out feeing: not any fcenery reprefented by the camera objcura 

 can be more beautiful, or more like faithful representations 

 of nature. 



Though thefe curious and elegant phaenomena are not pe- 

 culiar to any age or country, they are more frequently (eea 

 on the fea-coafts ; and though in fome refpects common in 

 fuch fituations, they have hitherto been fo little noticed by 

 the intelligent part of mankind as to be fcarce known to exift. 

 The only ones which feem at prefent to have attracted the 

 attention of the curious, are thofe frequently, during the 

 fummer feafon, feen on the fouthern coafts of Italy, near 

 the antient city of Rhegium; and even to this attention they 

 were directed by the fifhermen and country peafants, who in 

 their native tongue call them fata morgana, or damafata mor- 

 gana* : . They are, however, frequently noticed by the Eng- 

 Jifh, Erfe, and Irifh peafants, fifhermen, and mariners; and 

 denominated in the languages of the two latter feadhreagh 

 mairethmhe, or fea fairies, and duna feadhreagh, fairy caftles. 

 The Erie fifhermen among the weftern ifles of Scotland fre- 

 quently fee reprefented on barren heaths and naked rocks 

 beautiful fields, woods, and caftles, with numerous flocks 

 and herds grazing, and multitudes of people of both fexes in 

 various attitudes and occupations. Thefe, as they know no 

 fuch objects really exift, they conftantly attribute to inchant- 

 ment, or the fairies. They are alfo frequently ktn on the 

 coafts of Norway, Ireland, and Greenlandf. On the eavtern 

 and weftern coafts of South America* even on the higheft 

 fummit of the Andes, the fata morgana is met with. Alfo 

 far out at fea, in the mid ft of the Atlantic and Pacific 

 oceans, the adventurous manner fometimes obferves them; 



* Swi home's Travel*. f Cnntz's Hiftory of Greenland. 



Vol. XIII, No. 51. Y and 



