110 Transactions.— ^Miscellaneous. 



Shadow No. 2. 

 Scene near Lake Wakatipu, Otago. 



Tlie traveller at the foot of the mountain begins to ascend 

 from the valley enveloped in a dense fog, without sign of 

 sun. After an arduous climb he is half-way up the mountain- 

 side, and sits down to rest, but soon starts again on his way, 

 for all is cold, dank, and miserable. After breasting the slope 

 for some time, suddenly he finds that he is, as it were, stand- 

 intj on the misty billows, w'hich glisten white in the glorious 

 sunshine, with a beautiful clear blue sky overhead. 



The summit of each mountain is piercing through the 

 mist, giving the appearance of numerous islands surrounded 

 by a most beautiful sea of snowy and rounded billows. 



Now, supposing the traveller to be standing on a narrow 

 spur, or razorback, leading to the mountain-top, with a hollow 

 curve, or basin, to his right, and the sun to his left, he will, all 

 things being favoui'able, see his gigantic shadow lying on the 

 mist, and around the liead a circular halo of yellow-green, 

 margined with or gradually changing into purple, something 

 similar to that at times to be seen encircling the moon. 



I have taxed my memory as to whether I have seen this 

 more than once, ^vhich would seem probable, owing to my 

 business at one time requiring that I should be almost con- 

 stantly on the mountains after sheep ; and also if any person 

 was with me at the time. But after the lapse of years I can 

 only connect this shadow-view with one particular place and 

 time, when alone. Also, I was inthe habit of always having 

 a dog with me, but I have no remembrance of his being there, 

 or seeing his shadow. 



You will see by the accompanying sketch (PI. III., fig. 2) 

 that the halo did not surround the head, as is shown in old 

 pictures of the saints, with a glory around the top of the head, 

 but was upright, as if a centre was taken neai' what I may call 

 the centre of eyesight of the figure, and the outer circle of the 

 halo drav/n equidistant from that centre, overhead and down 

 towards the shoulders of the shadow, which might be sup- 

 posed to look through it. 



Should there be more than one observer each would pro- 

 bably see his own shadow only ; but I have, as I before said, 

 no remembi'ance of seeing this tested. 



To see this is well worthy of a stifi' climb up the moun- 

 tain ; but the particular contour of the spur, the elevation and 

 position of the sun. are special requisites, and probably it 

 would be hard to find places specially suitable for showing the 

 shadow. 



I wrote on this subject to a relative, now resident in 

 Scotland. Fii answer he speaks with enthusiasm of the re- 



