S88 ACCOUNT OF THE ARCTIC REGIONS, 



minutes extent of the altitude, showed the divisicir 

 of the true and refracted horizons. This disunion 

 in th« horizon, was very similar in appearance to 

 the natural horizon, when viewed through the hori- 

 zon glass of a sextant, having a considerable index 

 error. Viewed from the mast-head, the refracted 

 horizon extended about 30° farther westward than 

 when seen from the deck. It had the appearance 

 of a line drawn nearly parallel to the true horizon, 

 distant from it 7 minutes, with an open space be- 

 tween. Two ships lying beset about fourteen miles 

 off, the hulls of which, before the density came on, 

 could not be wholly seen, seemed now from the mast 

 head, not to be above half the distance, as the hori- 

 zon was visible considerably beyond them. The ap- 

 pearance of these ships was singular. Their hulls 

 were much enlarged and elongated, and their masts 

 very much shortened. They had precisely the pro- 

 spective appearance of ships in a heeling position. 



Again, on the 16th of the same month, the ship I 

 commanded being similarly situated with regard to 

 the ice, the phenomenon was repeated, with some 

 alteration* . The refracted portion of the horizon 

 appeared again in the south-east quarter : it was at 



•Latitude 77° 56', longitude .3''54'E. ; barometer 30.51; 

 thermometer at noon 19°, at 10 P. M. 10° ; wind N. E. by N» 

 to N. N. W., blowing a fresh breeze. 



