Mr Cruickshaiik on Atmospheric Refraction. ^55 



were at some distance from the sea, and distant from Aberdeen 

 about twenty-one miles. Various objects, which at some in- 

 stants appeared only as small roundish spots, seemed often to 

 rise perpendicularly to four or five times their usual height ; at 

 other times, while these objects themselves appeared to remain 

 of a fixed altitude, exact copies of them appeared above them, 

 and often second or third copies above the first. Taller objects, 

 as the ends of farm houses, sometimes appeared to shoot up in- 

 to lofty pillars, but without having their appearances repeated, 

 like those above mentioned. 



One rectangular object, of a light yellow colour, and which 

 was soon discovered to be the thatched roof of a farm house, 

 strongly illuminated by the sun, attracted more attention than 

 any other, from its being very well defined. It appeared as a 

 perfect rectangle, its base being horizontal, and equal to about 

 twice its perpendicular. This object sometimes seemed to grow 

 up to about five times its ordinary height, and again to sink 

 down to its natural dimensions. Sometimes an exact copy of 

 the object appeared above it ; and sometimes a second copy 

 above the first, forming three equal and similar rectangles. The 

 apparent distances between these rectangles were different at 

 different instants, varying from mere dark lines to spaces about 

 equal in breadth to the object's extent in altitude, as seen in or- 

 dinary circumstances. The two or three rectangles were some- 

 times formed by a sub-division of the object when extended in 

 apparent height ; at other times the first copy appeared to be 

 drawn up, as it were, off the object, and the second copy to be 

 drawn off the first ; and at other times, while the object appeared 

 to retain its natural dimensions, the copies of it began to appear 

 above it as horizontal yellow lines, which rapidly increased in 

 breadth. In no case did the lowest rectangle appear of less 

 dimensions than in ordinary states of the atmosphere : and in 

 no case did its extended figure, or the figure formed by the 

 three rectangles and the intervening spaces, appear to exceed 

 five times the ordinary height of the object ; but with these li- 

 mitations, almost every conceivable variety of appearance was 

 exhibited, which could be presented by three rectangles perpen- 

 dicularly above each other, varying in their vertical dimensions, 

 and uniting and separating by turns. The distance of this ob- 



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