MIRAGE PHENOMENA. 481 
From subsequent observation during the afternoon, this 
was noticed to be the final stage of the mirage formation, 
for as we neared our destination, about 11 a.m., the edges 
of our “ mountain” gradually dissolved towards the earth. 
until the whole vanished. In the afternoon, about 2 p.m., 
as we were enjoying our siesta on the shore, near one of 
the interesting “raised beaches” of boulder and pebble 
common on this coast, we saw slowly rising above the 
distant land a vast, perfectly wall-sided, columnar mass, 
followed shortly afterwards by a broad irregular one to 
the eastward, but quite disconnected from the former. 
The latter rose to the level of the “‘ haze-bank,” and then 
spread along the top of it, assuming a shape like the 
letter L inverted, the arm of which lengthened towards 
the larger irregular mass, which had also risen to the same 
level, assuming a perfectly flat, or tabular top. This pro- 
cess of amalgamation between the column and the mass 
continued till the mirage assumed the solid form observed 
in the first one, during our descent of the pass. These 
formations are illustrated in the sketches Nos. 2 and 3. 
The most interesting phenomenon was, however, to 
follow, for as we gazed at the newly formed table 
mountain, we observed slowing rising from the promon- 
tory a considerable distance to seaward a lofty black 
pillar (much narrower than the column already noticed) 
with perfectly smooth perpendicular sides, and following 
it at a little distance inwards towards the mirage just de- 
scribed, another irregular mass. 
The same process was repeated—the pillar rising to 
the level of the “ haze-bank,’’ which represented at that 
distance (20 miles) about 1000 feet, and then spread- 
ing out at the top into the same form as before, and 
uniting with the irregular mass, the lower portion of which 
uniting with the irregular mass, the lower portion of 
which extended towards the pillar. In about twenty 
minutes the mirage was formed completely, taking 
much the same’ shape as the others, the top being 
exactly on the same level as the haze-bank. This bank, 
it must be noted, was not visible over the land, being 
only perceptible on the sea from St. Helens Point along 
the whole horizon to the south. The last two mentioned 
mirages took about an hour to dissolve, and during the 
vanishing of the one farther inland beneath the position 
of which the shore had a sandy beach, clearly visible on 
a bright day from the point of our observation, we noticed 
this latter rising as an enormous yellow dune into the 
dark mass of the mirage. 
G2 
