£232 J 
Il. Account of a fingular Inftance of Atmofpheric Refraéion, 
_ Ina Letter from WitLiaM Latuam, E/g. F.R.S. and 
AS, to the Rev. HENryY WHITFIELD, D.D. F.R.S. 
and A.S. From the Philofophical Tranfactions of the 
Royal Society of London, 1798. 
DEAR SIR, - Haftings, Augnft 1, 1797. 
On Wednefday July 26, about five o’clock in the after- 
noon, while I was fitting in my dining-room at this place, 
which js fituated upon the Parade, clofe to the fea-fhore, 
nearly fronting the fouth, my attention was excited by 
a number of people running down to the fea-fide. Upon 
enquiring the reafon, I was informed that the coaft of 
France was plainly to be diftinguifhed by the naked eye, 
I immediately went down to the {hore, and was furprifed to 
find that, even without the affiftance of a telefcope, 1 could 
very plainly fee the cliffs on ‘the oppofite coaft; which, at 
the neareft part, are between 40 and 50 miles diftant, and 
are not to be difcerned, from that low fituation, bv the aid 
of the beft glaffes. They appeared to be only a few miles off, 
‘and feemed to extend for fome leagues along the coaft. I 
purfued my walk along the fhore eaftward, clofe to the 
water’s edge, converfing with the failors and fifhermen upon 
the fubjeét. They, at firft, could not be perfuaded of the 
reality of the appearance; but they foon became fo tho- 
roughly convinced, by the cliffs gradually appearing more 
“elevated, and approaching nearer, as it were, that they 
pointed out and named to me the different places they had 
been accuftomed to vifit ; fuch as the Bay, the Old Head or 
Man, the Windmill, &c. at Boulogne; St. Vallery, and 
other places on the coaft of Picardy; which they afterwards 
. confirmed when they viewed them through their telefcopes. 
Their obfervations were, that the places appeared as near as 
if they were failing, at a fmal] diftance, into the harbours. 
. ‘ Having 
