§ 316. RED FOGS AND SEA BREEZES. 131 



the shape of an immense bouquet,^ that they seem to offer to the 

 dawn ; then the joyful land-breeze plays over the flood, which, in 

 the torrid zone, furnishes, with its fresh breath, so much enjoy- 

 ment to the inhabitants of that sultry belt of the earth, for, by 

 means of it, every thing is refreshed and beautified. Then, under 

 the influence of the glorious accompaniments of the break of day, 

 the silence of the night is awakened, and we hear commencing 

 every where the morning hymn of mute nature, whose gesticula- 

 tion is so expressive and sublime. All that lives feels the neces- 

 sity of pouring forth, each in its way, and in various tones and 

 accents, from the depths of inspiration, a song of praise The 

 air, still filled with the freshness of the evening dew, bears aloft 

 the enraptured song, as, mingled with the jubilee tones which the 

 contemplation of nature every where forces from the soul, it 

 gushes forth in deep earnestness to convey the daily thank-offer- 

 ing over the sea, over hill and dale.f As the sun ascends the 

 sky, the azure vault is bathed in dazzling light ; now the land- 

 breeze, wearied with play, goes to rest. Here and there it still 

 plays over the water, as if it could not sleep ; but finally becom- 

 ing exhausted, it sinks to repose in the stillness of the calm. But 

 not so with the atmosphere : it sparkles, and glitters, and twinkles, 

 becoming clear under the increasing heat, while the gentle swell- 

 ing of the now polished waves reflects, like a thousand mirrors, 

 the rays of light which dance and leap to the tremulous but ver- 

 tical movements of the atmosphere. Like pleasant visions of the 

 night, that pass before the mind in sleep, so do sweet phantoms 

 hover about the land-breeze as it slumbers upon the sea. The 

 shore seems to approach and to display all its charms to the mar- 

 iner in the offing. All objects become distinct and more clearly 

 delineated,:): while, upon the sea, small fishing-boats loom up like 

 large vessels. The seaman, drifting along the coast, and misled 

 by the increasing clearness and mirage, believes that he has been 



* Upon the coast of Java I saw daily, during the east monsoon, such a column of 

 smoke ascending at sunrise from Bromo, Lamongan, and Smiro. Probably there is 

 then no wind above. — Jansen. 



t In the very fine mist of the morning, a noise — for example, the firing of cannon 

 — at a short distance is scarcely heard, while at midday, with the sea-breeze, it pen- 

 etrates for miles with great distinctness. — Jansen. 



t The transparency of the atmosphere is so great that we can sometimes discover 

 Venus in the sky in the middle of the day. — Jansen. 



