198 LETTERS ON NATURAL MAGIC. 



LETTER VI. 



Natural phenomena marked with the marvellous Spectre of the 

 Bracken described Analogous phenomena Aerial spectres seen 

 in Cumberland Fata Morgana in the Straits of Messina Objects 

 below the horizon raised and magnified by refraction Singular 

 example seen at Hastings Dover Castle seen through the hill on 

 which it stands Erect and inverted images of distant ships seen 

 in the air Similar phenomena seen in the Arctic regions En- 

 chanted coast Mr. Scoresby recognizes his father's ship by its 

 aerial image Images of cows seen in the air Inverted images 

 of horses seen in South America Lateral images produced by 

 refraction Ai'rial spectres by reflection Explanation of the pre- 

 ceding phenomena. 



AMONG the wonders of the natural world which are every 

 day presented to us, without either exciting our surprise 

 or attracting our notice, some are occasionally displayed 

 which possess all the characters of supernatural phe- 

 nomena. In the names by which they are familiarly 

 known, we recognize the terror which they inspired, and 

 even now, when science has reduced them to the level of 

 natural phenomena, and developed the causes from which 

 they arise, they still retain their primitive importance, 

 and are watched by the philosopher with as intense 

 an interest as when they were deemed the immediate 

 effects of Divine power. Among these phenomena 

 we may enumerate the Spectre of the BrocJcen, the Fata 

 Morgana of the Straits of Messina, the Spectre Ships which 

 appear in the air, and the other extraordinary effects of the 

 Mirage.* 



* la the Sanscrit, says Baron Humboldt, the phenomenon of the 

 Mirage is called Mriga Trichna, " thirst or desire of the antelope," no 



