182 NATURE NEAR LONDON. 



the river itself, black or illuminated with the electric 

 light, imparting a silvery blue tint, crossed again 

 with the red lamps of the steamers. The aurora of 

 dark vapour, streamers extending from the thicker 

 masses, slowly moves and yet does not go away ; it 

 is just such a sky as a painter might give to some 

 tremendous historical event, a sky big with presage, 

 gloom, tragedy. How bright and clear, again, are 

 the mornings in summer ! I once watched the sun 

 rise on London Bridge, and never forgot it. 



In frosty weather, again, when the houses take 

 hard, stern tints, when the sky is clear over great 

 part of its extent, but with heavy thunderous looking 

 clouds in places clouds full of snow the sun becomes 

 of a red or orange hue, and reminds one of the lines 

 of Longfellow when Othere reached the North Cape 



*' Round in a fiery ring 

 Went the great sun, oh King ! 

 With red and lurid light." 



The redness of the winter sun in London is, indeed, 

 characteristic. 



A sunset in winter or early spring floods the streets 

 with fiery glow. It comes, for instance, down Piccadilly ; 

 it is reflected from the smooth varnished roofs of the 

 endless carriages that roll to and fro like the flicker 

 of a mighty fire ; it streaks the side of the street with 

 rosiness. The faces of those who are passing are lit 

 up by it, alLunconscious as they are. The sky above 

 London, indeed, is as full of interest as above the 

 hills. Lunar rainbows occasionally occur ; two to my 

 knowledge were seen in the direction and apparently 

 over the metropolis recently. 



