330 HISTORY OF 



But, of all the meteors which mock the ima- 

 gination with an appearance of reality, those 

 strange illusions that are seen there, in fine serene 

 weather, are the most extraordinary and entertain- 

 ing. " Nothing," says Crantz, " ever surprised 

 me more, than on a fine warm summer's day to 

 perceive the islands that lie four leagues west of 

 our shore, putting on a form quite different from 

 what they are known to have. As I stood gaz- 

 ing upon them, they appeared, at first, infinitely 

 greater than what they naturally are ; and seemed 

 as if I viewed them through a large magnifying- 

 glass. They were not thus only made larger, 

 but brought nearer to me. I plainly descried 

 every stone upon the land, and all the furrows 

 filled with ice, as if I stood close by. When this 

 illusion had lasted for a while, the prospect seem- 

 ed to break up, and a new scene of wonder to 

 present itself. The islands seemed to travel to 

 the shore, and represented a wood, or a tall cut 

 hedge. The scene then shifted, and showed the 

 appearance of all sorts of curious figures ; as ships 

 with sails, streamers, and flags ; antique elevated 

 castles, with decayed turrets; and a thousand 

 forms, for which fancy found a resemblance in 

 nature. When the eye had been satisfied with 

 gazing, the whole group of riches seemed to rise 

 in air, and at length vanish into nothing. At 

 such times the weather is quite serene and clear, 

 but compressed with such subtle vapours as it is in 

 very hot weather ; and these appearing between 

 the eye and the object, give it all that variety of 

 appearances which glasses of different refrangi- 



