542 PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY. 



began to ascend the mountain of Ben Lomond, about five o'clock in the afternoon. They 

 had not proceeded far before they were overtaken by a smart shower ; but as it appeared 

 only to be partial, they continued their journey, and by the time they were half way up, 

 the cloud passed away, and most delightful weather succeeded. Thin, transparent 

 vapours, which appeared to have risen from Loch Lomond beneath, were occasionally 

 seen floating before a gentle and refreshing breeze ; in other respects, as far as the eye 

 could trace, the sky was clear, and the atmosphere serene. They reached the summit 

 about half-past seven o'clock, in time to see the sun sinking beneath the western hills. Its 

 parting beams had gilded the mountain tops with a warm glowing colour ; ami the surface 

 of the lake, gently rippling with the breeze, was tinged with a yellow lustre. AVhile 

 admiring the adjacent mountains, hills, and valleys, and the expanse of water beneath, 

 interspersed with numerous wooded islands, the attention of one of the party was attracted 

 by a cloud in the east, partly of a dark red colour, apparently at the distance of two miles 

 and a half, in which he distinctly observed two gigantic figures, standing, as it wort-, on a 

 majestic pedestal. He immediately pointed out the phenomenon to his companion ; and 

 they distinctly perceived one of the gigantic figures, in imitation, strike the other on the 

 shoulder, and point towards them. They then made their obeisance to the airy phan 

 toms, which was instantly returned. They waved their hats and umbrellas, and the 

 shadowy figures did the same. Like other travellers, they had carried with them a bottle 

 of usquebaugh, and amused themselves in drinking to the figures, which was of course 

 duly returned. In short, every movement which they made, they could observe distinctly 

 repeated by the figures in the cloud. The appearance continued about a quarter of an 

 hour. A gentle breeze from the north carried the cloud slowly away ; the figures became 

 less and less distinct, and at last vanished. North of the village of Comrie, in Perthshire, 

 there is a bold hill called Dunmore, with a pillar of seventy or eighty feet in height built 

 on its summit in memory of the late Lord Melville. At about eight o'clock of the even 

 ing of the 21st of August of the present year, a perfect image of this well-known hill and 

 obelisk, as exact as the shadow usually represents the substance, was distinctly observed 

 projected on the northern sky, at least two miles beyond the original, which, owing to an 

 intervening eminence, was not itself at all in view from the station where the aerial 

 picture was observed. The figure continued visible for about ten minutes after it was 

 first seen, and was minutely examined by three individuals. One of these fancied that 

 there was a projection at the base of the monument, as represented in the air, which was 

 not in the original ; but, upon examining the latter the next morning, the image was 

 found to have been more faithful than his memory ; for there stood the prototype of the 

 projection, in the shape of a clump of trees, at the base of the real obelisk. 



In northern latitudes the effects of atmospheric reflection and refraction are very fami 

 liar to the natives. By the term of uphillanger the Icelanders denote the elevation of 

 distant objects, which is regarded as a presage of fine weather. Not only is there an 

 increase in the vertical dimensions of the objects affected, so that low coasts frequently 

 assume a bold and precipitous outline, but objects sunk below the horizon are brought 

 into view, with their natural position changed and distorted. In 1818, Captain Scoresby 

 relates that, when in the polar sea, his ship had been separated for some time from that 

 of his father, which he had been looking out for with great anxiety. At length, one 

 evening, to his astonishment, he beheld the vessel suspended in the air in an inverted 

 position, with the most distinct and perfect representation. Sailing in the direction of 

 this visionary appearance, he met with the real ship by this indication. It was found that 

 the vessel had been thirty miles distant, and seventeen beyond the horizon, when her 

 spectrum was thus elevated into the air by this extraordinary refraction. Sometimes two 

 images of a vessel are seen, the one erect and the other inverted, with their topmasts or 



