234 BERTHA'S VISIT TO HER 



heavy dew, there was a great deal of evaporation 

 going on. 



Another veiy singular example of these extra- 

 ordinary appearances in the atmosphere, is given 

 by Dr. Buchan. Walking on the cliff, about a 

 mile east of Brighton, in the latter end of No- 

 vember, just as the sun was rising, he saw the 

 face of the cliff on which he was standing repre- 

 sented precisely opposite to him, at some distance 

 in the sea ; and both he and his companion per- 

 ceived their own figures standing on the summit 

 of the apparent cliff, as well as the picture of a 

 windmill near them. This phenomenon lasted 

 about ten minutes, when it seemed to be elevated 

 into the air, and to be gradually dissipated ; and 

 he remarks, that the surface of the sea was covered 

 with a dense fog many yards in height, which 

 slowly receded before the sun's rays. 



How frequently it happens, when the curiosity 

 has been awakened by any new subject, that 

 chance leads one to some circumstance in books, 

 or conversation, that exactly applies to it! By 

 mere accident, I opened Scoresby's voyage at 

 the following passage, which I have just time to 

 transcribe. 



After describing the amusing spectacle of some 

 distant ships, which were either curiously dis- 

 torted, or inverted in the air, by means of this 

 wonderful kind of refraction, he says, " When 

 looking through the telescope, the coasts 



