142 LETTEKS ON NATURAL MAGIC. 



every prominent object in a proper position was 

 either magnified or distorted. 



But of all the phenomena witnessed by Mr. 

 Scoresby, that of the Enchanted Coast, as it may 

 be called, must have been the most remarkable. 

 This singular effect was seen on the 18th of July, 

 when the sky was clear, and a tremulous and per- 

 fectly transparent vapour was particularly sensible 

 and profuse : at nine o'clock in the morning, when 

 the phenomenon was first seen, the thermometer 

 stood at 42 Fahr. ; but in the preceding even- 

 ing it must have been greatly lower, as the sea 

 was in many places covered with a considerable 

 pellicle of new ice,' a circumstance, which, in 

 the very warmest time of the year, must be con- 

 sidered as quite extraordinary, especially when it 

 is known that 10 farther to the north no freezing 

 of the sea at this season had ever before been 

 observed. Having approached on this occasion 

 so near the unexplored shore of Greenland that 

 the land appeared distinct and bold, Mr. Scoresby 

 was anxious to obtain a drawing of it ; but on 

 making the attempt he found that the outline 

 was constantly changing, and he was induced to 

 examine the coast with a telescope, and to sketch 

 the various appearances which presented them- 

 selves. These are shown, without any regard to 

 their proper order, in Fig. 34, which we shall 

 describe in Mr. Scoresby 's own words : " The 

 general telescopic appearance of the coast was 

 that of an extensive ancient city abounding with 

 the ruins of castles, obelisks, churches, and 

 monuments, with other large and conspicuous 

 buildings. Some of the hills seemed to be sur- 

 mounted by turrets, battlements, spires, and pin- 



