190 THE OCEAN. 



a dry place ; even the heat with the shadow of a 

 cloud."* 



Yet, though day after day rolls on and leaves us 

 still in the same position, there are not wanting 

 many things to beguile the weariness of the time. 

 The gorgeous beauty of the sun's setting almost 

 makes amends for his unmitigated heat by day. As 

 his orb approaches the western horizon, the clouds, 

 which have been absent during the day, begin to 

 form in that quarter of the heavens; and, as he sinks. 

 assume hues of the richest purple edged with gold, 

 now hiding his disc, now allowing him to flash out 

 his softened effulgence through crimson openings, 

 till he falls beneath the massy mountain -like bed of 

 cloud that seems to lie heavily upon the surface of 

 the sea. Then the whole array begins to take the 

 appearance of a lovely landscape; the clouds forming 

 the land, while the open sky represents calm water. 

 Sometimes we seem to see the long capes and bold 

 promontories of a broken and picturesque coast, 

 deeply indented with bays and creeks, and fringed 

 with groups of islands; at others, silvery lakes, 

 studded with little wooded islets, appear embosomed 

 in mountains or surrounded by gentle slopes, here 

 and there clothed with umbrageous woods. Such 

 an appearance of reality is given to these fleeting 

 scenes, that it is difficult, after gazing at them for 

 a few minutes, to believe they are mere shadows. 

 The mind forgets the world of waters around, and, 

 in the enthusiasm of the hour, goes out in busy 

 imagination to that beautiful land, and roves among 



* Isa. \ \ v i ' 2 ; xxv. 4, 5 ; iv. 0. 



