124 



THE OCEAN. 



the same circvimstances : it was in tlie month of 

 August, 1828, on the coast of Newfoundland, and 

 was viewed from the shrouds of a vessel projected on 

 the surface of a dense but shallow fog. Sometimes 

 there are several coloured circles surrounding each 

 other, with a common centre. 



The cause of these appearances seems to be the 

 unequal refraction of the rays of light by passing 



DISTORTIONS OF lllliEGULAU KEKKACTION. 



through media of varying density. To a similar ori- 

 gin may be ascribed those distortions and repetitions 

 of objects near the horizon, called loomw(], which are 

 occasionally witnessed even in this country, but in 

 the northern seas are very frequent and amusingly 

 fantastic. The ice around the horizon, either almost 

 Hat or varied only by slight irregularities of surface, 



