V. 

 THE VAST. 



THOUGH great and small must always be comparative 

 terms, the human mind does ordinarily set up some 

 standard of dimensions, for this or that particular class of 

 entities, and is affected with emotions of surprise and 

 admiration, in proportion as some examples either exceed 

 or fall short of it. In living creatures, probably, the 

 human body is the tacitly recognised medium of size ; for 

 we call a horse or a buffalo a large animal, a cat or a 

 weasel a small one ; while, in such as pass beyond these 

 limits in either direction, we are conscious that the dimen- 

 sion becomes a prominent element in the interest with 

 which we regard them. The first exclamation of one who 

 sees an elephant for the first time, would probably be, 

 " How big he is ! " and in like manner the first impression 

 produced by a humming-bird, in most cases, would not 

 be " How beautiful ! How glittering ! " but " How very 

 small!" 



I well remember the interest and almost awe with which, 

 on my first voyage across the Atlantic, I saw suddenly 

 emerge from the sea, the immense black oily back of a 

 whale. It was almost close to the ship, and it rose like a 



