86 



flowings of our rivers, so frequent then, and so rare 

 now. 



Having had occasion to mention the particular situa- 

 tion of Monticello for otlier purposes, I will just take 

 notice that its elevation affords an opportunity of seeing 

 a phaenonienon which is rare at land, though frequent 

 at sea. The seamen call it looming. Philosophy is as 

 yet in the rear of the seamen, for so far from having 

 accounted for it, she has not given it a name. Its prin- 

 cipal effect is to make distant pbjects appear larger, in 

 opposition to the general law of vision, by which they 

 are diminished. I knew an instance at York town, 

 from whence the water prospect eastwardly is without 

 termination, wherein a canoe with three men, at a 

 great distance was taken for a ship with its three masts. 

 I am little acquainted with the phaenomenon as it shows 

 itself at sea ; but at Monticello it is familiar. There is 

 a solitary mountain about forty miles off in the South, 

 whose natural shape, as presented to view there, is a 

 regular cone ; but by the effect of looming, it sometimes 

 subsides almost totally in the horizon ; sometimes it 

 rises more acute and more elevated ; sometimes it is 

 hemispherical ; and sometimes its sides are perpendicu- 

 lar, its top flat, and as broad as its base. In short it 

 assumes at times the most whimsical shapes, and all 

 these perhaps successively in the same morning. The 

 blue ridge of mountains comes into view, in the north- 

 east at about 100 miles distance, and approaching in a 

 direct line, passes by within 20 miles, and goes off to 

 the south-west. This pheenomenon begins to show it- 

 self on these mountains, at about 50 miles distance, and 

 continues beyond that as far as they are seen. I re- 

 mark no particular state, either in the weight, mois- 

 ture, or heat of the atmosphere, necessary to produce 

 this. The only constant circumstances are its appear- 

 ance in the morning only, and on objects at least 40 or 

 50 miles distant. In this latter circumstance, if not in 

 both, it differs from the looming on the water. Refrac- 

 tion will not account for the metamorphosis. That on- 

 ly changes the proportions of length and breadth, base 



