134 Report of the Broivn-Harvard Expedition. 



The colors of sunrise and sunset that occurred during 

 our voyage were rarely of any particular beauty. In general 

 they were cold and gray, or, at most, appeared in yellow 

 and violet hues on the hills, or in rosy streaks on the horizon. 

 But of one remarkable sunrise I wrote down a description 

 immediately after its occurrence, which I cannot forbear re- 

 producing here. Its date was August 17, while we were 

 sailing from Mugford to Hebron : 'T was called at four 

 o'clock to take my turn at the watch with Harry. We were 

 rewarded by an exceptionally brilliant sunrise. The scene 

 of the performance was framed in by two low islands. Be- 

 tween them lay a bank of clouds, tapering into a thin, long 

 point toward the north, lying close down on the horizon. 

 Above that was a clear space of sky, and then a large group 

 of clouds that formed part of a general massing covering a 

 large proportion of the sky. Directly overhead the clouds 

 could be seen to be thin and fleecy, stretching downward so 

 that their lower parts were at no great altitude. The first 

 signs of the approaching splendors were already apparent 

 when I came on deck. The lower edge of the upper of the 

 tw^o cloud banks was fringed wath a reddish-purple, above 

 which the dull slate of the unillumined surface stretched 

 everywhere. Soon this purple brightened into a clear crim- 

 son, w'hich gradually mounted higher on the bank until it 

 reached the top, and thence shaded downward into orange 

 hues. Meanwhile the lower bank had assumed the deep red- 

 purple on its under edge, while all the rest of it was a very 

 dark blue-purple. Immediately overhead the fleecy mists 

 were white, and between them and the horizon, and here and 

 there in the midst of the illumined field, dull slate prevailed. 

 The orange band lining the upper bank brightened ; the 



