366 THE BEAUTIES OF NATURE chap. 



who, uninstructed in the branches of accurate 

 science, feel the same emotions of delight in 

 the contemplation of the heavenly vault, as 

 in the view of a beautiful landscape, or a 

 majestic river. A traveller has no need of 

 being a botanist to recognise the torrid zone 

 on the mere aspect of its vegetation; and, 

 without having acquired any notion of 

 astronomy, he feels he is not in Europe, when 

 he sees the immense constellation of the Ship, 

 or the phosphorescent clouds of Magellan, 

 arise on the horizon. The heaven and the 

 earth, in the equinoctial regions, assume an 

 exotic character." 



" The sunsets in the Eastern Archipelago," 

 says H. 0. Forbes,^ "were scenes to be re- 

 membered for a life-time. The tall cones of 

 Sibissie and Krakatoa rose dark purple out of 

 an unruffled golden sea, which stretched away 

 to the south-west, where the sun went down ; 

 over the horizon gray fleecy clouds lay in 

 banks and streaks, above them pale blue lanes 

 of sky, alternating with orange bands, which 

 higher up gave place to an expanse of 



1 A Naturalist'' s Wanderings in the Eastern Archipelago. 



