300 ON ATMOSPHERIC REFLECTIONS AND REFRACTIONS 



on the surrounding ice with such rapidity, that pools of fresh 

 water were formed on almost every piece, and thousands of 

 rills carried the excess into the sea. There was scarcely a 

 breath of wind. The sea was as smooth as a mirror. The ice 

 around was crowded together, and exhibited every variety, 

 from the smallest lumps to the most magnificent sheets. Bears 

 traversed the fields and floes in unusual numbers, and many 

 whales sported in the recesses and openings among the drift 

 ice. About six in the evening, a light breeze at NW. having 

 sprung up, a thin stratus, or " fog-bank," at first considerably 

 illuminated by the sun, appeared in the same quarter, and gra- 

 dually arose to the altitude of about a quarter of a degree. On 

 this, most of the ships, navigating at the distance of ten or 

 fifteen miles, amounting to eighteen or nineteen sail, began to 

 change their form and magnitude ; and when examined by a 

 telescope from the mast-head of the Baffin, exhibited some ex- 

 traordinary appearances, differing in effect at almost every 

 point of the compass. One ship bearing NW. by W. (Plate 

 XVIII. Fig, a. sketch 1.) had a perfect image, as dark and 

 distinct as the original, united to its mast-head in a reverse 

 position ; two others (Figs, b and c), at NW., presented two 

 distinct inverted images in the air, one of them a perfect figure 

 of the original, the other wanting the hull. Two or three 

 more, bearing about north, of which one only is represented in 

 the sketch (Fig.. d) y were strangely distorted, their masts ap- 

 pearing of at least twice their proper height, the top-gallant- 

 masts forming one-half of the total elevation j and, at the same 

 time, some vessels bearing NNE. and E., exhibited an ap- 

 pearance totally different from all the preceding. These, five 

 in number, of which two only (Figs, e and/) are given in the 

 drawing, were at the distance of twelve or fifteen miles, and 

 consequently considerably beyond the natural horizon ; but 



owing 



