iiS TRAVELS IN 
amufement to the inhabitants of the town, who 
were not equally interefted in making obfer- 
vations on it. 
The approach of night made me fome a- 
mends for this difappointment, by prefenting 
a very different picture, lefs uncommon, in- 
deed, but perhaps more fubllme than the grand 
temped with the fight of which I had flattered 
myfelf. The pidure I mean, was the fun 
fetting in the ocean. One might have faid, 
that it was the arrival of the mafter of nature 
at the boundaries of the world. I faw this 
globe of fire plunge with majefty below the 
waters, and vanifh from my fight. How en- 
chanting was the fpedacle he prefented to my 
aftoniihed eyes; when, fweeping the furface of 
the deep, he feemed all of a fudden to embrace 
the abyfs, in order to regain, as Offian fays, the 
vaft palace of darknefs. On his approach, the 
waves raifed their agitated heads to be gilded by 
his light ; but their colours, illuminated by his 
rays, infenfibly died away, and totally vanifhed 
the inftant he difappeared. The ocean was no 
longer enlightened, but the immenfe veil of 
clouds which had colleded on the eaft, ftill re- 
fledted his flames from its upper furface. Their 
w^hole 
