172 
GREENLAND VOYAGE. 
erted by the refractive medium, but on the base 
of the land, which was concealed by the looming 
of the ice. 
That the latter opinion is the correct solution 
of this anomaly, further experience seemed fully 
to prove. On the 19th of July, while the atmos¬ 
phere continued in this state, we sailed towards 
the land the whole of the day. During the great¬ 
er part of our progress, the refracted ice constant¬ 
ly intercepted the lower part of the coast, to an 
altitude of twenty minutes or more; while the 
tops of the mountains, from the middle upwards, 
were clearly seen: but when we came so near the 
shore, that the refracted ice disappeared, the land 
acquired an additional altitude, as measured from 
the apparent horizon, just equal to the portion 
that the ice had been elevated by the refraction. 
As the more extraordinary and beautiful effects 
of unequal refraction cannot be fully discovered, 
without the use of a telescope, they escape gene¬ 
ral observation ; and as tlie looming of the dis¬ 
tant ice, or distortion of objects, is the most com¬ 
mon effect of this state of the atmosphere, it 
becomes a considerable annoyance to persons not 
interested in the phenomena. As in this case, 
the vapour gives an indefinite and tremulous out¬ 
line to every object beyond a certain distance;_ 
ships, a mile or two off, cannot be recognised ;_a 
