SINGULAR EFFECT OF REFRACTION. 189 
and grows to the thickness of the little finger; 
yet so is it accommodated to the nature of the 
climate, that it only spreads laterally, never be¬ 
ing observed to rise higher than two or three 
inches above the ground. 
No other object of interest was observed, ex¬ 
cepting some horns of rein-deer, and the bones of 
these or other animals; most of the bones were 
found about the site of the tents and huts, or in 
the tumuli adjoining. No sea-weed was seen on 
the beach, nor any shells; but in deep water, near 
the shore, both these productions were observed. 
There was a considerable tide: it seemed to 
have ebbed while we were on shore, but the pe¬ 
riod of high-water was not determined. 
On my return to the ship, about 11 o’clock, 
the night was beautifully fine, and the air quite 
mild. The atmosphere, in consequence of the 
warmth, being in a highly refractive state, a great 
many curious appearances were presented by the 
land and icebergs. The most extraordinary effect 
of this state of the atmosphere, however, was the 
distinct inverted image of a ship in the clear sky, 
over the middle of the large bay or inlet before 
mentioned,—the ship itself being entirely beyond 
the horizon. Appearances of this kind I have 
before noticed, but the peculiarities of this were,— 
the perfection of the image, and the great dis- 
