. An account of the Arctic regions [microform] : with a history and description of the northern whale-fishery. Natural history; Sciences naturelles. â¢I ' â 1't* 386 ACCOUNT OF THF. ARCTIC NKi ^Sm H IHII digious and perfect arch, thrown across a valley of above a league in breadth. The neighbouring mountains disclosed the cause, by exhibiting an un- natural elevation, with the columnar structure of looming objects. Presently, the scene was changed; the mountains along the whole coast, assumed the most fantastic forms; the appearance of castles with lofty spires, towers and battlemen
. An account of the Arctic regions [microform] : with a history and description of the northern whale-fishery. Natural history; Sciences naturelles. â¢I ' â 1't* 386 ACCOUNT OF THF. ARCTIC NKi ^Sm H IHII digious and perfect arch, thrown across a valley of above a league in breadth. The neighbouring mountains disclosed the cause, by exhibiting an un- natural elevation, with the columnar structure of looming objects. Presently, the scene was changed; the mountains along the whole coast, assumed the most fantastic forms; the appearance of castles with lofty spires, towers and battlements, would, in a few minutes, be converted into a vast arch or ro- mantic bridge. These varied and sometimes beau- tiful metamorphoses, naturally suggested the reality of fairy descriptions; for the air was perfectly trans- parent, the contrast of snow and rocks was quite dis- tinct, even in the substance of the most uncommon phantasms, though examined with a powerful tele- scope, and every object seemed to possess every pos- sible stability. I never before observed a phenome- non so varied or so amusing. The land was not alone affected by this peculiar refraction, since every object between the N. E. and S. E. points of the compass, was more or less deformed by it. A mass of ice on the horizon, appeared of the height of a cliff, and the prismatic structure of its front, suggest- ed the idea of basaltic columns. It may be remark- ed, that these phenomena took place on a clear evening, after an uncommonly warm afternoon. Another similar appearance of the cqast of Spitz- bergen, though not quite so interesting, occurred on 2. Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these illustrations may not perfectly resemble the original Scoresby, William, 1789-1857. Edinburgh; [London] : Printed for Archibald Constable and Co. , Edinburgh; and Hurst, Robinson and Co. .. L
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, booksubjectnaturalhistory, booksubjectsciencesn
