The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1865-06-06 00:00:00

Cott roponbence.

MIRAGE, RAINBOW, AND ATMOSPHERIC
SPECTRA.—No. IL
To the Editors.

"In the evening of the 6th of April,"

Captain W. F. W. Owen Pays, " when og-
Fort Danger, the Bsrracouta was seen about
two miles to leeward. Struck with the singu-
larity that she was so soon after us, we at first
concluded that it could not be she, but the peculiarity
of her rigging and other circumstances convinced us
that we were not mistaken. Nay, so distinctly was
she seen that many well known faces could be ob-
served on deck, looking towards our ship. After
keeping thus for sometime we became surprised that
she made no effort to join us. but on the contrary
good away ; but being tear the port to which we
were destined Captain Owen did not attach much
importance to this proceeding, and we accordingly
continued our course. At gluiest it was observed
;that she hove to and sent a boat away apparently
for the purpose of picking up a man overboard.
During the night we could not perceive any light or
.other indication of her locality. The next morning
we anchored in Simon's Bay, where for a whole
week we were in anxious expectation other arrival,
built afterwards appeared that at this very period
the Barraconta must have been two hundred miles
from us, and no other vessel of the same class was
ever seen about the Cape. This is not told so as to
authenticate the stories of fear or fancy, or to add
to the visionary terrors of superstition; bat it is
recorded as a strange and at present unaccountable
fag, doubtless, attributable to natural and probably
to simple causes. In Simon's Bay we found the
Andromache and Delight ten gun brig, Captain Hay.
Had this vessel seen the Flying Dutchman instead of
us, the fire of superstition would by her subsequent
log have been fed by a little additional fuel • nay,
many even now think. that the phantom mistook the
vessel and meant his visit for the unfortunate
Delight, but we should imagine him too good an
old sailor to mistake a frigate for a ten gun brig."
On the whole this is the most satisfactory and
Tellable, as well as the most resent account of the
~ :phantom sliip which we have been able to find. It
id Ile necessarily the most satisfactory because the
.original of the ship's figure projected as it was the
.B:unordinary distance of two hundred miles NW
T! 'known swilastiognised, and the minute circumstance*
1111111#1,11"w were engaged, nay, some of their
-very 60461iited and observed, so that her precise
whereabottitskid the exact time of the phenomenon
could be Weld and compared. We have it here
indeed set down, and for the first time what the
phenomenon of "The Flying Dutchman" really
is, and the manner of its occurrence strikingly

illustrated.
This illustration supplies us, therefore, with some
P. proof of the distance to and the distinctness with
-- which the images of ships at sea and in motion, (as
more liable to encounter those varying states of the
. air on which such phenomena may be dependent,)
may be transmitted. In the outset of this paper we
• ' Save noticed • case of mirage on land, in France as
11/ iseetaring within a very recent date, and in se
I° apparently unexpected position, and we can readily
- suppose that where atmospheric mirrors and lenses
of
probably enormous magnitude are in requisition '
to produce such effects, the necessary conjunction of
circumstances may be much more rare on terra firma
where all is stationary and some of the essential
elements perchance defective than at or near the sea
where they may likely prevail since there they are
most frequently seen. A very singular instance
of atmospherical reflection is described in the
Phi4aloplacal Tramactiona as having taken place at
Hastings. The coast of Picardy which is between
forty and fifty miles distant (rem that of Sumer,
appeared suddenly close to the English shore. The
sailors and fishermen crowded down to the beach
-scarcely believing their own eyes; but at length
they begin to snooguise several Of the French cliffs,
and pointed out place. they had been accustomed
io visit. From the summit of the eastern cliff or
hill a most beautiful scene presented itself. At one
glance the spectator could see Dungeness, Dover
cliffs and the French coast all along from Callao to
'St. Vallery, and, as some affirmed, as far to the
westward as Dieppe. By the telescope, the French
'fishing boats were plainly seen at anchor, and the
different colours of the land on the heights with the
buildings were perfectly discernible.
Here then is another instance of importance inas-
much as the original features of the reflected image
amid be identified and the distance of transmission
'determined • but it may be held that in the air-
eumatabien; medium of the atmosphere any distance
to which a reflected image may be flung off opens
-the way for any other distance being within the
yse,oenftiossihihty.
The Pala Morgana in the straits of Menem may
be adduced as exactly in point, and consequently so
might any case of mirage that has ever presented
itself in the desert, provided the same recognition
'could' be made of the imagery of which it is com-
posed. When the Meng sun shines from • point
whenee its incident ray forms an angle of 45* on the
:See of Reggio, and the bright surface of the water in
the hay is neither disturbed by wind nor current,
when the tide is at its height, and the waters I
pressed up to a great elevation in lbi middle of the
channel, the spectator Brewed on El eminence with
his hack to the sun, and his face to the sea, the
mountains of Messina rising like a wall behind it
and forming the back ground of the picture—sees
suddenly appear in the water as in • catoptrio
theatre Tartans multiplied objects, vie., "number-
less series of pilasters, arches, castle' well delineated,
regular columns, lofty towers, superb palaces,
hriies and windows, extended alleys of trees,
delightful plains with herds snd flocks, armies of
ram on figab,mpagtgabsok, and many other things,
in their nateral colours, exhibiting their appropriate
aotionsAind. 'filming in sacosesion rapidly along the
surface of the sea during the whole of the short
period of time for which the camas above enumerated
endure.
Now, one and all of the objects thus exhibited in
tFe Pita 'Afargana have been proved by accurate
observation of the coast, and town of Reggio, on the
autliocity of Fra Miasma to be strictly derived from
°Siena on shore. If, add. this authority, "in ad-
dines to the eireumetawase before deeeribed the
atmeephere be highly impregnated with vapour and I
by dense exhalations not previently dispersed by the
action of the winds and wave., or ratified by the
heat of the sun; it thee happens that in the vapour
as in a curtain extended along the channel, to the
height of above forty palms, and nearly down to the
ma, the' observer will behold repeated the same scene,
the same objects not only reflected from the surface
of the am, but likewise in the air, though not so
sliatinotly or so well defined 1111 the primary objects
an the sea. Lastly if the sea be slightly hazy or
opaque, and at the mane time dewy and adopted to
form the iris, then the above-mentiened objects will
appear only at the surface of the sea as in the first
case but all vividly coloured or fringed with red,
, green, blue or other prismatic colours." As the day
.}, advances, the fairy some gradually disappears.
ipeo,. Mewing figures here enter into the composition
weal the illusory some; and perhaps we shall best be.
erteebeib prepared for the mawJestation of whole armies,
the air, which in seperstitious time. have been
ee beheld with fear and trembling, by cdosidering the,
-"ledivideal spectre of the Brokken as the tame simple
.7' and rudimentary instance of the formation oleo&
me image. It has this peculiar advantage, that like'
v the more striking phenomena of its class it is
11001.4 located, and self-explanatory; we know'
ved&sei:: find it, and what produces it, and may
et; so fee accept it as an index, however rude,
the ekes of images it repreeenta. A traveller
Ulla us that having amended the Beaten for the
1" thirteenth time, he was at length so fortusate as to
"• havethe pleat/moot seeing the phenomenon-that is, he
Bond the Spectral Giant of the Mountain "at home."
The Nan rose about four o'clock and the atmosphere I
being quite serene towards the east, the rays could pass
'trainee any interruption over the Hinrochshohe. In
the math eget however a brisk wind carried before it
these 'transparent vapours. About a quarter past
four he looked rotted to see if the wind would per-
mit him to have a free prospect, when he observed
at a very great distance, a human of • 0201211-
. . ,

figure _
, nous sine: A violent- it'd of wind having nearly
eirried away his hat he clapped his band di it moving
his arm towards his head; and the notarial figure
did the same, on which he avers that the pleasure
which he felt it being "taken off" by the spectre
cannot be described—for he had taken hitherto
many a weary step solely with the view of seeing this
ehadowy image, but without having been able to
gratify his curiosity. Be would not perhaps have
thoroughly enjoyed his suooess without calling in a
participator to eijoy it along with him ; and he called
sip the landlord of the neighbouring inn on the
Brok ken. Having both of them taken up the -
Weldon, which he had occupied -
Inched, but saw nothing. They
Mood long when they perceivr
colossal figures were in proem oi
' eminence above. They therefore
positkea keeping their eyea flied an
and & little time the two
were 4

film"

lev;

them

reoksii
she Ar..,