The Osceola times., 1888-04-21
ENGLANp'S OWN FOG.
A SEN and Cleaning Thickness That Ef
fectuaily Shuts on Vision.

To the mariner the log IL ABOUT the
most obnoxious of all the conditions OF
his vocation. He is not likely to un-
derstand me. then. when | speak of its
beauties; yet must assure him. never
theless. that many lovely atmospheric
and other effects are produced on the
waters by these luminous. enfolding
bodies of vapor, the silence of whose
white caverns is violated in these sci-
entifc times by the horrible braying Of
the steam horn and the terrified hut-
tering of the engine room bell The
kind of fog | have in my mind is the
snowlike body of vapor sometimes not
very much taller than the Folkstone
cliffs. sometimes so low lying, indeed.
that YOU may see the lofty spars of
big ship forking out of it into the blue
air and bright sunshine, when the res,
of the structure is as absolutely hidden
as an object rolled up in wool. As a
rule very little wind accompanies their
appearances The mass of delic te,
smokelike, sparkling particles slides
along softly. and ii is therefore slow
and tender in its revelations, submit
ting nothing which the manner of its
discovery does not render beautiful
A man standing on the deck of ship
in the heart of n soft and cleaning
thickness may not be able t. see the
main-mast from the distance of ths
wheel
The silence is peculiar; there is a GER
tain quality Of oppres,iveness about ii;
nor is this wholly fanciful, for though
there be a deep hush on the sea, yet
when you emerge into clear air the
difference between the stiffness you
have quilted and that which you have
entered is instantly percep,ibe. Pres
entity there is n little flaw, chasm
opens in the luminous body of white
ness; the space of water that glances
lik, steel around the ship enlarges its
horizon; there is a general Frightening
Of light. though all the forward part
of the ship is still hidden in the smoth-
er. and the only mast you can see look 5
as If it were sawed off few feet above
the deck. II the coast be nigh or ships
be at hand, there will happen now a
slow stealing out of objects, and the
sight is one which think every man
who has seen it viii recall with admir-
alton.
OF Dover n ship Twas aboard Of sail.
cd into the midst of such fog as am
describing and lay without motion for
some hours in the midst Of it. Any
tricSle Of the tide there may have been
kept company with the vapor. There
the thickness to the bends with the
polish and gleam of oil. There was
othing to break the quiet but the dis.
tant faint thunder of tho wash OF surf,
or sometimes the remote tinkling OF n
ships bell. or the rattle of little winch
in some nearer craft trembling upon
the ear like musketry.
Presently there was movement OF
wind. and as the soft fingers of the
draught Of air tenderly drew aside the
curtains OF the mist the pictures offered
were series of beautiful surprises.
All about us stood the white fog upon
the sea in elbows and points, in seams,
ravines ard defiles. like to the Scared
and PERCEPTIONS front Of chalk cliffs,
and now there would ooze out little
smack, whose shadow within the vapor
held you speculating till the sunshine
smote it into the proportions and color o.
some cutter or lugger-rigged craft, with
reddish mainsail gently swaying and a
sou wester or two over the rail; and
now, as the snowlike thickness was
rent afrcsh some stout brig with black
or checkered sides and blue vein of
smoke going up straight out of her gall
ley chimney and then arching over
/ like the curl Of plume, would be un-
veiled, and no matter how ugly the
craft was that would be thus suddenly
confessed the witchery Of the shining
back ground OF cloud entered her
and submitted her as dainty and de-
lightful. full of grace that owed moth
ing to form, SO that even n wretched
little coaster, with boom, foresail, and
a suit of canvas as many colored MS
Joseph's coat met the eye clothed with
beauty from the buttons Of her trucks
down to the tremulous silver Of the re-
Election of her sails under her.
Then presently glimpses of the land
were to be had, the flash of sunwarl
staring windows ashore, the
vivid green of verdure sloping TO the
edge of the white, abrupt. steamer
with raking tunnels cautiously coming
out, the twinkle of foam upon the mar
gin Of grayish shingle.-Mdcmilldn' s