Harz mountains had attracted
several thick clouds which had been hovering round them, and which,
beginning on the Broken, confined the prospect. In these clouds, soon
after the rising of the sun, I saw my own shadow, of a monstrous size,
move itself, for a couple of seconds, in the clouds; and the phenomenon
disappeared. It is impossible to see this phenomenon, except when the
sun is at such an altitude as to throw his rays upon the body in an
horizontal direction; for if he is higher, the shadow is thrown rather
under the body than before it.

"In the month of September, last year, as I was making a tour through
the Harz with a very agreeable party, and ascended the Broken, I found
an excellent account and explanation of this phenomenon, as seen by M.
Haue on the 23d of May 1797, in his diary of an excursion to that
mountain; I shall therefore take the liberty of transcribing it.

"'After having been here for the thirtieth time,' says M. Haue; 'and,
besides other objects of my attention, having procured information
respecting the above-mentioned atmospheric phenomenon, I was at length
so fortunate as to have the pleasure of seeing it; and, perhaps, my
description may afford satisfaction to others who visit the Broken
through curiosity. The sun rose about four o'clock; and, the atmosphere
being quite serene towards the east, his rays could pass without any
obstruction over the Heinnichshohe. In the south-west, however, towards
the Auchtermaunshohe, a brisk west wind carried before it their
transparent vapours, which were not yet condensed into thick heavy
clouds. About a quarter past four I went towards the inn, and looked
round to see whether the atmosphere would permit me to have a free
prospect to the south-west; when I observed, at a very great distance,
towards the Auchtermaunshohe, a human figure, of a monstrous size. A
violent gust of wind having almost carried away my hat, I clapped my
hand to it by moving my arm towards my head, and the colossal figure did
the same. The pleasure which I felt on this discovery can hardly be
described; for I had already walked many a weary step in the hope of
seeing this shadowy image, without being able to satisfy my curiosity. I
immediately made another movement by bending my body, and the colossal
figure before me repeated it. I was desirous of doing the same thing
once more; but my colossus had vanished. I remained in the same
position, waiting to see whether it would retur