e sun shines only at noon. But even at break of day the
rays of light are thrown on the surrounding rocks, and their
sharp peaks, rising above the shadows of the mountain, appear
like tints of gold and purple gleaming upon the azure sky.

Like Rousseau, St Pierre held that 'to take refuge in the wildest and
most desert places is an instinct common to all feeling and suffering
beings, as if rocks were ramparts against misfortune, and Nature's
calm could appease the sorrows of the soul'[14]; but he differed in
caring for Nature far more for her own sake, and not in opposition to
culture and a detested world. He wrote too, not as a philosopher
proclaiming a new gospel, but as a poet[15]; the poetry of Nature had
been revealed to French literature.

St Pierre drew the beauty of the tropics in a poem, and George
Forster's _Voyage round the World_[16] shewed how quickly Rousseau's
influence told upon travels. It was a far cry from the Crusaders and
discoverers to the highly-cultured Forster, alive to everything that
was good and beautiful, and able to express it. He was the first to
describe countries and peoples from both the scientific and artistic
standpoint--a style of writing which Humboldt perfected, and some
later writers, Haeckel, for example, in _Indischen Briefen_, have
carried on with success.

To quote Forster:

The town of Santa Cruz in Madeira was abreast of us at six in the
afternoon. The mountains are here intersected by numerous deep
glens and valleys. On the sloping ground we observed several
country houses pleasantly situated amidst surrounding vineyards
and lofty cypresses, which gave the country altogether a romantic
appearance. Early on the 29th we were agreeably surprised with
the picturesque appearance of the city of Funchal....

In October 1772, off South Africa:

The night was scarcely begun when the water all round us afforded
the most grand and astonishing sight that can be imagined. As far
as we could see, the whole ocean seemed to be in a blaze. Every
breaking wave had its summit illuminated by a light similar to
that of phosphorus, and the sides of the vessel, coming in
contact with the sea, were strongly marked by a luminous line....
There was a singularity and a grandeur in the display of this
phenomenon which could not fail of giving occupation to the mind,
and striking it with a reverential awe, due to omnipot