Major L. Blesson on tfie Ignis Faium, 91 



was able to singe paper, which became brown-coloured, and 

 covered with a viscous moisture. I next used a narrow slip of 

 paper, and enjoyed the pleasure of seeing it take fire. The gas 

 was evidently inflammable, and not a phosphorescent luminous 

 one, as some have maintained. But how do these lights originate ? 

 After some reflexion I resolved to make the experiment of extin- 

 guishing them. I followed the flame ; I brought it so far from 

 the marsh, that probably the thread of connexion, if I may so 

 express myself, was broken, and it was extinguished. But 

 scarcely a few minutes had elapsed, when it was again renewed 

 at its source (over the air-bubbles), without my being able to 

 observe any transition from the neighbouring flames, many of 

 which were burning in the valley. I repeated the experiment 

 frequently, and always with success. The dawn approached, 

 and the flames, which to me appeared to approach nearer to 

 the earth, gradually disappeared. 



On the following evening I went to the spot, and kindled a 

 fire on the side of the valley, in order to have an opportunity 

 of trying to inflame the gas. As on the evening before, I first 

 extinguished the flame, and then hastened with a torch to the 

 spot from whence the gas bubbled up, when instantaneously a 

 kind of explosion was heard, and a red light was seen over 

 eight or nine square feet of the surface of the marsh, which di- 

 minished to a small blue flame, from two and a half to three 

 feet in height, that continued to burn with an unsteady motion. 

 It was therefore no longer doubtful that this ignis fatuus was 

 caused by the evolution of inflammable gas from the marsh. 



In the year 1811, I was at Malapane, in Upper Silesia, and 

 passed several nights in the forest, because ignes fatui were 

 observed there. I succeeded in extinguishing and inflaming the 

 gas, but could not inflame paper or thin shavings of wood with 

 it. In the course of the same year I repeated my experiments 

 in the Konski forests, in Poland. The flame was darker coloured 

 than usual, but I was not able to inflame either paper or wood- 

 shavings with it ; on the contrary, their surface became speedily 

 covered with a viscous moisture. 



In the year 1812, I spent half a night in the Rubenzahl- 

 Garden, on the ridge of the Riesengebirge, close on the Sehnee- 

 koppe, which constantly exhibits the Will-with- the- Wisp, but 



