At Sea 23 



and intensity of the blue tints of the tropical ocean 

 provoked comment from even those who otherwise 

 appeared indifferent to the charms of nature. At night 

 under a full moon the reflection of the clouds on the 

 dark sea was infinitely tender and pleasing. During 

 the period we were on the Gulf Stream and until we were 

 beyond the mouth of the Amazon the clouds were a 

 splendid study. They are prevalently of the stratus or 

 cirro-stratus form on the North Atlantic, but over the 

 warm seas through which we passed there hung great 

 masses of cumulus, ' thunderheads, ' as I have often 

 heard them called, like those which rise over the land 

 in hot midsummer days. The long cold streamers of 

 the North were replaced by huge columns of soaring 

 vapor, over which the sun cast a robe of splendor. 

 Below them like a purple veil often hung the rain, 

 showing that they were being forced to return a part of 

 the burden of moisture which they were trying to carry 

 away. I had looked for fine displays of electricity 

 in tropical latitudes. Strange to say the only lightning 

 I saw during the outward voyage appeared over the 

 coast of New Jersey. 'Jersey lightning" 1 is famous. 

 However, upon the return voyage we witnessed a 

 magnificent electrical storm as we were approaching 

 Bahia. We were close to the land and the night 

 was very dark. The sea was calm. All at once a 

 flash of lightning illumined the sky and revealed for an 

 instant the hills, the beach, the palm-trees on the shore ; 

 and then instantly the pall of darkness was thrown over 

 the whole enchanting scene. We waited for a minute 



1 This allusion should be explained for the benefit of those who have 

 not pursued their studies in the Princeton Theological Seminary. In 

 the Neo-caesarian dialect "Jersey lightning" is a synonym for "bad 

 whisky. " 



