ILLUMINATED WAVES. 251 



the Avliole, by far, and what was novel to me, was pro- 

 duced by the projecting paddle-boxes. Each of these 

 drove np from before its broad front, a little wave 

 continually prolonging itself, which presently curled 

 over outwardly with a glassy edge, and broke. It 

 was from this curling and breaking edge, here and 

 there, not in every part, that there gleamed up a 

 bluish light of the most vivid lustre, so intense that T 

 could almost read the small print of a book that I 

 held up over the gangway. The luminous animals 

 evidently ran in shoals, unequally distributed ; for 

 sometimes many rods would be passed, in which none 

 or scarcely any light was evolved, then it would appear 

 and continue for perhaps an equal space. The waves 

 formed by the summits of the swells behind the ship 

 continued to break, and were visible for a long way 

 behind, as a succession of luminous spots ; and occa- 

 sionally one would appear in the distant darkness, 

 after the intermediate one had ceased, bearing no 

 small resemblance, as some one on board observed, to 

 a ship showing a light by way of signal. The scene 

 recalled the graphic lines of Sir Walter Scott : — 



Awak'd before the rushing prow. 

 The mimic fires of ocean glow, 



Those lightnings of the wave ; 

 "Wild sparkles crest the broken tides, 

 And flashing round, the yessel's sides 



With elfish lustre lave ; 

 While far behind, their livid light 

 To the dark billows of the night 



A blooming splendom* gave. 



Lord of the Isles, i. 21. 



Wliile on this subject I will mention the charming 



