VOYAGE OF THE CHANTICLEER, 379 



On the 23d May, the surface of the sea was covered with 

 very minute particles of something which appeared like dust, 

 or the shakings of hemp. Having obtained some of it in 

 a vessel, on examination Mr. Webster found it to be com- 

 posed of very small worms, extremely slender and delicate, 

 and about the hundredth part of an inch in length. They 

 were of a brown colour, in general, and acuminated at each 

 extremity, having also a slight bending motion at times. Be- 

 sides these, the water from which they were taken contained a 

 few hairy globules, about the size of a pin's head, which 

 opened and contracted, having a bright glistening speck in 

 their centre. There were, besides these, some little red 

 capillary worms, bifurcated at one extremity, and some medusce 

 of a chocolate colour, about the size of a pea. 



We heartily wish Mr. Webster had been somewhat more 

 full in his description of the hairy globules : we fain would 

 know whether the glistening speck was visible when the animal 

 was contracted ; and again, whether the " opening " of the 

 animal could be caused by agitating the water. Presumin<T 

 that the luminous speck was only visible when the animal 

 opened ; and presuming, also, the opening could be caused by 

 agitating the water, we have, at once, before us, in this hairy 

 globule, the immediate cause of that luminosity of the ocean 

 which exhibits itself in evanescent sparks, as the waves dash 

 against a vessel's prow. 



On the night of the 30th May the voyagers were much 

 gratified by a phenomenon of rather uncommon occurrence, 

 relating to the luminosity of the sea. It was about ten at 

 night, when the vessel was sailing through the water at the 

 rate of five knots, the weather clear, and the stars shining 

 brightly above them, when their attention was suddenly at- 

 tracted by a great number of dolphins sporting round the ship, 

 and darting about in all directions with the swiftness of an 

 arrow. The water was extremely brilliant, and appeared to 

 be a sea of stars, so numerous were the specks of light. But, 

 beautiful as was this appearance, (they having become, in some 

 degree, accustomed to it, from having witnessed it on former 

 occasions,) their attention- was now principally directed to the 

 dolphins. They could distinctly see their whole form to a 

 considerable depth below the surface of the water, from the 

 bright light which they emitted, and were delighted with their 



