26 Voyage of the Novara. 



would certainly be regarded as a great boon by all who navi- 

 gate the Mediterranean. 



On the 19th of May, the sea suddenly assumed a 

 peculiar orange colour ; a dust-like covering was observed 

 on the surface of the water, and at some depth white points 

 might be seen, mingling with each other in the wake of the 

 ship. Clouds of this orange-like matter appeared spread upon 

 the sea, which thereby lost its usual transparency. On 

 closer examination this phenomenon appeared to arise from 

 a mass consisting of myriads of minute animalculsB, which had 

 a yellow opaque kernel, the gelatinous covering of which was 

 transparent and colourless. A quantity of sea-water im- 

 pregnated with this matter, having been brought into a dark 

 room, gave out a light, and when agitated, such brightness 

 proceeded from it, as justified the anticipation that, during 

 the night, the whole sea would be illuminated. Accordingly 

 the wake of the ship was illuminated by a wonderful stream 

 of light, in the depths of which larger masses of luminous 

 matter could be discerned, whilst on the surface there was 

 a sparkling and glittering, as if all the stars of the firmament 

 were refiected in the water. 



This phosphorescence of the sea, for the explanation of 

 which we are chiefly indebted to Professor Ehrenberg, proceeds 

 for the most part from the emanations of light from molluscse 

 of the genus Medusa^ and other living phosphoric animalculse ; 

 sometimes, however, as for instance in Venice, it arises from 

 the putrescent fibres of decayed molluscse, and other organisms 

 in a state of decomposition. 



