124 TO DAVY Jones's locker 



seventy-six degrees, twelve degrees lower than on deck. 

 Near here a big leptocephalus undulated past, a pale ribbon 

 of transparent gelatine with only the two iridescent eyes 

 to indicate its arrival. As it moved I could see the outline 

 faintly — ten inches long at least, and as it passed close, 

 even the parted jaws were visible (Fig. 50). This was the 

 larva of some great sea eel. 



As 600 feet came and passed I saw flashes of light in 

 the distance and at once turned on the searchlight, but 

 although the blue outside seemed dark, yet the electric 

 glare had no visible effect, and we turned it off. The sparks 

 of light and the distant flashes kept on from time to time 

 showing the power of these animal illuminations. 



A pale blue fish appeared, yet the blue of the pilot-fish 

 does not exist at this depth. Several seriola-like forms nosed 

 toward me. They must have drifted down from the sur- 

 face waters into these great pressures without injury. Dark 

 jellyfish twice came to my eyes, and the silvery eels again. 

 The flying snails looked dull gold and I saw my first 

 shrimps with minute but very distinct port-holes where 

 the lights must be (Fig. 52). Again a great cloud of a 

 body moved in the distance — this time pale, much lighter 

 than the water. How I longed for a single near view, or 

 telescopic eyes which could pierce the murk. I felt as if 

 some astonishing discovery lay just beyond the power of 

 my eyes. 



At another hundred feet a dozen fish passed the sphere 

 swimming almost straight upright, yet they were not un- 



