34 



maintain that such a phenomenon does occur, though on very rare 

 occasions. I have witnessed it twice only during my career, once 

 in the Red Sea, and once in the Southern Indian Ocean. On 

 each occasion the Moon was a day or two after the full and her 

 altitude between 20 and 25 degrees. The time was just before 

 10 p.m., and then the Moon shone with a distinctly bright blue 

 colour, which lasted for about half an hour. The nights were 

 perfect as regards weather, a few light clouds (cirrus) about, very 

 little wind, and sea calm. The attention of both passengers 

 and others was called to this peculiar appearance. 



On the Peculiar Screeching Noise of the Wind during 



THE PASSAGE OF A TYPHOON OR CyCLONE. 



This remarkable occurrence occasionally happens during 

 the passage of these storms. The hideous screeching noise of 

 the wind as though ten thousand demons were doing their utmost 

 to distress and terrorise the unfortunate mariner is one not easily 

 forgotten. This noise is certainly not entirely caused by the 

 wind rushing through the rigging, though on shore we hear a 

 screeching noise when the wind is blowing fresh against the tele- 

 graph wires. I have been in the centre of one of these storms on 

 two occasions when the wind has suddenly died away and a calm 

 prevailed ; but this noise is heard for a minute or two in the 

 direction the storm is travelling. I remember a Portuguese 

 passenger being very much distressed at this noise. We had 

 been having the wind with hurricane force from the N.E., when 

 the calm centre of the storm passed over us at midnight. Birds, 

 Butterflies and Moths were fl)'ing about in great numbers, and 

 the sky became clear over head and the stars visible. This 

 gentleman said he would now go to bed ; he had not been in his 

 cabin many minutes, when we could hear the wind coming from 

 the quarter opposite to that in which it had previously been 

 blowing and accompanied by this horrible noise. He came 

 rushing up to me exclaiming " Oh my God what is that noise " ! 

 " You will see in a minute or so " I replied, and almost directly a 

 terrific squall struck us from the S. W., and seemed almost to 

 lift the ship out of the water and then bear her down as though to 

 destruction. Can this noise be caused by the torrents of rain 

 being driven through the air ? I cannot otherwise account for it. 

 The centre of these storms is very dangerous. The waves run 

 from all directions, and impinging against each other rise up in 

 form of a pyramid and topple over on a ship's deck with force 

 enough to smash in everything. They will try the best found 

 ship. 



Luminous Sea. 



When this phenomenon is seen at its best it is one of the 



