Ocean between Europe and America. 25 



more than nine hundred and twenty fea 

 miles from any land whatfoever. 



September the 10th. within the American 

 gulph a large bird, which we took for an 

 Owl, and likewife a little bird fettled on 

 our fails. 



September the 12th. a Wood-pecker fettled 

 on our rigging: its back was of a fpeckled 

 grey, and it feemed extremely fatigued. 

 And another land- bird of the pafferine clafs, 

 endeavoured to take fhelter and reft on our 



fhip. 



Before I entirely take leave of the fea, 

 I will communicate my obfervations on two 

 curious phcenomena. 



In the channel and in the ocean we faw 

 at night time, /parks of fire, as if flow- 

 ing on the water, efpecially where it was 

 agitated, fometimes one iingle fpark fwam 

 for the fpace of more than one minute on 

 the ocean before it vanifTied. The failors 

 obferved them commonly to appear during, 

 and after a florm from the north, and that 

 often the fea is as if it were full of fire, and 

 that fome fuch fhining fparks would like- 

 wife flick to the mads and fails. 



SoiMetimes this light had not the ap- 

 pearance of fparks, but looked rather like 

 the phofphorefcence of putrid wood. 



The Thames -water which made our pro- 

 vifion of freili water, is reputed to be the 



bed: 



