BOOK OF THE DAMNED 261 



In Nature, 37-187, and U Astronomic, 1887-76, we are told that 

 an object, described as "a large ball of fire," was seen to rise from 

 the sea, near Cape Race. We are told that it rose to a height of 

 fifty feet, and then advanced close to the ship, then moving away, 

 remaining visible about five minutes. The supposition in Nature 

 is that it was "ball lightning," but Flammarion, "Thunder and Light- 

 ning," p. 68, says that it was enormous. Details in the American 

 Meteorological Journal, 6-443 Nov. 12, 1887 British steamer 

 Siberian that the object had moved "against the wind" before 

 retreating that Captain Moore said that at about the same place 

 he had seen such appearances before. 



Report of the British Association, 1861-30: 



That, upon June 18, 1845, according to the Malta Times, from 

 the brig Victoria, about 900 miles east of Adalia, Asia Minor (36 

 40' 56", N. Lat: 13 44' 36" E. Long.) three luminous bodies were 

 seen to issue from the sea, at about half a mile from the vessel. 

 They were visible about ten minutes. 



The story was never investigated, but other accounts that seem 

 acceptably to be other observations upon this same sensational 

 spectacle came in, as if of their own accord, and were published by 

 Prof. Baden-Powell. One is a letter from a correspondent at Mt. 

 Lebanon. He describes only two luminous bodies. Apparently 

 they were five times the size of the moon: each had appendages, or 

 they were connected by parts that are described as "sail-like or 

 streamer-like," looking like "large flags blown out by a gentle breeze." 

 The important point here is not only suggestion of structure, but 

 duration. The duration of meteors is a few seconds: duration of 

 fifteen seconds is remarkable, but I think there are records up to 

 half a minute. This object, if it were all one object, was visible 

 at Mt. Lebanon about one hour. An interesting circumstance is 

 that the appendages did not look like trains of meteors, which shine 

 by their own light, but "seemed to shine by light from the main 

 bodies." 



About 900 miles west of the position of the Victoria is the town 

 of Adalia, Asia Minor. At about the time of the observation re- 

 ported by the captain of the Victoria, the Rev. F. Hawlett, F. R. 

 A. S., was in Adalia. He, too, saw this spectacle, and sent an 

 account to Prof. Baden-Powell. In his view it was a body that 

 appeared and then broke up. He places duration at twenty minutes 

 to half an hour. 



In the Report of the British Association, 1860-82, the phenom- 



