BOOK OF THE DAMNED 265 



however, not account for phenomena of geometric formation and 

 high velocity. If he means Vera Cruz, Mexico, this is the only 

 instance we have out of oriental waters. 



Scientific American, 106-51: 



That, in the Nautical Meteorological Annual, published by the 

 Danish Meteorological Institute, appears a report upon a "singular 

 phenomenon" that was seen by Capt. Gabe, of the Danish East 

 Asiatic Co.'s steamship Bintang. At 3 a. m., June 10, 1909, while 

 sailing through the Straits of Malacca, Captain Gabe saw a vast 

 revolving wheel of light, flat upon the water "long arms issuing 

 from a center around which the whole system appeared to rotate." 

 So vast was the appearance that only half of it could be seen at a 

 time, the center lying near the horizon. This display lasted about 

 fifteen minutes. Heretofore we have not been clear upon the im- 

 portant point that forward motions of these wheels do not synchro- 

 nize with a vessel's motions, and freaks of disregard, or, rather, 

 commonplaces of disregard, might attempt to assimilate with lights 

 of a vessel. This time we are told that the vast wheel moved for- 

 ward, decreasing in brilliancy, and also in speed of rotation, dis- 

 appearing when the center was right ahead of the vessel or my 

 own interpretation would be that the source of light was submerg- 

 ing deeper and deeper and slowing down because meeting more and 

 more resistance. 



The Danish Meteorological Institute reports another instance: 



That, when Capt. Breyer, of the Dutch steamer Valentijn, was in 

 the South China Sea, midnight, Aug. 12, 1910, he saw a rotation of 

 flashes. "It looked like a horizontal wheel, turning rapidly." This 

 time it is said that the appearance was above water. "The phe- 

 nomenon was observed by the captain, the first and second mates, 

 and the first engineer, and upon all of them it made a somewhat 

 uncomfortable impression." 



In general, if our expression be not immediately acceptable, we 

 recommend to rival interpreters that they consider the localization 

 with one exception of this phenomenon, to the Indian Ocean 

 and adjacent waters, or Persian Gulf on one side and China Sea on 

 the other side. Though we're Intermediatists, the call of attempted 

 Positivism, in the aspect of Completeness, is irresistible. We have 

 expressed that from few aspects would wheels of fire in the air look 

 like wheels of fire, but, if we can get it, we must have observation 

 upon vast luminous wheels, not interpretable as optical illusions, 



