TfTE AMERICAN WHALEMAN. 891 



became luminous also, but I was not conscious of any sensa- 

 tion other than that caused by the natural coolness of the 

 iron. Those on deck said the ends of the fingers presented 

 luminous points while the hand was on the iron. A super- 

 stition prevails that the ampizant is the visible presence of 

 sailors who have died on the ship ; and with this theory in 

 my mind, I thought of Beers, and his lonesome grave, from 

 which we were creeping. As I placed my hand in the light, 

 I acknowledge that my flesh crept a little. My shipmates 

 explained the impunity with which I had shaken hands with 

 a ghost to the care I had taken of the dying man. If their 

 idea is right, it only goes to show that nothing is lost in mer- 

 ciful actions. But Antonio says that no good can come to 

 me from touching a bogie. 



It is also a common belief that the fires indicate the ap- 

 proach of bad weather; but our barometer has suffered no 

 change during the existence of the phenomena. 



Longfellow says : 



"Last night I saw St. Elmo's stars, 



With their glimmering lanterns, all at play 

 On the tops of the masts, and the tips of the spars, 

 And I knew we should have foul weather to-day. 

 Cheerily, my hearties ! yo heave-ho ! 

 Brail up the mainsail and let her go, 

 As the winds will, and St. Antonio." 



Shakspeare leans more to our opinion of the spirituality of 

 the fires, as will be seen in this passage from the " Tempest :" 



' ' Prospero. Hast thou, spirit, 



Performed, to point the tempest that I bade thee ? 



"Ariel. To every article. 



I boarded the king's ship ; now on the beak, 

 Now in the waist, the deck, in every cabin, 

 I flam'd amazement ; sometimes I'd divide, 

 And bum in many places ; on the topmast, 

 The yards, and bowsprit, would I flame distinctly, 

 Then meet, and join." 



