COMPANION' SAVANTS. 69 



waves like so many red-hot balls, one of which we 

 observed apparently not less than twenty feet in 

 diameter. In some places columns of fire, eliciting 

 sparks, are thrown up from the bosom of the deep ; 

 in others, clouds of light and phosphorus are seen 

 traversing the waves in the midst of darkness ; 

 added to which are cones of light revolving round 

 their own axes, splendid garlands, incandescent 

 parallelograms, and serpentining illuminations. 

 Occasionally the ocean appears decorated with an 

 immense scarf of moveable and wavy light, the 

 ends of which exceed the limits of sight." What 

 were all the marvels of the enchanted grotto 

 compared with these exquisite natural illumina- 

 tions exhibited on the mighty waves of the sea ! 

 The impression which this wonderful phenomenon 

 made on our naturalist, and the peculiarities pre- 

 sented by the organisation of these zoophytes, 

 which, on examination, he found to assume suc- 

 cessively all the colours of the rainbow, determined 

 him to investigate this class of animals ; and during 

 the whole voyage he and H. Lesueur, one of his com 

 panion savants with whom he formed a close friend- 

 ship, were ever watching at the ship's side, that 

 they might collect all they could procure. Peron 

 was no great artist himself, but his friend drew, 

 under his direction, those varied and beautiful 

 animals. " The two laboured in concert ; the ono 



