110 EAST PRUSSIA TO THE GOLDEN GATE 



the pure, blue heaven above where only here and there 

 a shining snow-white summer-cloud would make a marked 

 contrast ; and notwithstanding the fact that the rays had 

 full sway, the air was cool and pleasant, somewhat like 

 our warm spring-days at home. With all that, we made 

 unusually quick time through the deep, carmine-blue sea, 

 which I never saw as calm as on this day, not even in 

 close proximity of land. Schools of silvery flying fish 

 were playing around us and four nautilus came right 

 alongside our ship; the pretty rose-colored wings of the 

 largest one reaching about three inches above the water. 

 The sun-set following resembled the magnificent sunrise 

 and I saw, what thousands of people who cross the At- 

 lantic will never have a chance of viewing, and what only 

 occurred once during our whole trip, the rare spectacle 

 of the apparent dropping of the sun into water, and not, 

 as is generally the case, setting behind, or surrounded 

 by, fog or clouds. The air remained pure and mild after 

 the sun-set. The soft, beautiful shades of colors faded 

 on the darkening sky, and when night had closed down, 

 I noticed for the first time the brilliant star-pictures of 

 the Southern Hemisphere, developing their splendor on 

 the blue velvety background of the firmament. The stars 

 seemed to compete harmoniously with one another, in 

 which rivalry they succeeded so well that even the small- 

 est of them displayed a brightness which we do not wit- 

 ness on our coldest winter nights at home. The Milky 

 Way particularly attracted the attention of the observer's 

 gaze and the Dipper, the Twins and the beautiful picture 

 of the Southern Cross filled one with wonder. Except- 

 ing Venus— which, though barely within our horizon, dis- 

 plays a brilliancy which compares almost with that of 

 the moon itself— and Jupiter, the brightest star on the 

 Southern Hemisphere; none are more lustrous than those 

 of the Cross. I watched the celestial spectacle from my 

 usual place until very late in the night, unable to take 

 my eyes from the millions of sparkling jewels of the firma- 

 ment; it was particularly the sight of the little Cross 

 which kept my attention and which even the most care- 



