38 LIQUID FIRE. 



seen ; while the sea of liquid fire cast a deadly 

 A)ale light over every part of the vessel, her 

 nasts, yards, and hull ; the fish meanwhile 

 sporting about in numbers, varying the scene 

 by the brilliant flasljies they occasioned. It 

 would have formed, I thought at the time, a 

 sublime and beautiful subject for an artist, like 

 Martin, to execute with his judgment and pencil, 

 that is, if any artist could give the true effect 

 of such a scene, on which I must express some 

 doubts. 



It must not be for a moment conceived that 

 the light described as brilliant, and like to a sea 

 of " liquid fire," is of the same character as 

 the flashes produced by the volcano, or by 

 lightning, or meteors. No : it is the light 

 of phosphorus, as the matter truly is, pale, 

 dull, approaching to a white or very pale 

 yellow, casting a melancholy light on objects 

 around, only emitting flashes by collision. To 

 read by it is possible, but not agreeable ; and, 

 on an attempt being made, it is almost always 

 found that the eyes will not endure the peculiar 

 light for any length of time, as headaches and 

 sickness are often occasioned by it. I have 

 frequently observed at Singapore, that, although 

 the tranquil water exhibits no particular lumi- 

 nosity, yet when disturbed by the passage of a 



