58 METEOROLOGICAL 



a stationary light resting on the water, and rising 

 to a considerable elevation. Every other part of 

 the heavens and the horizon all around the ship 

 were in utter darkness. (Vide Frontispiece.} As 

 there was no known danger in this phenomenon, 

 the course of the vessel was not altered; and 

 when the ship entered the region of this light, 

 the officers and crew looked on with the liveliest 

 interest. The whole vessel was illuminated ; the 

 most elevated parts of the masts and sails, and 

 the minutest portions of the rigging, became 

 visible. 



The extent of this luminous atmosphere might 

 have been about 450 yards. When the bow of 

 the ship emerged from it, it seemed as if the vessel 

 were suddenly plunged in darkness. There was 

 no gradual decrease of illumination. The ship 

 was already at a considerable distance from the 

 luminous region when it appeared still visible as 

 a stationary light astern. 



Many persons would look upon this curious 

 phenomenon as an intensely phosphorescent mist. 

 Several observations tend to prove that in these 

 northern latitudes the density, and often the dry- 

 ness, of the air, contribute much to the intensity 

 of luminous apparitions, especially those which 

 appear to depend upon electrical actions. The 

 above is the account of this phenomenon as re- 

 lated in F. Arago's ' Notice sur le Tonnerre.' 



