JUNE. 207 



The first two are only seen in the vessel's track, and at the 

 sides ; but these gleams are seen as far as the eye can trace 

 them, in every direction : they are much more rarely ob- 

 served than the former. There was a confused swell when 

 I made these observations, and some short waves ; but they 

 did not break. In a voyage to the Gulf of Mexico, I saw 

 the water in those southern seas more splendidly luminous 

 than I had ever observed before. It was indeed a magnifi- 

 cent sight, to stand in the fore part of the vessel, and watch 

 her breasting the waves. The mass of water rolled from her 

 bows as white as milk, with a luminous cloudiness, studded 

 with those innumerable sparks of blue light. The nebulosity 

 instantly separated into small masses, curdled like the clouds 

 of marble, and soon subsided; but the sparkles remained. 

 Sometimes, one of the brightest of these points appeared to 

 burst into a small cloud of superior whiteness to the mass, 

 and to be lost in the rest. Occasional flashes were seen on 

 the dark surface of the surrounding sea, as some little wave 

 would rise and break. The curdling of the milky appear- 

 ance into clouds and masses, and its quick subsidence, were 

 what I had never observed elsewhere. But how little do 

 we know of the arcana of nature : this luminous property 

 of the sea has doubtless attracted the attention of observant 

 men in all ages, being seen on almost every shore ; and 

 yet what do we know of it ? of its cause, of its nature, of its 

 uses ? 



C. The ocean is probably a world within itself; con- 

 taining thousands of productions, that the eye of man has 

 never seen. What numberless animals, shells, plants, zoo- 

 phytes, may be supposed to lie on the undisturbed bed of 

 the vast sea, where the sounding line of the mariner has 

 never penetrated ! How beautiful are Percival's lines on 

 the tropical seas : 



