OP LA TEROUSE. 49 



) have conftahtly Found the fame animalcules, 

 \vhich I consider as the moft ordinary caufe o 

 ihe phofphorcfcence of fea- water ; However, 

 they alone have hot the property of rendering 

 the fea luminous '; feveral fpccies of crabs, fome 

 very large molecules, &c. often quit the bottom- 

 of the waters to come and illumine their furface : 

 I have frequently fcen thefe phofphoric mole- 

 cules of the fize of a double decimeter ; but I 

 have always found, at the fame time, the little 

 luminous bodies which I have mentioned. 



In the courfe of this day we learnt, that, bri 

 board of the Efperance, four of the iheep pro- 

 cured at Teneriffe had been thrown overboard, 

 it having been imagined that thefe animals dif- 

 covered fome fymptoms of the difeafe which is 

 faid to have been brought to us from America. 

 On this occafion were pafTed on the monks of 

 the ifland a great many bad jokes, which I take 

 to be void of foundation : I think, on the con- 

 trary, that if the fheep had been more ftri&ly 

 examined, the fhip's company would not have 

 been deprived of this fupply of frefh provilions. 



Winds from the fouth-fouth-eaft, which began 

 to blow on the 21ft of November, in the latitude 

 of 4 31' north, and longitude of 18 36' weft, 

 at length carried us out of thefe calm*, which 

 at this feafon q the year moft commonly 



vol. 1. s prevail 



