CAPTAIN TUCKEY'S NARRATIVE. 49 



fulgens was conspicuous. In another species (when put into 

 the microscope by candle hght), the luminous property 

 was observed to be in the brain, which, when the animal 

 was at rest, resembled a most brilliant amethyst about the 

 size of a large pin's head, and from which, when it moved, 

 darted tiashes of a brilliant silvery light. Beroes, beautiful 

 hololhurias, and various gelatinous animals were also taken 

 up in great numbers. Indeed the Gulf of Guinea appears 

 to be a most prolific region in these sort of animals ; and I 

 have no doubt but the marine entomologist would here be 

 able to add immensely to this branch of natural history. 

 As it was found impossible to preserve the far greater 

 number of these animals by reason of their delicate orga- 

 nization, the spirit of wine dissolving some, and extracting 

 ihe colours of others, and as most of them require the aid 

 of a microscope to describe them, a great portion of thena 

 were lost on us, from the want of a person either to describe 

 or draw them from that instrument. 



Light baffling winds from south to S.W. kept us in sight 

 of Prince's island until the 18th, when a hard squall from 

 the S. E. brought to our view tliat of St. Thomas, which at 

 day-light on the 19th bore S. by W., distant 19 leagues. ^Ve 

 were again plagued with light winds for two days off thia 

 island, when another squall from the S. E. ran us clear of 



H 



