perfectly parallel lines^ eq.ually spaced^ passing the ship at 

 about one every second, but after five minutes they wheeled 

 round in perfect formation and approached the ship from all 

 points of the compass. They came from only one compass point 

 at a time and each change of direction was swift and definite, 

 though not abrupt. The most frequent directions were from 

 mw and SSE. 



"After about 15 minutes the shafts occasionally formed 

 into a rotating radial movement in which they retained their 

 eq.ual geometrical precision and the freq.uency of about one 

 per second. At this time the pattern was continually 

 changing about every 20-30 seconds from the parallel lines 

 to the wheel. The periods of transition were hardly notice- 

 able, but they were not abrupt. Each time the wheel appeared 

 it was in a different place. On one occasion there were two 

 distinct wheels visible at the same time. Throughout the 

 period the wheels appeared they varied in direction of 

 rotation, some clockwise and some anticlockwise. Five 

 minutes later the pattern became still more complicated 

 but remained perfectly regular and at 2150 the light faded 

 out over a period of 30 seconds. 



"Although the light appeared to be on the surface of 

 the water it was completely unaffected by the wind and no 

 disturbance of the water was produced. The most notable 

 feati;ire of the phenomenon was the effortless speed and 

 mathematical precision of movement. The only near analogy 

 I think of is that of being placed in the middle of a 

 large A scan when a large variable AC current is supplied. 

 The whole effect was one of great weirdness and errieness, 

 so much so that the look-out man came on to the bridge 

 quite scared, believing that he was suffering from hal- 

 lucinations. 



"The ship's coijrse was 290° (t), speed 10 kt and no 

 alteration of either took place during the observation. 

 The sea was that corresponding to Beaufort Scalg wind 

 force 2-3, swell negligible, sea temperature 78 F. The 

 sky was cloudless, with perfect visibility, wind NW, force 

 2-3, air temperature 80 F." 



Position of ship: 22°U2'N, 68°08'E. 



A simple "wheel" report appears to include the initial sighting of 

 a spot or pulsation of light on, above, or just under the sea surface, 

 sometimes observed at a great distance. This liiminous spot usually 

 broadens and forms a pyrotechnic pinwheel effect, with long curving 

 luminous arms (spokes) that turn either clockwise or countercloclcwise. 

 More than one wheel may appear, sometimes very small (less than a 

 meter in diameter) and at other times very large (covering the horizon). 

 The hub of such a wheel often is a glaring and intense white lumin- 

 escence, of such intensity at times that one observer noted it appeared 

 "like magnesium burning." 



Ul 



