APPENDIX. 145 



coming into collision with each other, the two united sometimes rising to a peak, 

 and representing what our skipper was pleased to term a " church steeple." 

 Great attention was paid to the compass during this commotion of the sea, and 

 the astonishment of the skipper, and of an old sea captain who was a passenger, 

 is still fresh upon my memory ; as a mighty wave upon the starboard beam 

 swung the ship half round the compass, and across sea, or seas, from the oppo- 

 site direction, completed the circle, the passenger captain exclaiming, " zounds, 

 why she has gone completely round the compass on her heel, never saw such 

 a thing before in my life." It was not pleasant to be knocked about for two 

 hours in such a cauldron, and I was heartily thankful when a fine fair wind 

 set in and enabled us to extricate the ship from her dangerous position. Cross 

 seas had certainly much to do with the destruction of the London and Amalia, 

 flooding the between decks, quenching the engine fires, and ultimately causing 

 both these overloaded ships to founder. 



With regard to the " phosphoric balls," seen on board the " Tanjore," let 

 me observe that the phenomena is by no means a common one, many an old 

 seaman never having seen it. I believe it is called '■'■St. Elmo's fire " — " Cor- 

 pus sanctum,'' — and a variety of names which appear to be corruptions of the 

 latter. I am happy to say I once witnessed this concentration of the electricity 

 of the atmosphere upon the rigging of a ship. It was on the same December 

 voyage from Prince Edward Island, our little brig, the " Eliza," not quite two 

 hundred tons register, was making her debut upon the ocean, and had been 

 scudding before a severe gale during the eight hours of daylight which we en- 

 joyed at that late season of the year. The darkness of night had come upon 

 us, but with two good men at the wheel, and our skipper, a superb seaman, 

 conning the ship and steering by the stars, all proceeded well. Wearied in 

 body by watching the progress of the storm all day, I seated myself upon the 

 cabin floor, in front of a bright fire in the stove, placing one arm round the 

 leg of the cabin table to secure my position, and here I was rocked to and fro 

 to the hoarse music of the winds and waves, until half asleep, when a seaman 

 entered to say the captain wanted me on deck immediately. The mandate 

 was instantly obeyed. Pointing to the main-top-gallant-masthead, the captain 

 called my attention to a bright light upon the copper vane spindle. It was 

 like a brilliant star in the dark heavens, and was mistaken for one by the 

 skipper before sending for me ; a heavy lurch bearing the light with it con- 

 vinced him of his error. This light, during my presence on deck, was brilliant 

 for a full minute or perhaps longer, when it disappeared altogether. 



Some weeks later I happened to mention this circumstance to a relation 

 residing at Abbeville, in France, when he related to me, as a singular coinci- 

 dence, that two French gentlemen of his acquaintance, had recently travelled 

 together, on horseback, from Amiens, and night having overtaken them 

 upon the open plains, they were quietly proceeding along the road, in conver- 

 sation with each other, when one of them exclaimed with surprise, "do you 

 see that light upon my horse's ears !" Hardly had the observation been made 

 than the light also appeared upon the eartips of his companion's horse. 



St. Elmo's fire, old mariners affirm, usually appears on the extremities of 



