WATER AND THE OCEAN. 



65 



1 



tranfparent, and fomewhat brownifli. By putting one under the 

 microfcope, we obferved firil a kind of thin tube going into the 

 iubftance of this little globule, from a round orifice on its furface. 

 The infide was filled with four or five oblong inteftine bags, con- 

 nested with the tube jufl mentioned. The fame appearances were 

 obferved by the greatefl magnifier, and were only more diflind:. 

 I wanted to examine one in. the water, and then bring it under the 

 microfcope, but I could not provide a live animalcule : they were 



all dead, on account of their tender ftruclure, before I could fepa- 



r 



rate them from the finger to which they were flicking. This at- 

 tempt was accordingly fruflrated. When we left the Cape of Good 

 Hope, on November the 2 2d, we had that very night the fam.e lu- 



X 



m.inous appearance of the fea, and a very hard gale. Thus we have 

 .again a new caufe of the phofphoreal light. But, before we pro- 

 ■ceed with our remarks, let us only follow the idea arifiniJ- from this 



O 



phaenomenon. The immenfc ocean, filled vath myriads of animal- 

 cules, which have life, loco-motion, and a power of iliinii 



ig in the 



dark, of laying 



fide at pleafi 



nd illuminating all 



bodies coming in contad with them j this is a wonder which fill 



s 



:the mind with greater aflonifiiment and revere 

 'n\ my pov/er juftly and properly to defcribe. 



If I were now to fay fomething on the difi 

 phoreal light, I couJd bv no means p-ive 



i. 



f oh of 



my afiertion, tliat de'o-ree 



'\ 



* 



I 



r- 



of 



OCEAN, 



V 



