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failing through liquid flames. On every fide 

 the lights were vivid and beautiful, but at the 

 forecaftle v^e faw the pitchlngs and plunges 

 of the veffel ftrike out wide fiaflies, refein- 

 bling fiieets of fire. The great noife at the 

 head of the fliip, likewife added to the effeft, 

 and It required very little help of the ima- 

 gination to create a belief that we, aftually, 

 heard the fparks and crackling of more de- 

 ftrudtive flames. At the ftern thefc lights ap- 

 pear as if they poured from the vefl^el in bright 

 ftreams of fire, extending to a confiderable 

 diftance in her wake. 



We drew up buckets of water, occafion- 

 ally, to the deck, and found that by agitating 

 it, either with the hand or a piece of wood, we 

 could excite the fame luminous appearance: 

 but, after difliurbing it for a fhort time, this 

 effeft ceafed ; and no degree of agitation was 

 fufficient to renew it in the fame water. You 

 know the various theories and fpeculations 

 which have been offered in explanation of 

 this phenomenon, I need not, therefore, fwell 

 my letter by repeating them. 



