>JOTES ON BRAZIL. 



11 



young, yet vigorous and active ; and v^hen a nodule, taken fresh from 

 the water at night, is hung up in a small Cabin, it emits phosphorescent 

 light enough to render objects visible. 



The singular arrangement of the plants, in parallel lines, is 

 evidently owing to the wind, whose direction they always observe. 

 Each nodule places itself under the lee of its more windward neighbour, 

 and thus observes the law of floating bodies when exposed to a current of 

 air. Should the wind suddenly change, as it sometimes does a point or 

 two in this part of the Atlantic, and blow strong, these lines become 

 broken, and form what are commonly called fields of weed. These, 

 however, are generally small, and seldom, I suspect, remain long so 

 disarranged. 



In the month of October I have run with a fine Schooner due north 

 through the N.E. Trades, in the longitude of twenty-six degrees, and found 

 no weed, being perhaps to the east of it. In the month of INIarch, on 

 board a different vessel, we formed a diagonal line, from twenty-six to 

 forty-four west, across the parallels from eleven to forty-four degrees, 

 and saw a great quantity of it. In May, of another year, along the 

 same tract, there was much less observed ; yet I dare not say that these 

 dates are sufficient to point out the season of ripening, maturity, and 

 decay of the plant ; although I have never taken up a nodule which was 

 not full of seed-pods, and never heard of a person who had noticed one 

 destitute of them. It is said that Whales come down to the vicinity of 

 Bermuda, at a particular season, and feed upon these plants ; yet I do 

 not recollect ever seeing an individual of that species in the weedy sea, 

 but, on the contrary, have noticed a deficiency of fishes in general ; and 

 most, if not all of those which I have seen opened on board, appeared 

 to live, not vipon vegetable food, but their fellow inhabitants of the 

 waters. It is probable, however, that none but such will take a bait or 

 approach a vessel. 



After passing the Cape Verd Islands the mariner, who is bound 

 to the southward, feels anxious about crossing the line. Landsmen, 

 not aware of the circumstance, will probably be surprised to hear that, 



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