.Mi4 GNIKJ ItliJS T SL" r.N Ji.. 



37 



out any disturbance uf the watLvr, its surface 

 remairiiiin' suiootlu iinrnfHcd cvrii l»y it pa^ising 

 zephyr ; whilst on other occa?iions no light is 

 emitted unless the water is agitated by lit© '*ittds, 

 or hf the passage of ^me h^my k»dy Ibf^gli 

 il Perhaps the beauty of this himinous effect 

 is SL'fTi to flit' pTcatcst advantage wlieii the Mp, 

 lying in a buy or harbour in tropical climates, 

 tli6 ifrater around has the resemblance of a sea 

 of milk. Aii oppottunilty ^im ttfht^H im wbm 



at C'avitr. near Manilla, in 1830, of mtaifce^f 

 for the lirst time this beautiful scene : as far as 

 the eye could reach over the extensive bay of 

 Manilla^ the surface of the tranc[uil water was 

 one nh&^ of ^Is dull,, pale^ ^^mph^memm^ i 

 and brilliant Hashes emitted instofly on 



any heavy body being cast into tlie water, or 

 when fish sprang from it or swam about ; the 

 ship seeuicdj on looking over its side, to be 

 aticteed in i aea of liquid phosphorus, wMlffc 

 in the distance the resemblance was that of an 

 ocean of milk. 



Tlic night to which I allude, when this magni- 

 ficent appearance presented itself to my observa- 

 tion, was exceedingly dd$\^ wiieti| fey the con- 

 tmst, an mcvi^ged snMiYsit^ t^ ths fiitsiane ; 

 the canopy (tf the heavens Mas dark and gloomy; 

 not even the glimmering of a star was to be 



