38 



LI (ill ID FIHE. 



seen ; wliilt- thr sr;i of licpiid fire cast a deadly 

 \)ali' li^lif orrr vwrx |>ari oi" the vessel, her 

 luists, yards, and liidl ; the Ush meanwhile 

 spoytittg Bbmt fn traml^tS* varying tite mme 

 by iBe l^lBmh iashei they oomiemed. It 

 would have formcdj 1 thoiiofit at the time, a 

 siiMiiiie and beautiful syhjeet for an artist, like 

 Martin, to execute with his judgment and pencil, 

 that is, if any ar^&t eduld give elT^ct 

 ^ mch a scene, on whiek I must express some 

 doubts. 



It mnst not l)e for a moment eoneeivcfl that 

 the light described as brilliaut, and like to a sea 



the f sffilies psajdnced by tbt visAissm, tar by 



lightning, or meteors. Xo : it is the light 

 of pbosphonis, as the matter truly is, pale, 

 dull, approaching to a white or \'ery pale 



ydlow, castia^ a iBek«dboly light m objects 



iea4 by it h possible, but not agreeable ; and, 

 on an attempt being made, it is abiiost always 

 found that the eyes will not endure the^pcculiar 

 light for auy length 0^ tli^e^ an iieM^lie^ ^d 

 sieknesa afe dten oceasioned by it. I have 

 frequently observed at Singapore, that, all hough 

 the trau(juil water cxliibits no ]}iirtieuh)r lumi- 

 nosity, yet when disturbed by the passage of a 



