WHITE'S JOURNAL OF A 
to obferve the ceremony ufually pradifed in paffing under it. 
The longitude was 26° 37' W. the wind at eaft, the weather 
moderate and clear. In lat. 1° 24' S. long. 26** 22' W. 
the boatfvvain caught fixteen fine bonitoes, which proved a 
very feafdnable and acceptable fupply. At night the fea, all 
around the £hip, exhibited a moft delightful fight. This 
appearance was occafioned by the gambols of an incredible 
number of various kinds of fi£h, who fported about us, and 
whofe fudden turnings caufed an emanation, which refem- 
bled flafhes of lightning darting in quick fucceffion. What 
I before fpoke of as the fpawn, I am now fully convinced 
were rather the fifh themfelves, turning up their white 
bellies at fome little diftance below the furface of the 
water, and thefe fudden evolutions were what gave the fea 
the luminous appearance obferved on it before. I can the 
more readily affirm this to be the caufe, as, one evening, 
when we had immenfe quantities about us, I carefully at- 
tended to them till it became dark, and was fully fatisfied, 
from the obfervations I was then able to make, that it was 
the fiflij-and not the fpawn, which occafioned the appear* 
ance ; for there was not an officer or perfon on board but 
what was able very plainly to perceive their frolicfome turn- 
ings 
