SOME NARROW ESCAPES 
199 
and there was no moonlight, it being within four 
days of the new moon. My attention was called 
to a brightish glare to the southward, which ap¬ 
peared to be approaching the vessel. At first in 
the distance it looked like bright moonlight shining 
through a rift in low clouds. As it came nearer, 
which it did at a considerable rate, in a fitful, 
darting manner, it took the form of a luminous 
cloud, about a hundred yards in extent—a sort of 
gigantic ignis fatuus . This remarkable cloud of light 
was anxiously watched by those on deck, who, 
with some disquietude and trepidation, wondered 
what effect would be produced should so uncanny- 
looking an object strike the vessel. 
On it came, and suddenly enveloped the schooner, 
the light being sufficiently bright to show the time 
by my watch. The phenomenon, whatever it was, 
appeared to move independently of the wind. 
Some eight minutes later it returned, passing the 
vessel a short distance off, in the opposite direction. 
I may here mention that nine years after, when 
returning from a sealing voyage, something similar 
was seen by the watch on deck on the night of 
October 3, when we were almost on the same spot. 
On the latter occasion my room was right aft, close 
to the companion-way which led up to the cockpit. 
I was lying in my bunk, awake, and heard two of 
my hunters, who were standing in the cockpit, 
discussing the appearance of a light they saw some 
distance away. One said, “ There is no lighthouse 
anywhere about here, 55 and the other, “ It looks 
more like a ship on fire through fog. 55 I jumped out 
of my bunk and went on deck. I was too late to 
get a sight of the light myself ; they said it passed 
