New Orleans daily crescent., 1866-10-15
r.r.y Wear. in the view world.
NUMBER TWELVE,

the line Of the cancer, the northern tropic, in
the month of June, oecasoned to our navigators
on board the Angelica rather a surprise; and
yet nothing was more natural, or could
more easily have been foreseen, in our con-
tinually southern course towards the approach in
this vicinity of the West India islands. Here in
New Orleans we have, in former years, when the
st. Louis Hotel Rotunda was used as place of
public resort, and particularly as an auction mart,
witnessed the singular spectacle of the appear
ance of the SUMS disc little above the border of
the upper light circle that from the ceiling above
would spread daylight to the otherwise entirely
obscure edi6ce below, being deprived of all out
ward windows or side openings. This circum
stance would take place towards the summer sol
stice, or the 23d of June, when the sun has at
tanned his highest northern altitude, and our city
| being under 30 degrees of latitude, it only re-
quired some six or seven degrees in the rotundty
or arch of the skyight sphere to admit, as stated
before, the SUMS disc at the hour of meridian.
| This spectacle, for obvious reasons, would last
only couple of days in the whole year, and at
the time ustindicated.
| In former times, when traversing the lines of
the tropc, we'll as that of the equator, ancient
usage would have it that all those that had not
! yet Travelled beyond those regions should pay
tribute to old Neptune, the neurological ocean
god, as passage fee for their first entrance upon
these waters, and Of which the ships crew gene
rally would earn the better part.
This usage was hence regularly complied with
in our case, under the well known and often des-
crbed grotesque ceremonies of the occasion, and
| all the new proieg6s of the water god daily bap-
! tzed and inaugurated with the solemn promise, or
engagement, to keep up, in due form and rite,
this sublime commemoraton of the adventurous
traveller and navigator, thus encroaehing upon the
wide domains the oceanic deity. 1t is well known
that the ships crews, are, after these watery cere
monies, allowed, generally very considerable
scope in the more ardent regions of the fiery god
Bacchus, in the shape of sundry TASKS and fla-
gons Of old Jamaica, or st. Croix doubly rectifed;
and, therefore, we may conclude that these ac-
quaeous abutons are rather intended asa due pre-
paration for the more purifying and exhilarating
/ flames tof THE alcoholic imbbings. AS for the
| young people, the cabin boys and other adven
turous youths, who would not object to the expert
ment, they were let down, in mid ocean, a
| swimming line being attached under their arms
for the hoisting up again on board the brig. 1t is
on this occasion, that we personally ascertained
| how fast was the real motion of the vessel
in this apparently beealmed sea, for, not
withstauding the extreme bouyaney of the heavy
sea water waves, our efforts at swimming We're en-
tirely neutralized by the dragging motion Of the
swimming line fastened to our body. Hence, we
were hoisted up again aftera short while; Captain
Winkleman, an old salt in these tropical waters,
besides protesting against these youths being ex-
posed to the deVouring jaws Of the sharks, whom
he had enlurking about the vessel for sometime!
We need not tell our readers that after this diver.
tisement, thanked our stars to have got safe on
board again, thought this swimming in the mighty
ocean, had somewhat latted our youthful vanity
and Imagination. Was it not Lord Byron that
would initiate the famous Leander, who nightly
traversed the strait or arm of seattle Hellespont-
to join his ladyloye the inconsolable hero! We
were then approaching the waters of the island of
Porto Rico, and soon after made land, that is
came in sight of the mountainous districts of the
island of St. Domingo. In these regions or rather
outside Of the West Indies waters, the shoals OIL
porpoises, dolphins, whales and grampuses, which
we met with, as well as the showers of flying
fishes that would drop upon ship board, were
something curious. At night time, the sea water
atfhe bow ofthe vessel would emita strong phos-
pherous light, and it is our impression, that under
this daily influence Of the powerful tropical sun
chemical process is carried on by the SUMS rays
or electrical attraction, upon the strongly satura
ted ocean surface, that must produce the elemen-
tary ingredients of an ever renovated or recon-
posed airy atmosphere. In this way we can ex-
plain the healthiness of the sea air, although a
greet part of the oceanic element contains mass
of bituminous matter which imparts to the sea
water that bitter and braekish taste so much I
ayerse to ones feeling, particularly during the in
cipient stage ofsea acclimation called the sea sick.
ness Like all other travellers, we had paid our tri-
butte in this respect for itisrare that any one who,
fro the first time enters the ocean should be exempt
from the feeling Of loathing which accompanies |
this disease. For our part, we have observed
thatit would greatly intensity the aeuteness of our
ofaetory nerves, and that for instance, the pecu
liar sea water smell, which is hardly offensive or
percepiblein the ordinary state or condition of /
the nervous system, would almost become un- |
bearable, under the shaapened perception of the |
ses sickness. We concluded from the appearance
of phosphorscenee in the sea water regions to.
wards the tropics, that the heat of the sun pro-
duoes this phenomenon, and that this natural pro
cess stands also in close connection with the
existence or production of the electrical
matter, SO greatly developed at the season
of the year at the approach ofdhe northern sum.
iASA
of maturation during the following summer
months -July, August and september-until the
equinoctial, towards the latter part of that
month (23d September proves the incontestable
of this continual inward elementary
which ever, as we have indicated
before, il perceptible on the Rery surface of the
oceanic expanse. This perpetual change, or
Transformation upon the vast extent of the watery
covering Of our planet, and the alternate heat and
cooling terms, by means of the Giurnal motion or
rotation, is, no doubt, the cause of that fresh
morning air which is mostly experienced on board
ship in the midst of the ocean, although the s&me
alteration may take place upon land, but where it
8 not SO perceptibe. 1t has been observed by +
laturalists that all animal creation seems to salute
he advent Of the e'new day; all voices are raised
the appearance of daylight, and the growing of
he watchful bird of the night, who almost marks
is hours-the clarion voice of the rooster-is
lever louder but Immediately before the dawn of
he morning. TO simply explain this universal
anse of acclaim, let us admit that the night has
increased the volume Of ofexhilarating gas or air in
'ur planets hemisphere, and we will at once
'ossess the key to this natural phenomenon.
That the nirht Dosgessas tho faeuTtv nv poanpe of