The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1870-08-21
MISCELLANY

The Sea IUumined.-A correspondence
the Cologne Gasette, writing from the Gulf +
of Siam, gives the following account OF
illumination Of the sea OF
which he was witness -" The air was
quite still, and the wind had two hours oe-
fore veered round from the south to north
east, in consequence of a storm whlc1
passed by on the horizon. 1t still llghteneo
very wildly on the western horizon; the
heaven was covered with light CLOUDS,
through which the moon shone with some |
brilliancy. We made the sail fast, as the
engine was to be set in motion Immediately.
1 then noticed large bright flashes in the
water, which at first took to be the re-
Election of the moon. These appeared TO |
be about a fathom in diameter, OF uncertain
shape, like an object seen in great deptn |
of water. The surface Of the sea was gently
patches swan not far from the ship, with
out perceptibly Frightening that part OF
the marine mirror which lay in the hghC OF
the moon. We then steamed forward at
the rate of six or seven knots on hour, ana
wonderful spectacle now presented itself:
light were seen rushing towards it, ever
brighter and in swifter motion, til! they
seemed to flow together, and at length
nothing could be seen on the water but
whirling white light. Looking. steadily at
it, the water, the air, and the horizon
seemed blended in one; thick streamers OF
mist seemed to flow by both sides OF the
ship with frantic speed. The appearances
of color resembled those which ARISE when
one turns q black and white striped ball
so quickly that the white stripes seem to
run together. The spectacle lasted about
five minutes, and was repeated once again
for two minutes. No doubt it was caused
by shoals of minute animalcule in the
water, and these waves originated in the
white fakes first described. The usuaI
luminous appearance of the sea which
shows itself when the water ripples IN tue
wake of ship, OF the waves break against
the rudder, is not to be compared with this
The light is then brilliant, bright green or
blue, like phosphorus, often most beautiful
in deep clear water, mixed with reddish
white foam-we saw a very pretty specl-
men of this sort one night in perfectly
smooth water in q little lonely bay. 1t
was pitch dark and quite still, when there
fell a heavy shower of rain, consisting of
large drops not falling very close together.
Every drop that fell into the water lighted
up, flaming drops sprang into the air, and
small luminous circle was formed where
the rain-drop met the sea. The whole bay
seemed covered with fiery stars, but ris-
ing current of air soon destroyed the pic
ture.
About Wills.-A will may be too care
less, but it may also be too elaborate; and
perienced solicitors; covering innumerable
| folios of foolscap, has proved as nugatory,
| in the end, as will hastily scrubbed in q
washing book, or on the back of an envel-
| ope, but at the same time executed with
formalities imperatively demanded by the
law. There is well-known proverb to
the effect that man who is his own
lawyer has fool for his client; but a say
ing of converse purport might we'll affirm,
that by employing lawyer when he is not
needed, a man may have rogue for his
adviser. Lord Clyde wrote his will at his
dozen lines, and it was duly proved; and
there is well-known story of an hostleI
who, being at the last gasp, crawled to the
corn chest, scrawled his parting inj unctions
on the wood with piece of chalk, got a
postboy and stableman to witness his
signature, and SO died. The box.id was was
taken off it's hinges, and satisfactorily
proved in Doctors Commons. every
thing to my brother Tom" was held some
years since, in the case of an eminent &C.
to be Sufficient explanation of testamentary
purposes; but this laconic will had beer
properly witnessed. On the other HAND
the magnificent intentions OF Turner, wht
would have left a hundred Thousand
pounds to found an asylum for decayed OF
painters, were defeated through his neglec
, to comply with the necessary legal formal
, ties, SO simple that school-boy might hav
understood them. At an Academy dinner
an ex-Chancellor took occasion to observ
that ssMr. Turner could draw almost every
= thing, but he could not draw will" Th
, assertion was equally inaccurate and un
fair. The draft of the will was not so bat
it was invaiidated mainly on the ground {
imperfections in the witnessing; and al
= though kind of compromise was effecte
with the heir at-law, by means of whic
n Turner's pictures and drawings becam
y the property of the nation, the bulk of h
wealth went to distant relatives, of whoI
he knew little, and for whom he care'
: nothing.
A Perilous Venture.-The City of Ragus
h set sail the other day from Cork for tn
n United States, under the command of Cal
. tain Buckley, a native of the city OF Lin
|. erick. There is nothing curious in the fa'
= of ship leaving Irish shores for those I
4 the stranger. Ireland has its outflow, 6
q Israel had its Exodus and the Mahometar
= their Hegira, quite as historic and unfo
y tunately more prolonged; but in this pa
ticular departure there was so much n
, markab that the craft which dared til
" perils of the wild mid-ocean was no EN-
:. grant hulk, but simply the tinlest barqr
n that ever affronted the storm king-a nal
q titus among the ships. The City of Ragr
= sa is less than two tons burden, carries bl
r. one sailor and large dog as living freigh
" in addition to its captain, and this DARN
=, navigator, mark it we'll, is an lrishma
"a Impracticable race ~ will cry some tarr.
- at home director of the Great Easter
Il Company. Well, Columbus was called in
~ practicable in his day, and yet posteri
7 has found reason to reverse the verdlc
"a But the enterprise of j. G. Buckley prov