The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-10-23

down the large margin of profit formerly
enjoyed.
In October the menhaden disappear,
whittier no one knows, probably to the
deep water of mid-ocean. Ha1per's
Magazine.
Phenomena OF the Gulf Stream.
The gulf stream is noted for its cleo
trical phenomena. These are always lar
more common as a rule at sea than on
land, and nothing can be more appalling
than the periodical electrical storms OF
the tropics, especially in the Indian
ocean with the change of the monsoons,
or euuinoctical hurricanes of those lati.
tudes. But for a continuous, chronic,
in%exhaustible supply of fireworks, the
gulf stream has NJ rival. 1t brings
them forth on the slightest occasion, and
it is doubtful if ever a ship crossed that
fierce. tempered current without seeing
lightning. This is easily accounted tor:
the prevailing winds of the North At.
lantic are southwest and northwest, ex-
cept certain local winds near the English
channel, and the northeast trades blow
ing from Cape Finisterre to the Cape de
Verd. When the southwest wind has
been blowing awhile, it has a strong in
clination to shift into the northwest, and
the longer it blows the more it wants to
get around, and the more sudden and
violent is the change when it comes.
Now, the meeting of the warm current
of the southwest air with the cooler dir
from the northwest results in a discharge
of electricity; and, although sometimes
lightning in seen in the southwest for
many hours before the wind changes,
yet, when it does shift, it always does so
with q tremendous rain and vivid light
ming, often attended by what are called
corpos santos, or st. Eimo's candles,
electric lights which, without any warn
ing, are seen suddenly perched on the
end of every spar, producing a most
mysterious and beautiful effect. They
do not always come in heavy weather,
although generally seen at such a time,
and many seamen consider it a bad omen
to have one shine on a mans face when
he is aloft; but this superstition is wear
ing away. Another electrical pheno-
menon at sea is..a round ball the size of
a full moon, but brighter and redder,
passing slowlyfrom one cloud to another,
sometimes succeeded by a terrific e1slo-
sion of thunder. One is surprised that
ships are not oftener struck by light
ming, but, although the bolts sometimes
fall in quick succession directly around
the vessel, they are generally attracted
by the water. I may mention here a
remarkable fash Of lightning that l saw
once in a most unexpected manner. In
the far distance was the constant flicker
of forked lightning out of a dense cur
tain of cloud which the dusk of evening
made all the blacker, and the roll of
thunder was incessant, and, although
very distant, gave an indescribable i'm.
preston of vastness to see and sky. All
at once there came q flash that seemed to
shoot out of every part of the heavens
and to spring from every part OF the
horizon, bars of white light crossing and
recrossing each other, interviewer into a
network of ineffable glory, seeming to
inclose and inlace the whole of the visi-
BILE universe. Every one on board was
blinded for some moments with the
fervid splendor of the heavens. 1t ls
we'll known that there are two kinds OF
lightning-the red and the white-the
latter darting with ten times the rapidity
of the former. and far more dangerous.
But the red lightning is far more COM
mon at sea than on land, and is oftener
what is called sheet-lightning, pervading
the whole sky with a lambent rose-color.
I remember seeing it almost a deep pur-
pie one night in a gale off Hatteras. At
another time, to the eastward of the
Grand Banks, we had battling winds for
weeks, and the crew were becoming ex.
hausted with the constant setting and
furling of canvas and bracing and squar-
ing the yards. Finally the captain came
on deck one day, when they struck eight
bells for noon, with q pair OF old shoes
in his hands. "Now," said he, Sim
going to throw these shoes over the
quarter for q fair wind. What shall it
be? Don't all speak at once!" Some
one cried out, GA northeaster !" as the
shoes went over the taffrail. After din
ner I turned in and slept till they rang
for four o'clock. When I came on deck
there wal q change in the weather, or
rather q change of some sort was brew
ing. There seemed to be a battle in the
sky; q more varied, confused, threaten
ing, lowering array of tumultuous clouds,
frantically driven this way and that by
adverse currents of air, never was seen;
but the wind was aloft far above us.
Near the water there was only a little
air stirring; the sea was swayed by a
languid swell that seemed to be heaving
up with increasing grandeur-but what
most attracted my attention was the
lightning which from some unseen lab
oratory swept in great sheets over the
whole sky without coming from any
particular quarter, and it was of a vivid
rose.color, which seemed to render the
dun hue of the clouds and the livid gray
of the sea still more wild and impress
sive. And, sure enough, after the winds
had met in a severe aerial conflict as to
which should have the precedence. q
steadygaIe finally came out of the north
east, but one not more than we could
stand, and it took us right alongside Of
India wharf, in. Boston harbor.