Wichita eagle., 1888-03-24
ON A SAILING SHIP
PICTURESQUE EFFECTS OF MOON
LIGHT ON THE WAVES,
A Magnificent Scene in the Orient--Con-
f1ic: of Moonlight and Lightnilg-A
Jamaica Shower on Phosphorcscent
Waters-The Phantom Ship.


A sailing ship moving quietly onward,
or lying restfully in the heart of calm,
offers surface upon which the magic
brushes of the moon viii paint a hundred
lovely things. The clear, sharp shadows
resemble jet inlaid upon the ivory Of the
blanks. The spaces Of splendor upon the
yards between the black dyes, wrought
Ivy the interrogation of the reflection of the
end of boom or the clew of sail, are
like bands Of shining silver. There is
nothing fairer than the spectacle of a
sleeping ship with her canvas hanging 81
lent from the yards, stealing out to the
light of the moon that scars sparkling as
if wet from the sea.
A fine effect is often produced by a con-
flict of moonlight and lightning. l wit
messed a magnificent scene of this kind in
the Indian ocean, the Island of Amster-
dam in sight on the Starboard quarter
There was Il full moon in the north. and
in the south hung vast bank of clouds
charged with fire and thunder. The early
gusts Of this electric storm broke away
great wings of vapor from the shoulder of
the main body, and sent them speeding
athwart the moon. The shining of the
luminary was CHASTITY, rendered SO by the
alterations of her own light, darting
wildly over the edge of the driven clouds,
with the quick dazzle of the southern
flashes. Her beams seemed to be colored
by the electric leapings. 1t was the eye,
of course, that carried the reflection of
the blue and sun bright darts to the
northern illumination; but the effect was
as though the lightning struck its own
helhsh quality into the fabric of the silver
beams as they fell from the rims of the
flying clouds. The combined illumina-
ton put new and monstrous face upon
the ocean. 1t made you think of dead
sea complexioned to a very mockery of
vitality by the light of such flames as
those from which Millions Fiend rose to
steer his fight to dry land.
PHosPHoREsCENr WATERS.
was once becalmed in highly phos-
phorescent waters, but the surface was so
still that the few CLEANS visible in the
dark profound were faint as the reflection
of star riding upon the heave of the hid
den swell. A cloud gathered overhead
and it's sooty belly seemed to lean for sup
port upon our scarcely swaying trucks.
Suddenly it rained. One should spend
some months in Jamaica to understand
the meaning Of such shower as this.
In few moments our decks were half
full of water, the scuppers sobbing nladly;
the rosring of the rain and hail shifting
the ocean drowned all other sounds. The
sea was so phosphorescent that piece of
wood, dropped overheard, Clipped out fire
as though it had burst into flames. Judge
then of the effect of that Niagara fall of
rain and hail, The ocean was flashed up
into plain Of fire. 1t swept sparkling in
one vast incandescent sheet to its limits,
dimming into sickly sulphur as it sp.
preached the horizon.
You might suppose that such an illu.
as this would have revealed any
thing afloat upon it: but, though took 9
long look round, being deeply impressed
by this sudden, wonderful burning of the
ocean, I saw nothing, Till all at once the
was split by flash of lightning
that leaped from the clouds away over our
arm and shot into the water, as
it seemed TO me, league distant and on
our starboard quarter. and then 10 this
mighty flare there spranS cut upon the
view large ship, we'll within a mile OF
as, snuRged down to her topsails. The
sight made me catch my breath for an in
slant, for the wonder Of it lay in her
having been invisible until the lightning
threw her up, so bright was the water
with the lashing of the rain One waited
FOR a second flash TO make sure; and I
1are say, had she foundered before it
,ame, there would not have been wanting
people among us to swear that they had
,een the Phantom Ship.