, 1888-02-28
ON A SAILING SHIP.
PICTURESQUE EFFECTS OF NOON
LIGHT ON THE WAVES.

A Magnificent Scene in the orIent-Cou-
nIct of Moonlight and L~ightninE-A
Jamaica Shower on Phosphorescent
waters-The Phantom Ship.
4 sailing ship moving quietly onward,
or lying restfully in the heart of q calm,
offers n surface upon which the magic
brushes of the moon will paint q hundred
lovely things. The clear, sharp shadows
resemble jet inlaid upon the ivory Of the
planks. The spaces of splendor upon the
yards between the black dyes, wrought
by the interrogation of the reflection of the
end of n boom or the clew of a sail, are
Xix bands of shining silver. There is
nothing fairer than tho spectacle of a
sleeping ship with her canvas hanging ST.
lent from the yards, stealing out to the
light of the moon that scars sparkling as
II wet from the sea.
A fine effect is often produced by n con-
fict of moonlight and lightning. / wit
nessed n 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 q 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
lhe ilOOL. lHb SlllllDB Ol tne
luminnry 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
tho blue and sun bright darts TO the
northern illumination; but the effect was
MS though the lightning struck its own
hnILgI -,rnlgf,r s-to H. l,.. - ~ ill.,
beams as they fell from the rims of the
flying clouds. The combined illumina-
ton put n new and monstrous face upon
the ocean. 1t a you think of n lead
sea compleXioncd to n very mockery of
vitality by the light of such flames as
those from which Milton's Fiend rose to
steer his hiSht to dry land.
PlIosPHoREscENT WATERS.
was onco becalmed in highly phos-
phorescent waters, but the surface was so
still TINT tho few CLEANS visible in the
dark profound were faint as the reflection
of n star riding upon the heave of the hid
den swell. A cloud gathered overhead
and its sooty belly seemed to lean for sup
port upon our scarcely swaying trucks.
Suddenly it rnined. One should spend
some months in jamaica to understand
the meaning of such II shower as this.
In u few moments our decks were half
full OF water, the scuppers sobbing madly;
the roaring of the rain and hail shifting
the ocean drowned all other sounds. The
sea WINS 50 phosphorescent that n piece of
wood, dropped overheard, Clipped out fire
rs though it had burst into flames. Judge
then of the effect of that Niagara fall of
rain and hall The ocean was flashed up
into n plain of fire. 1t swept sparkling in
one vast iucandesccnt sheet to its limits,
dimming into sickly sulphur as it ap-
preached the horizon.
You might suppose that such an illu-
minatiou MS this would havo revealed any
thing afioat upon it; but, though l took n
long look round, being deeply impressed
by this sudden, wonderful burning of the
ocean, / saw nothing, I'LL all at once the
darkness vas split by n flash of lightning
that leaped from the clouds away over our
forcyard arm and shot into the water, as
it seemed to me, n league distant and on
our starDoard quarter, and then to this
mighty flare there sprang out upon tho
view n largo ship, well within n mile of
us, snugged 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 wa the water
with the llshing of the rain. One waited
for n second flash to make sure; and
daro say, had she ~foundercd before it
came, there would not havo been wanting
people among us to swear that they had
seen the Phantom Ship.