'Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society, from January 1847 to May 1849. Edited by the Secretary. Volume VIII.' [‎70] (86/496)

heavens to the northward, as if day was dawning, or the full moon was either set
ting or just rising. It strongly resembled a faint Aurora Borealis, being of a
roseate tinge near the horizon, and was a steady fixed light, but without those cor-
ruscations which are usually observed in the higher latitudes. It extended along
the horizon in the form of a segment of a circle from N, W. to N. E., and the
altitude of the centre of the arch was 15°. It continued visible until a few
minutes after midnight, when it disappeared as suddenly as it appeared, and the
sea about the same period lost also its luminous quality. The light in the heavens,
and the lightness of the sea, were, however, again seen for about ten minutes at
two a. m., when both became once more invisible. The horizon, except where
the light appeared, was everywhere dark and indistinct, and could not be made
out: the sky and sea were apparently blended together. The phenomena was
altogether as beautiful as it was extraordinary. I could have stood on the deck
gazing at it the whole night, and should not have felt fatigued. There was somo-
thing grand and sublime in such a scene as I have faintly endeavoured to pourtray.
No language of mine could ever do justice to it. We were upwards of six hours
in passing through this vast body of luminous water, and during that time we
ran a distance of upwards of forty miles. Our Lat. on first entering it was 16®
13' S., and Long. 61° 51' E., so that our position was exactly abreast of the
entrance to the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , and in the fair channel to the Red Sea. From
the fact of our having seen immense quantities of sea-weed floating past whilst in
this luminous water, I should conclude the accumulation of this and other decayed
matter, whether vegetable or animalcule, was the sole cause of this phosphores
cent appearance; and that all this matter might have been swept out of those
narrow seas by strong currents, which meet no doubt about this spot : and I am
still more inclined to believe this is the case, as a luminous stream of water has
often been noticed nearly in the same Lat. and Long., and about the same season
of the year. I saw it once in the Victoria, when I commanded her in the month
of January 1842, whilst on our voyage from Aden to Bombay; but the sea was
not nearly so bright then as this time. The color of the water so strongly resem
bled a shoal that I stopped the engines, and took several casts of the lead, but
could get no bottom with 80 fathons of line. Several buckets of water were
drawn up by Dr Wilson, of the Moozaffer, but nothing whatever could be seen.
It seemed as clear as crystal: on taking a bottle of it, however, in the dark, it
became highly phosphorescent, giving out a strong light. It was full of animal-
culse: some were in the shape of most minute globules of gelatinous substance, and
others were not unlike small worms, about an inch in length, and about the size of
a fine hair. On removing the bottle to the light, the animalculee became instantly
invisible. The light seen in the heavens I cannot account for, unless it was the low
fleecy clouds which hung on the verge of the horizon that reflected back the bright
ness of the sea; but why the whole sky should not have assumed the same appear
ance, I cannot imagine. It continued to shine in one spot only, and disappeared
at the same time the sea lost its brilliancy. I send you an extract of the log in
which the luminous appearance in the sea and heavens is noticed :— 1 At 6-30
p. M-, passing through an illuminated sea : the sea also became suddenly smooth,
with quantities of sea-weed floating by. At 10 an extraordinary luminous appear
ance to the northward, as that of a full moon rising or setting: the water of a