Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 1 (Stockdale).djvu/89

Nov.] Linn.), was caught by our ailors. Some remoras, that thought themelves in afety as long as they remained fixed to the body of the hark, kept their hold till for a coniderable time after the fih had been brought upon deck.

As the weather was exceively hot, and the ea very tranquil, Piron and Saint-Agnan, unable to reit their deire of cooling themelves by bathing, plunged themelves a few hours afterwards into the ea, at the hazard of becoming the prey of another hark.

It had remained calm almot the whole day; but about eight in the evening the kies were covered to the outh-eat with thick clouds, that portended a violent torm. The night was very dark; and oon a luminous column of immene height was een to decend from thee clouds, and illumine the urface of the water. The cintillation of the ea was for ome time interrupted by everal intervals, during which it was quite dark; when all of a udden the whole urface of the ea appeared covered with a heet of fire, extending in our direction. This heet was puhed along by a very high gale, which raied the waves to a great pitch; and we aw ourelves urrounded with a ea of flames, which afforded one of the mot brilliant pectacles in nature. This phenomenon very oon diappeared; but the ea