A FIERY OCEAN.

Otago Witness, Issue 2509, 16 April 1902, Page 73

A FIERY OCEAN.

By a Bankee

Throughout the wide range of Mature, organic and inorganic, very many examples exist of organisms and bodies which possess inherent light-producing properties. Amongst the latter perhaps the most remarkable is a variety of the pink ruby, -which, if exposed to bright sunshine and then immediately taken into a dark room, glistens with a beatuiful glowing fire. Several other minerals, notably of course phosphorus, which gives its name to all varieties of this natural luminosity, also possess similar characteristics. But organic Nature produces by far the most numerous examples of phosphorescence. Tire humble glowworm lights up its sparkling love-lamp when in search of its still more .humble mate ; even its eggs shining m the dark, like lustrous gems; the beautiful firefly "flits among the myrtle boughs as though living diamonds were sporting amidst the p»rfumed sprays, and the rock-boring Pholas possesses the property to such nn extent that it is said if the flesh of the mollusc be eaten the interior of the mouth will shine with a lambent luminosity for some time. But the most remarkable and beautiful effect of this animal phosphorescence is the aspect of the saa on a dark night, when one of those vast shoals of countless myriads of the little spheroidal " Noctiluca " is migraiing. The writer was once crossing the North Sea at night, and was fortunate in witnessing a most magnificent display of this weird and Startling phenomenon. Soon -after starting it appeared as if a bright moon were shining on the water, illuminating ■the ripples ajid wavelets with its beautifully silvery light. But there is no moon overhead ; only the usual constellations of brightly shining stars, which therefore could not have produced the strange effect. Soon, e.s the vessel approaches nearer, it appecTS as if the sea itself were on fire, the foaming crest of every curling wave spangled with brilliant scintillating jets of aqueous flame, the lustrous falling spray resembling sho\ver3 of brilliantlyshining opals and moonstones. And now the steamer is in the midst of it. The bows, cleaving their way through the fiery waterß, raise volumes of sparkling liquid flame, to be hurled back in glittering cascades into the Beething molten silver of the sea, which is now one gleaming- and quivering expanse of coruscating light. But the sublimest pageant is at the giant paddle-wheels, which pour forth a blazing cataract as of liquescent molten metal, p.s though the very crucibles of Nature itself were discharging unintermittent streams of liquid silver, which, flung on the agitat-ed surface of the rolling deep, create a furious conflagration of the elements, in which the fire and the water wrathfully strive for the mastery. At length the ocean fires blaze with less intensity, the crests of the hollow ridges of the sea are no longer gemmed in burning silver, and soon the good ship cleeves her way in the Cimmerian darkness of night. But as we look m wonder at that gleaming ocean, oui thoughts revert to that sea of glass, mingled with file, whereon those bright ones stand who, having accepted the reconciliation offered them by the Saviour, and having lived the life of the righteous, have attained to the glories of the h«reaftev. But there are others who live for this life only, who, alas' ■will be shut out in the remorse of the outer daikncs3.