THE EFFECTS OF MOONLIGHT.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume VII, Issue 334, 12 September 1879, Page 7

THE EFFECTS OF MOONLIGHT.

As some people, says a writer, seem to scout the idea of baneful effects from the rays of the moon, allow me to state a few facts known to me. In the year 1853, when running in a barque between San trancisco and Humboldt Bay, our provisions consisted, on the down trip, inmost cases, of elk meat purchased at Humboldt Bay, and invariably hung up in the rigging-, covered with canvas. Upon two occasions, when two hind quarters from the same animal were hung up side by side, the crew some time in the night uncovered one of them, to cut off some pieces for bait for the numerous fishes following in our wake, and neglected to replace the canvas covering. In the morning the cook noticed that the meat had a slimy appearance, but, not suspecting anything, cut off sundry slices to cook for breakfast. The result was that the whole ship's company were made sick, my. sell included, which the captain, on inspecting the quarter of meat decided was owing to the effect of the moon's rays, and ordered it to be thrown overboard ; but the mate, ridiculing this idea, directed the steward to slice off more of the same for his dinner, and at the same time two of the crew ate of the tainted meat. The result was that all three were made extremely sick, with symptoms resembling those of cholera-viz, vomiting, cramps, etc. The rest of the crew who ate from the other leg were not affected, and we ate from the one that remained until our arrival in San Francisco. I have seen in China Seas two or three instances of men who had slept on deck, exposed to the rays of the full moon, being attacked with "moon blindness — that is, unable to see in the night, although perfectly able to see in the daytime. These attacks after a time wore off. Although not superstitious, I fully believe in the baneful effects of the moon's rays, i think that these effects are more prevalent in the tropical water especially in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, and only under cloudless skies.