The only book I found on board, after a careful search, was a volume of
Captain Cook's voyages. This, I suppose, the pirate captain had brought
with him in order to guide him, and to furnish him with information
regarding the islands of these seas. I found this a most delightful
book indeed, and I not only obtained much interesting knowledge about
the sea in which I was sailing, but I had many of my own opinions,
derived from experience, corroborated, and not a few of them corrected.
Besides the reading of this charming book, and the daily routine of
occupations, nothing of particular note happened to me during this
voyage, except once, when on rising one night, after my three hours'
nap, while it was yet dark, I was amazed and a little alarmed to find
myself floating in what appeared to be a sea of blue fire. I had often
noticed the beautiful appearance of phosphorescent light, but this far
exceeded anything of the sort I ever saw before. The whole sea appeared
somewhat like milk, and was remarkably luminous.
I rose in haste, and letting down a bucket into the sea, brought some
of the water on board and took it down to the cabin to examine it; but
no sooner did I approach the light than the strange appearance
disappeared, and when I removed the cabin lamp the luminous light
appeared again. I was much puzzled with this, and took up a little of
the water in the hollow of my hand and then let it run off, when I
found that the luminous substance was left behind on my palm.
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