I ran
with it to the lamp, but when I got there it was gone. I found,
however, that when I went into the dark my hand shone again; so I took
the large glass of the ship's telescope and examined my hand minutely,
when I found that there were on it one or two small patches of a clear,
transparent substance like jelly, which were so thin as to be almost
invisible to the naked eye. Thus I came to know that the beautiful
phosphoric light, which I had so often admired before, was caused by
animals, for I had no doubt that these were of the same kind as the
medusae or jelly-fish which are seen in all parts of the world.
On the evening of my fourteenth day I was awakened out of a nap into
which I had fallen by a loud cry, and starting up I gazed around me. I
was surprised and delighted to see a large albatross soaring
majestically over the ship. I immediately took it into my head that
this was the albatross I had seen at Penguin Island. I had, of course,
no good reason for supposing this, but the idea occurred to me, I know
not why, and I cherished it, and regarded the bird with as much
affection as if he had been an old friend. He kept me company all that
day, and left me as night fell.
Next morning, as I stood motionless and with heavy eyes at the helm
--for I had not slept well--I began to weary anxiously for daylight,
and peered towards the horizon, where I thought I observed something
like a black cloud against the dark sky.
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