DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.9697#0192
128
covel's diary.
pleased with our seamen who were on the watch that night,
because they did not call me; whereupon the next night
(Nov. 9) they did call me, for after very much Thunder and
Lightning and tempestuous weather, about four o'clock
appear'd two more, one towards the main top, which dis-
appeared before I got out, the other was at the very top of
the fore-mast. They told me it was beginning to fade. It
seem'd a dim light, as of a flame, shining through a steam
or smoak,1 about the bignesse and shape of an ordinary
egge, the top a little wavered, and growing fainter and
lesser it soon went out. When I came back into the great
Cabin, there appear'd a Circle about the candle which stood
on the Table ; I would call it rather a Halo, because it was
very little coloured. The farther we were from it the
plainer it appear'd and bigger (almost as broad as both my
hands); as we came nearer to it it lessen'd proportionably,
and just at it we could not perceive it, all which depended
on the various refractions through the moist and mixt
vapours which then fill'd the Air. One of our Mates told
me that once, as he sailed formerly in these streights, there
appear'd a very bright Helena at the very spindle of the
main top mast, and one of their men went up and moved
his hand round about, and neither saw nor felt anything,
when they below saw it all the time. We sent up one to
ours, but before he got at it it went out; perhaps his
approaching might move and part the Air, and contribute
something to its so soon vanishing. But if what our Mate
told us be true, it requires more consideration than I
thought fit to afford it at that time, unlesse I had seen the
like.
Nov. 10. Cape St. John (or the west end of Candia) lay in
sight of us S.E., and the Admiral came about ten o'clock
on board us to take his leave. After two houres stay he
1 Tat., c. 1, fig. 4.
covel's diary.
pleased with our seamen who were on the watch that night,
because they did not call me; whereupon the next night
(Nov. 9) they did call me, for after very much Thunder and
Lightning and tempestuous weather, about four o'clock
appear'd two more, one towards the main top, which dis-
appeared before I got out, the other was at the very top of
the fore-mast. They told me it was beginning to fade. It
seem'd a dim light, as of a flame, shining through a steam
or smoak,1 about the bignesse and shape of an ordinary
egge, the top a little wavered, and growing fainter and
lesser it soon went out. When I came back into the great
Cabin, there appear'd a Circle about the candle which stood
on the Table ; I would call it rather a Halo, because it was
very little coloured. The farther we were from it the
plainer it appear'd and bigger (almost as broad as both my
hands); as we came nearer to it it lessen'd proportionably,
and just at it we could not perceive it, all which depended
on the various refractions through the moist and mixt
vapours which then fill'd the Air. One of our Mates told
me that once, as he sailed formerly in these streights, there
appear'd a very bright Helena at the very spindle of the
main top mast, and one of their men went up and moved
his hand round about, and neither saw nor felt anything,
when they below saw it all the time. We sent up one to
ours, but before he got at it it went out; perhaps his
approaching might move and part the Air, and contribute
something to its so soon vanishing. But if what our Mate
told us be true, it requires more consideration than I
thought fit to afford it at that time, unlesse I had seen the
like.
Nov. 10. Cape St. John (or the west end of Candia) lay in
sight of us S.E., and the Admiral came about ten o'clock
on board us to take his leave. After two houres stay he
1 Tat., c. 1, fig. 4.