he pointed to. At two cables' length from the Abraham Lincoln, on the
starboard quarter, the sea seemed to be illuminated all over. It was
not a mere phosphoric phenomenon. The monster emerged some fathoms
from the water, and then threw out that very intense but mysterious
light mentioned in the report of several captains. This magnificent
irradiation must have been produced by an agent of great SHINING power.
The luminous part traced on the sea an immense oval, much elongated,
the centre of which condensed a burning heat, whose overpowering
brilliancy died out by successive gradations.

"It is only a massing of phosphoric particles," cried one of the
officers.

"No, sir, certainly not," I replied. "That brightness is of an
essentially electrical nature. Besides, see, see! it moves; it is
moving forwards, backwards; it is darting towards us!"

A general cry arose from the frigate.

"Silence!" said the captain. "Up with the helm, reverse the engines."

The steam was shut off, and the Abraham Lincoln, beating to port,
described a semicircle.

"Right the helm, go ahead," cried the captain.

These orders were executed, and the frigate moved rapidly from the
burning light.

I was mistaken. She tried to sheer off, but the supernatural animal
approached with a velocity double her own.

We gasped for breath. Stupefaction more than fear made us dumb and
motionless. The animal gained on us, sporting with the waves. It made
the round of the frigate, which was then making fourteen knots, and
enveloped it with its electric rings like luminous dust.

Then it moved away two or three miles, leaving a phosphorescent track,
like those volumes of steam that the express trains leave behind. All
at once from the dark line of the horizon whither it retired to gain
its momentum, the monster rushed suddenly towards the Abraham Lincoln
with alarming rapidity, stopped suddenly about twenty feet from the
hull, and died out--not diving under the water, for its brilliancy did
not abate--but suddenly, and as if the source of this brilliant
emanation was exhausted. Then it reappeared on the other side of the
vessel, as if it had turned and slid under the hull. Any moment a
collision might have occurred which would have been fatal to us.
However, I was astonished at the manoeuvres of the frigate. She fled
and did not attack.

On the captain's face, generally so impassive, was an expression of
unaccountable astonishment.