Nov 30, 1792 Home Flinders's Log Dec 2, 1792

Flinders's Providence Logbook Dec 1, 1792

Remarks ♄ [Saturday[ December 1st Towards the Cape Good Hope

Remarks 1st December 1792

Perceiving the Water unusually full of Medusas, induced us to examine it more particularly. we found it contain many Animalculi of a gelatinous substance, which being collected together in a clear glass gave us an Opportunity of discerning their Forms and Motions and more particularly with the Assistance of a small Magnifier. the most remarkable and active of them was an ovate shaped Body, transparent and circumscribed with fine lines which divided it into Segments. the Anus was hollowed at the Extremity like a cup and had a contracting Power, by which it took in and retained Air; on the Head were two prominent Horns, and in its Center was a small oblong blue Spot, like the ripe seed of a Gooseberry, from which run a blue line to the Cup at the Extremity of the Anus and parallel to it another but I could not perceive that this joined either to the Cup or blue Streak. these I imagine must be the Viscera, the spot was encircled with something which to the naked Eye appeared like a Queen Elizabeths ruff, by a nearer inspection we found it divided like a windpipe and nearly resembling it – on the Shoulders were four equidistant spots, surrounding the Head and like the spot in it but not quite so large. these might probably be its Eyes – we could not perceive any Fins or Legs it had to assist its motions, nevertheless it darted about very nimbly, contracting and distending itself in regular Systoles and Diastoles very perceptibly. it frequently came to the Surface apparently to get Air which furnished it with the Power of moving for by contracting itself it forced out the Air which caused it to bound to considerable Distance. this it did so strongly as to cause a retreating Current in the Water and gave motion to all the Animalculi near it. its magnitude was that of a good large Fly, form resembling an Ootoo, and so transparent as scarcely to be distinguished from the Water without a close Inspection.
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Another of them was shaped like a Clam and opened and shut in the same Manner. this was perfectly transparent, without any coloured Marks, but was divided into valves by fine hair Lines. its motion was regular and slow and not darting like the other – Another smaller one, shrimp shaped was remarkably active. it had likewise a Coat of mail, was coloured and moved by recoil like the Shrimp. its Tail was horizonatal and Eyes were very discernable – Its Magnitude was not greater than a Pins point – Another of the same Size likewise moved about very briskly. it was shaped more like a Pistol than any thing I can think of, the Barrel being the Snout, at the beginning upon the Body were situated two Eyes, black Specks and another in the Body larger and rather transparent. it was too smal to discern its moving Powers, but immediately it ceased to do so it descended snout foremost – there were three or four globular substances without Motion. one had a large blue Spot in its Center with innumerable rays striking from it. the others were covered with dark coloured Specks, which were blacker in some than in others as if in a more advanced state. these wer not larger than a small Pea. there was likewise an oblong one with Spots upon it like the last. these I take to be the spawn of Fish. Another kind was exactly like the small Wheels in a Watch and had very perceptable motion. – it is remarkable that every one we caught was different from the other except the first Kind of which we took up two – When we consider that the Sea is thus replete with those Substances, for I have no Doubt but there are fifty thousand other species which we did not nor could not see, all or most of which have the Power of emitting Light, we can easily account for that luminous Appearance of the Water so often seen and spoken of, without having recourse to reflection or phosporeal Light; 'tho' these to a Philosopher would be sufficient Causes, where better were wanting.

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