ber^ier/s voyage to the east indies. 229

land, for fear of tygers. In the night, when I was watching, there fell out a philofo-phical accident, of which kind two had happened to me before at Dehli . I faw a rain-how of the moon, which I (hewed to all my company, and which very much furprifedtwo Portugueze pilots I had taken into my boat at the defxre of a friend, who hadnever feen nor heard of fuch a thing.

The third day we went a-ftray between thefe channels, and if we had not met withfome Portuguefes making fait in one of the ides, that directed us in our way, I knownot vs'hat would have become of us. But behold another philofophical accident. In thenight, being got again under (helter in a little channel, my Portuguefes that (fill w r ereconcerned about the rainbow of the laft night, and whom that observation had mademore curious to behold the heavens, awakened me, and (hew me another, as fair andas well formed as that was, which I had (hewed them. Mean time I would not haveyou think, that I miftook an Iris or rainbow for a Corona, or crown. There is nomonth almoft but at Dehli thefe lunar rainbows are feen in the feafon of the rains,when the moon is high above the horizon : and I found that it muft be fo ; having feen ofthem three or four nights one after another, and Sometimes double ones. They werenot circles about the moon, but oppofite to her, and in the like pofition with folar rain-bows : and as often as I have leen them, the moon was weftward, and the rainboweaftward. The moon was alfo near full; which, in my opinion, is neceffary; becaufeat other times (he would not have light enough to form any. Laftly, thefe rainbowsWere not fo white as the crowns ufe to be, but much more coloured, infomuch thatthere might be difcerned in them fome diftinclion of colours. And thus you fee-, howI have been more happy than the ancients, who, according to Ariftotle, had obfervednone fuch before him.

The fourth day about evening we retired out of the great channel, as we ufed to do,into a very fair place of fafety ; but had one of the moft extraordinary nights that everI knew. There was not a breath of wind, and the air was fo hot and (luffing that wecould fcarce breathe. The buffies round us were fo full of thofe little ffiining worms,that they feemed to be on (ire ; and there arofe fires here and there, which were likeflames, and frightened my feamen, who faid, they were devils. Among the reft therearofe two, that were very extraordinary ; one was a great globe of (ire, which in fallingand Spinning lafted above the time of faying a Pater-nofter; and the other, which ladedabout a quarter of an hour, was like a little tree all in a flame.

The night of the fifth day was terrible and dangerous. There arofe fo great a ftorm,that though we were under the (helter of trees, and that our fmall boat was well faft-•ned, yet notwithftanding all that, the wind broke our cable, and was calling us into thegreat channel, where we had infallibly perifhed, if I had not, together with my twoPortuguefes, prefently laid hold on the branches of fome trees, where we held fall forabove two hours, whilft the ftorm lafted : for there was no affiftance to be expectedfrom my Indian oar-men, whom fright had made incapable to help us in this occafion.But, what was moft troublefome and amazing, there fell a rain as if it had been poureddown with buckets, which filled our boat, and was accompanied with fuch lightningand thunder-claps, very near our head, that every moment we thought we (hould fink.

The remainder of our voyage unto the ninth day, when I arrived at Ogouli, wepafifed very well and with pleafure; for I could not be Satisfied with beholding fuchbeautiful countries: mean time my trunk and all my baggage was wet, my pulletsdead, my fifli Spoiled, and all my bifcuit drunk with water.

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