down upon it, but had
not the time. My friend Mr. Busk, however, assures me that it is
silica, and that the same sand constitutes the adjacent neutral
ground. There are theories afloat as to its having been blown from
Sahara. The Mediterranean throughout this first day, and indeed
throughout the entire voyage to Oran, was of a less deep blue than the
Atlantic. Possibly the quantity of organisms may have modified the
colour. At night the phosphorescence was startling, breaking suddenly
out along the crests of the waves formed by the port and starboard
bows. Its strength was not uniform. Having flashed brilliantly for a
time, it would in part subside, and afterwards regain its vigour.
Several large phosphorescent masses of weird appearance also floated
past.

On the morning of the 16th we sighted the fort and lighthouse of Marsa
el Kibir, and beyond them the white walls of Oran lying in the bight
of a bay, sheltered by dominant hills. The sun was shining brightly;
during our whole voyage we had not had so fine a day. The wisdom
which had led us to choose Oran as our place of observation seemed
demonstrated. A rather excitable pilot came on board, and he guided
us in behind the Mole, which had suffered much damage the previous
year from an unexplained outburst of waves from the Mediterranean.
Both port and bow anchors were cast in deep water. With three huge
hawsers the ship's stem was made fast to three gun-pillars fixed in
the Mole; and here for a time the "Urgent" rested from her labours.

M. Janssen, who had rendered his name celebrated by his observations
of the eclipse in India in 1868, when he showed the solar flames to be
eruptions of incandescent hydrogen, was already encamped in the open
country about eight miles from Oran. On December 2 he had quitted
Paris in a balloon, with a strong young sailor as his assistant, had
descended near the mouth of the Loire, seen M. Gambetta, and received
from him encouragement and aid. On the day of our arrival his
encampment was visited by Mr. Huggins, and the kind and courteous
Engineer of the Port drove me subsequently, in his own phaeton, to the
place. It bore the best repute as regards freedom from haze and fog,
and commanded an open outlook; but it was inconvenient for us on
account of its distance from the ship. The place next in repute was
the railway station, between two and three miles distant from the
Mole. It was inspected, but, being enclosed, was