They were all watching it
carefully, for sailors have a notion that if the corposant rises in
the rigging, it is a sign of fair weather, but if it comes lower down,
there will be a storm. Unfortunately, as an omen, it came down, and
showed itself on the top-gallant yard-arm. We were off the yard in
good season, for it is held a fatal sign to have the pale light of the
corposant thrown upon one's face. As it was, the English lad did not
feel comfortably at having had it so near him, and directly over his
head. In a few minutes it disappeared, and showed itself again on
the fore top-gallant yard; and after playing about for some time,
disappeared again; when the man on the forecastle pointed to it upon
the flying-jib-boom-end. But our attention was drawn from watching
this, by the falling of some drops of rain and by a perceptible
increase of the darkness, which seemed suddenly to add a new shade
of blackness to the night. In a few minutes, low, grumbling thunder
was heard, and some random flashes of lightning came from the
south-west. Every sail was taken in but the topsails, still, no squall
appeared to be coming.
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