midnight
On the way , we one night encountered that strange phenomenon , a `` milk '' sea . It was a lovely night , with scarcely any wind , the stars trying to make up for the absence of the moon by shining with intense brightness . The water had been more phosphorescent than usual , so that every little fish left a track of light behind him , greatly disproportionate to his size . As the night wore on , the sea grew brighter and brighter , until by midnight we appeared to be sailing on an ocean of lambent flames . Every little wave that broke against the ship 's side sent up a shower of diamond-like spray , wonderfully beautiful to see , while a passing school of porpoises fairly set the sea blazing as they leaped and gambolled in its glowing waters . Looking up from sea to sky , the latter seemed quite black instead of blue , and the lustre of the stars was diminished till they only looked like points of polished steel , having quite lost for the time their radiant sparkle . In that shining flood the blackness of the ship stood out in startling contrast , and when we looked over the side our faces were strangely lit up by the brilliant glow .