1893.02.24
22.00
An Atmospheric Phenomenon in the North China Sea
“During a recent wintry cruise in HMS Caroline in the North China Sea, a curious phenomenon was seen which may be of interest to your readers. The ship was on passage between Shanghai and the western entrance of the famous inland sea of Japan. On 24th February, at 10 pm, when in latitude 32° 58′ N, longitude 126° 33″ E, which, on reference to the map, will be seen to be sixteen to seventeen miles south of Quelpart island (south of the Korean peninsula), some unusual lights were reported by the officer of the watch between the ship and Mount Auckland, a mountain 6,000 feet high.”
(ufoseek.com)
[Norcross adds] that the phenomenon was before and above the ship. “To the naked eye they appeared sometimes as a mass, at others, spread out in an irregular line, and being globular in form, they resembled Chinese lanterns festooned between the masts of a lofty vessel… On the following night, about the same time… it was a clear, still moonlit night, and cold… The lights maintained a constant bearing, magnetic, of N2°[?]W, as if carried by some vessel travelling in the same direction and at the same speed. The globes of fire altered their formation as on the previous night, now as a massed group, with an out-flying light away to the right, then the isolated one would disappear, and the others would take on the form of a crescent or diamond, or hang festoon fashion in a curved line. A clear reflection could be seen on the horizon water beneath the lights. Through a telescope the lights seemed to be of a reddish color and to emit a thin smoke. I watched them for several hours and could distinguish no perceptible alteration in their bearing or altitude, the changes occurring only in their relative formation, but each light maintained its oval, globular form.”
Captain JN Norcross
(Nature 1893)