between Malta and Turkey — 18 June 1845
Three luminous objects rise from the sea
“At 9:30 P.M. the brig Victoria, from Newcastle to Malta, in lat. 36° 40’ 56”, long. 13° 44’ 36” was becalmed, with no appearance of bad weather; when her top-gallant and royal masts suddenly went over the side as if carried away by a squall. Two hours it blew very hard from the east; and whilst all hands were aloft reefing topsails, it suddenly fell calm again, and they felt an overpowering heat and stench of sulphur. At this moment three luminous bodies issued from the sea, about half a mile from the vessel, and remained visible for ten minutes. Soon after it began to blow hard again, and the vessel got into a current of cold fresh air.” The geographic coordinates given in the report would place the ship 900 miles away from Antalya in Turkey.
Source: “Malta Mail”, cited by London Times, 18 August 1845, and James Glaisher, et al. “Report on observations of luminous meteors, 1860-1861.” Annual Report of the British Association for the Advancement of Science (1861): 1-44, at 30. 432. Case: W385