Alann of Fire. 421 



insignificant quantity of pure alcohol, which was stowed away 

 in the hold for the preservation of specimens of natural his- 

 tory, had, from some unknown cause, caught fire. Forthwith 

 the pumps were manned, the sails clewed up, all the portholes 

 closed, so as to cut off the slightest draught, and all the 

 hammocks of the crew trundled, pele-mele on deck anyhow, 

 out of the quarter-nettings, in which they are stowed away 

 during the day, there to be dipped in sea-water, and in that 

 wringing-wet condition applied, partly in extinguishing the 

 flames, partly in preventing the fire from spreading. In less 

 than a quarter of an hour the worst danger was over, and our 

 wonted quiet restored, despite the first terrible excitement. On 

 a more searching investigation, several of the tin carboys in 

 the hold, filled with spirits of wine, and kept between layers of 

 sand in iron chests, were found to have been corroded till the 

 liquor had oozed through, while the air, having free access 

 to the sand, had become strongly impregnated with gas. This 

 atmosphere, impregnated as it was with alcoholic fumes, took 

 fire on one of the sailors carelessly entering the hold with 

 a badly-fastened lantern, and in a moment the light flames 

 which speedily enveloped the man in such a confined space, at 

 once gave the alarm. The full carboys remained uninjured 

 by the fire. Had such a catastrophe happened, and the whole 

 quantity of spirit (about 40 gallons) taken fire, considering the 

 immense quantities of combustible matter we had on board, 

 among the rest a ton-and-a-half of gunpowder, the upshot 



