210 THE ALBATROSS. 



remember, and I told you this morning that I had 

 only one experience to judge by. That is hardly 

 true. There was another occasion I ought to 

 have mentioned." 



" And that was ? " 



" A most extraordinary occurence, Mr. Russell. 

 I was coming home from one of my merchant 

 voyages. The ship was nearing the Gulf Stream 

 on her course from Pernambuco. A heavy sou'- 

 west gale was blowing, and the old girl was 

 running under close-reefed main - top - sail and 

 fore-sail. 



" We entered the Gulf Stream about midnight. 

 The wind died out to a calm. Heavy, oily, black 

 clouds piled up in the nor'-east and covered the 

 sky till it was dark as the ship's run. I thought 

 the wind would come from that direction and 

 strike the ship aback, so I called all hands to take 

 in main-top-s'l and fore-s'l. You know merchant 

 ships go with such stingy crews it leaves you 

 short-handed at a time like that. Consequently I 

 had to take the wheel. 



" The men had got hold of the clew-lines and 

 buntrlines, and were about to start the sheets, 

 when there was a sudden flash in the sou'-west 

 and a ball of blazing fire as big as a man's head 

 leaped out of the clouds. It dashed across the 



