414 A MISSION TO VITI. 



22nd we were out of the tropics, on the 26th near Nor- 

 folk Island, and on the 3rd of December off Lord Howe 

 Island. Here we encountered a series of the most awful 

 electric storms it has ever been my misfortune to pass 

 through. The wind and waves were very high, the 

 peals of thunder truly terrific, and sheet and flash light- 

 ning without interruption from dusk till dawn. Our 

 vessel was struck several times by the lightning, and 

 two men were seriously injured. I was fully prepared 

 for going down, as it seemed almost impossible to sur- 

 vive a storm, to which all I had previously witnessed in 

 the tropics could not be compared in intensity and vio- 

 lence. The St. Elmo's fire on the masthead and rigging 

 gave a peculiarly ghastly appearance to the vessel when 

 the darkness of night was restored by the momentary 

 cessation of the lightning. The men got terribly fright- 

 ened, and the rope's-end had to be used freely to make 

 them do their duty. Captain Sustenance, every inch a 

 sailor, took the helm himself, and never quitted his 

 post till all was safe. His powerful voice could be heard 

 through the storm, and was almost the only thing that 

 inspired confidence, when all the elements seemed to 

 be bent upon our destruction. 



Otherwise our passage was a very pleasant one. Cap- 

 tain Sustenance had been in the Royal Navy, and seen, 

 heard, and read a good deal, so that we were never hard 

 up for topics of conversation. When on the 10th of 

 December we dropped anchor in Sydney Harbour, we 

 had as much to talk about as wiien first stepping on 

 board at Levuka, To ascertain a man's mental calibre, 

 no place is better suited than on board a ship. The 



