W. CLARK RUSSELL 95 



plained ; the foremast of the fiiyate had been 

 struck by hghtning, had been riven into several 

 pieces, and had fallen over the larboard bow, 

 carrying with it the main topmast and jib-boom. 

 The jagged stump of the foremast was in flames, 

 and burnt brightly, notwithstanding the rain fell 

 in torrents. The ship, as soon as the foremast 

 and main topmast had gone overboard, broached- 

 to furiously, throwing the men over the wheel and 

 dashing them senseless against the carronades ; 

 the forecastle, the forepart of the main deck, and 

 even the lower deck, were spread with men, either 

 killed or seriously wounded, or insensible from the 

 electric shock. The frigate was on her beam-ends, 

 and the sea broke furiously over her ; all was dark 

 as pitch, except the light from the blazing stump of 

 the foremast, appearing like a torch, held up by the 

 wild demons of the storm, or when occasionally 

 the gleaming lightning cast a momentary glare, 

 threatening every moment to repeat its attack 

 upon the vessel, while the deafening thunder burst 

 almost on their devoted heads. 



Captain F. Marryat. 



(From The Wreck of the *' Grosvenor") 



T LEFT the wheel for a second or two to close 



one of the skylights, and, as I did so, a flash of 



lightning seemed to set the ship on fire, and imme- 



