352 Lightning Conductors in Ships. 
scended down the mizen-mast in a spiral direction, broke the hoops, 
and damaged the mast; it passed through the coat of the mizen-mast 
on the larboard side, and through one of the poop beams on the other 
side; it passed into the ward-room, into one of the officers’ cabins, 
started the butt end of a plank in the sbip’s side, and split a rider 
underneath on the lower deck. The electric matter on the larboard 
hand went close into the ship’s side, in a perpendicular direction, and 
through the main and lower decks; it cut the clamp of the main- 
deck beams, entered the steward’s room, where it ripped up the tin 
lining, and then passed through the orlop-deck into the butter room. 
The vessel was not damaged in the final escape of the electrie mat- 
ter into the sea. 
(h.) In January, 1830, H. M. S. Etna, under the command of 
Captain Lushington, was struck by lightning in the Corfu Channel, 
in the Adriatic, at the time of coming to anchor. In this instance, 
three tremendous explosions came down a metallic chain, attached 
to the main-mast, and passed into the sea, without damage to the 
mast; the ship at the time seemed covered with sparks. 
9. It may be observed by an attentive examination of these few 
cases, Ist, That the points to and from which the electric matter is 
eventually determined, are out of the ship; and, according with what 
has been stated in 1, 2, 6, are in the clouds and sea, so that the ves 
sel is merely, as it were, an intervening object; the only action, there- 
fore, which can be conceived to belong exclusively to the ship, is that 
which may be required to neutralize the opposite electrical state, 10 
duced upon the whole mass of the vessel, as being 2 point of the 
great surface opposed to the electrified clouds, and which is very 
small and of little consequence, compared with the capacity of the 
surrounding sea. Cases a, b, c, d, e, f, more particularly shew this. 
2dly, That the points through which the explosion is determined, ar 
invariably in the line or lines of least resistance between the points 
of action—that is, through the best conductors. Cases d, f, h, cleat- 
ly illustrate this; and the same may be traced in all the others. 
10. It may be also observed in these, as in every other cas€ of 
damage from lightning, more especially on ship-board, that the great 
est mischief occurs where good conductors cease ; the electric mat 
ter being then enabled to produce all the disastrous effects of an eX 
pansive force, as if, whilst in the conducting body, it was in a diffu- . 
sed and low state, and again condensed and brought into 4 pa 
focus, at the moment of leaving it. The damage, therefore, May 
