S^^ EFFECTS OF LIGHTNING. 



Similar effects His Majesty's ship Trident, in India, (about 1803), lost her 

 the'shipTn-"^ main-topmast and top-gallant-mast by lightning. The yards 

 dent; received no injury, 



—the Britan- There are at times dangerous lightnings near the Cape of Good 

 "'** Hope. A few 37ears ago, the Honourable East India Company's 



ship Britannia, returning home from Bengal, was struck by 

 lightning near the Cape. It lodged in the centre of the foremast 

 and set fire to it, whilst lying to in a storm : the violence of the 

 flames was soon so great, that it was found impossible to extin- 

 guish them ; and the only remedy left to save the ship and crew 

 from inevitable destruction, was to cut away the burning fore- 

 mast, which was effected ; then it fell clear of the ship, over 

 her lee, in a body of fire, 

 —and the The Honourable East India Company's ship Bombay Castle, 



Bombay Castle, about 1801, returning from China, was struck by lightning near 

 Algoa Bay, to the eastward of the Cape of Good Hope. The 

 lightning entered into the head of the foremast, and descending, 

 without making any visible perforation, burst out in fire near 

 the centre of the mast, below the rigging. Every exertion was 

 * made to extinguish the fire, without effect : the mast was then 



cut away, which saved the ship. 

 General obser- From the foregoing observations on ships which have been 

 Tfttjoni. struck by lightning, it may be remarked : 1st. — That it appears 



al\\ays to embrace one of the mastheads at first, and descends 

 dovinwards. 2d. — That the parts of masts which are covered 

 with tar and blacking, are not so liable to be rent by the light- 

 ning as the parts where they are clean scraped, or scraped 

 a^d covered with tallow. 3d, — That the yards are seldom or 

 i^.ver damaged by lightning ; although the masts to which they 

 are fixed may be rent into pieces by it. Whether it may be 

 owing to the horizontal position of the yards across the masts> 

 or their being covered with blacking, or a coat of black paint, 

 that is the cause of the lightning not injuring them, when the 

 masts are destroyed, must be left for those skilled in electric 

 phenomena to determine. 



V. 



