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 when first stepping on 
board at Levuka. To ascertain a man’s mental calibre, 
no place is better suited than on board a ship. The 
