65 



but unlike all that we are accuftomed to wit- 

 nefs in England. Had the fleet been at fea 

 fomething very difaftrous would, probably, 

 have befallen it ; but as the weather has fo 

 long been ftormy, we hope that the boiflerous 

 heavens will have exhaufted themfelves before 

 the expedition fails^ 



Between- ten and eleven o'clock, on the 

 morning of the 29th, a tremendous gale began 

 to blow. The fky blackened. The tumid 

 clouds rolled in heavy mafTes, darting forth 

 quick lightning, followed by loud burfts of 

 thunder. The tearing gufts of wind brought 

 with them violent fhowers of hail, and de- 

 luging torrents of rain. The whole elements 

 feemed to be moved in oge convulfive effort. 

 The vivid lightning traced its path in broad 

 and fiery flaflies, and the terrific thunder 

 inftantly followed, as if raging to over- 

 take them. At one inftant it rolled in op- 

 preiTed and convulfive found, feeming to 

 ftruggle againft fome great impediment that 

 confined it to the clouds, and, at the next, it 

 burft forth, in full explofion, as though a 

 match had, fuddenly, fired the whole ordnance 



VOL. I. F 



