1827-32. 



LIGHTNING — LEAVE RIO. 



81 



ters of the Thetis. I should say that the electric fluid shook 

 rather than shattered the fore -topmast, for it did not fall, but 

 resembled a bundle of long splinters, almost like reeds. It 

 twisted round the head of the foremast, instead of descending 

 by the shortest line, went into the centre of the spar, and then out 

 again to the hoops, every one of which, above the deck, was burst 

 asunder. The Thetis was to have sailed in a few days, but 

 was detained by this accident almost two months. She had no 

 conductor in use. 



Only two or three flashes of lightning were seen afterwards ; 

 they were accompanied by loud peals of thunder, and then 

 heavy rain poured down. Just before the rain began, St. Elmo's 

 fire was seen at each yard-arm, and at the mast-head. Those 

 who have not seen this light, always a favourite with sailors, 

 because they say it only appears when the worst part of the 

 storm is over, may excuse my saying that it resembles the 

 light of a piece of phosphorus — not being so bright, or so small, 

 as that of a glow-worm, nor yet so large as the flame of a 

 small candle. I was curious enough to go out to a yard-arm 

 and put my hand on a luminous spot ; but, of course, could 

 feel nothing, and when I moved my hand the spot re- 

 appeared. About the same time of the year in which this 

 happened, the Heron corvette was struck by lightning, and 

 damaged, while lying at anchor off* Buenos Ay res, in the river 

 Plata, a locality extremely subject to vivid lightning, yet 

 .diff*erent in every respect from that of Rio de Janeiro : one 

 being a flat, open country, near a fresh water river, and in 

 latitude 34° ; the other a mountainous and woody region, 

 near the sea, and within the tropic of Capricorn. 



On the 5th of July we sailed from Rio de Janeiro, honoured 

 by a salute, not of guns, but of hearty cheers from H.M.S. 

 Warspite. Strict etiquette might have been ofl^ended at such 

 a compliment to a little ten-gun brig, or, indeed, to any 

 vessel unless she were going out to meet an enemy, or were 

 returning into port victorious: but although not about to 

 encounter a foe, our lonely vessel was going to undertake a 

 task laborious, and often dangerous, to the zealous execution 



VOL. IT. G 



