C 630 ] 
taking her to be on fire below, they threw water a 
confiderable 'time into the cabin ; but providentially 
no other damage was done”. 
A few years fince a fhip, belonging to capt. John 
Waddel, was almofl beat to pieces by thunder and 
lightning, of which a particular account is publifhed 
in the Philofophical Tranfadtions *. And very lately 
the main maft of the JBel/oaa, a 74 gun fhip, was 
lplit in pieces by the lightning, which happened in 
January 1762. I make no doubt but that in the 
courfe of 'your Lordfhip’s obfervation, the knowlege 
and information of many accidents of the like kind 
may have occurred to you ; more particularly in low 
latitudes, where mifchiefs from lightning are much 
more frequent than in parts more diftant from the 
equator. 
What happened to the Harriot packet is no more 
than what ufually happens to a fhip at fea, or to a 
church, houfe, or other edifice on land, when the 
lightning has entered into it, and cannot procure an 
eafy pafiage out of it. The attempting to procure 
this eafy pafiage, and thereby avert the mifchiefs at- 
tending the want of it, is the more particular occa- 
sion of my troubling your lordfhip at this time. 
A very few years ago the nature of thunder and 
lightning, which are both to be confidered as diffe- 
rent appearances of the fame meteor, was very little 
underftood. Our predeceflors in all ages regarded it 
as an inftrument of divine vengeance. They flood 
too much in awe of it to confider it clofelyj and 
though 
* Vol. 46. page nr. 
