[ 28 5 ] 
furled before it came upon her. It muft be remark- 
ed, that the wind, which reached the {hip before 
the thunder, brought with it a violent and heavy 
rain, which fufficiently foaked the {hip and every 
thing about her. The fhip was all this time, which 
was in about half an hour after its firft appearance 
above the weftern horizon, in the midft of repeated 
flafhes of lightening, which were juft upon the fhip 
by her trembling and fhaking on every explofion, 
and the flafh and clap coming in the fame inftant, 
and the officers and people were apprehenfive of 
damage to the maft. 
2 -i ’A. M. At this time a clap burft, as was judged 
by the report, about mid-way betwixt the head of the 
maft and the body of the fhip, or it might be* higher, 
and in defcending might caufe that appearance, and 
juft over it. This made the fhip tremble and {hake 
as if {he was going to burft into pieces, and great 
pieces and fplinters of the maft were fallen upon 
different places of the fhip ; but it was fo very dark, 
we could not fee from which of the mafts they were 
forced. 
Immediately after this firft came a fecond, which 
burft juft above, and on the quarter deck of the fhip, 
which by the report was as great, and being clofe 
upon the deck was more terrifying than the former. 
Here I muft take notice, that the wind brought 
very heavy rain before the thunder came near the 
flaip ; and in proportion as the thunder approached- 
the fhip, the wind, which came in violent gufts at 
firft, decreafed gradually, and the rain was lefs 
heavy ; and when the thunder furrounded the fhip, 
and broke upon her, it was aimoft calm. And we 
could 
