[ 3 66 ] 
“ the Lightning was more terrible to our Eyes than 
“ the Sound of the Thunder to our Ears. --Like to 
“ this is the Cafe of Whirl-puffs” 
Tours , &c. 
J. R. 
XIX. An Account of an extraordinary Fire- 
ball burfling at Sea , communicated by Mr. 
Chalmers. 
Read March "\JOvember 4. 1749. in the Latitude of 
22. 1749. I V 42 ° Longitude, 09° 03' the Lizard 
then bore, N. 4i°05 / about the Diflancc of 5 ’69 
Miles. I was taking an Obfervation on the Quarter- 
deck, about ten Minutes before 12 o’Ciock : One of 
the Quarter-mailers defircd I would look to Wind- 
ward, which 1 did, and obfcrved a large Ball of 
blue Fire rolling on the Surface of the Water, at 
about Three Miles Diflancc from us: We immedi- 
ately lowered our Topfails, and had our Fore and 
Main Clew-Garnets manned to haul up our Courfes 5 
but k came down upon us fo fail, that before we 
could raife the Main Tack, we obferved the Ball to 
rife almoft perpendicular, and not above forty or 
fifty Yards from the Main Chains : It went off with 
an Explofion as if Hundreds of Cannon had been 
fired at one time ; and left fo great a Smell of Brim- 
flone, that the Ship feemed to be nothing but Sul- 
phur. After the Noife was over, which I believe 
did 
