32 
LIGHTNING CONDUCTORS. 
with lofty masts, but from the peculiar form of the 
bottom, they could not be good sailers ; and the want of 
the regular keel made them excessively leewardly. 
They were all, however, admirable sea-boats, as was 
proved by the little ‘ Soudan,’ in a heavy gale of wind, 
when much larger vessels suffered severely. 
There was little or no danger to be apprehended from 
lightning, even in the tornadoes, since, being of iron, the 
vessels presented so large a surface to the electric fluid, 
as to neutralize its effects by diffusion. They were, 
however, supplied with wire-rope conductors. 
The vessels were launched at different periods in 1840; 
first the ‘ Soudan,’ then the ‘ Albert,’ and lastly, the 
‘ Wilberforce,’ on the 10th of October. They were 
taken into Trafalgar Dock Liverpool, for the purpose of 
fitting the rigging, engines, &c. 
By November, most of the officers appointed to 
the expedition had joined their respective ships, and the 
greater part of the crews had entered. We proceeded 
with our operations undisturbed and unnoticed. 
As it was important that Captain Trotter should 
be as early as possible at Woolwich, for the purpose 
of completing the arrangements for the armament, &c., 
all hands were occasionally employed to expedite the 
preparations of the ‘ Albert’ and ‘ Soudan ;’ considerable 
delay, however, arose from the novelty of the apparatus 
for ventilation. 
The ‘ Soudan’ sailed for the Thames on the 28th of 
December; the ‘Albert’ followed, 1 1th of January, 1841; 
