PACIFIC AND BEETIING’S STRAIT. 
437 
lightning frequently during the day, which increased so much toward CK^P. 
night, that from eight o’clock to daylight the following morning the sky 
presented an uninterrupted blaze of light. It was unusually near ; the Mar. 
forked lightning passed between the masts several times, and the zenith 
occasionally presented a fiery mass of short curved lines, which shot off 
in different directions like as many arrows ; while the heavy peals of 
thunder which generally accompany these storms were subdued by 
crackling discharges not unlike the report of musketry from a long line 
of infantry. About the commencement of this storm the temperature 
fell four degrees, but gradually rose again to its former height. The 
sympeisometer was not sensibly affected. 
On the day following fine weather was restored, the trade took its 
proper direction ; and the sea, which had been much agitated by the 
changeable winds, abated, and we pursued a steady course. About four 
days afterwards a brilliant meteor was discharged from the zenith to- 
wards the north-west, in the direction of some heavy clouds (nimbi), 
which were pouring down torrents of rain. It presented a long bright 
liquid flame of a bluish cast, and was followed by a train of sparks, 
until it had reached within 15° of the horizon, when it exploded, and 
three distinct fragments, having the appearance of being red-hot, were 
discharged. 'Fhey gradually lost their brilliancy as they fell, and were 
quite extinguished before they came in contact with the water. With the 
exception of the nimbus in the north-west, the sky w:as perfectly clear, 
particularly at the zenith, whence the meteor appeared first to be dis- 
charged. After these meteorological disturbances we had fine weather 
almost all the remainder of the passage. 
At two o’clock on the 15th we were within a few leagues of the situa- 
tion of Wake’s Island, and the ship was brought to until daylight; but 
seeing no land at that time we bore away again, and at noon were exactly 
on the spot where the island is placed in Arrowsmith’s chart. A few tern 
and a gannet were seen about eight o’clock in the morning, but we had ^ 
no other indications of land: still in the expectation of falling in with it, 
we continued the course due west, and ran throughout the night, which 
was clear and fine, but without being more successful. 1 afterwards 
learned that the master of an American trader landed upon a coral 
island, nearly in the same longitude, in the latitude 19 ° 18' N. which 
