that such a thing could not be, the weather at the
moment being stark calm,--the hot air seemed to suddenly become
surcharged with a strong sulphurous smell; and then came a peal of
thunder of so terrific and soul-subduing a character that it might have
been the crash of a shattered world. For a brief space we were all so
thoroughly overpowered, so awed and overwhelmed by this tremendous
manifestation of the Creator's power that we remained speechless and
motionless on our seats; then, as the echo of the thunder rumbled away
into the distance, and our hearing gradually recovered from the shock of
that last dreadful detonation, we became aware of loud shrieks of pain
out on deck, a brilliant light, a confused rush and scurry of feet, and
shouts of:

"Fire! fire! The ship's been struck, and is all ablaze!"

At the cry, Captain Chesney, Dumaresq, and I sprang to our feet and
dashed out on deck. Merciful Heaven! what an appalling scene met our
gaze! The foremast had been struck, and was cloven in twain from the
jury topgallant-mast-head to the deck; it had also been set on fire, and
the blazing mass of timber, cordage, and canvas had fallen back upon the
mainmast, setting the sails and rigging of that mast also on fire; the
flames blazing fiercely as they writhed and coiled about the spars and
darted hither and thither, like fiery serpents, through the mazes of the
tarred and highly inflammable rigging. But that was by no means the
worst of it. The lightning, upon reaching the deck, appeared to have
darted hither and thither in the most extraordinary way, for we
presently discovered that a considerable quantity of metal-work, such as
iron bands, belaying-pins, bolts, the chain topsail-sheets, and other
such matters had been either wholly or partially fused by the terrific
heat of the electric discharge; while several silent, prostrate figures
on the deck, scorched black, and with their clothing burnt from their
bodies, told that death had been busy in that awful instant when the
bolt had struck the ship. But there was worse even than that; for there
were other figures crouched and huddled upon the deck, moaning piteously
with pain; and one man stood erect, with his hands clasped over his
eyes, and his head thrown back, shrieking to be taken below, for he had
been struck blind!

It was a dreadful moment; a moment of frightful peril, and of horror
indescribable; a moment when a man might well be excused if he found