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furled before it came upon her. It must be remarked, that the wind, which reached the ship before the thunder, brought with it a violent and heavy rain, which sufficiently soaked the ship and every thing about her. The ship was all this time, which was in about half an hour after its first appearance above the western horizon, in the midst of repeated flashes of lightening, which were just upon the ship by her trembling and shaking on every explosion, and the flash and clap coming in the same instant, and the officers and people were apprehensive of damage to the mast.
2 12 A. M. At this time a clap burst, as was judged by the report, about mid-way betwixt the head of the mast and the body of the ship, or it might be higher, and in descending might cause that appearance, and just over it. This made the ship tremble and shake as if she was going to burst into pieces, and great pieces and splinters of the mast were fallen upon different places of the ship; but it was so very dark, we could not see from which of the masts they were forced.
Immediately after this first came a second, which burst just above, and on the quarter deck of the ship, which by the report was as great, and being close upon the deck was more terrifying than the former.
Here I must take notice, that the wind brought very heavy rain before the thunder came near the ship; and in proportion as the thunder approached the ship, the wind, which came in violent gusts at first, decreased gradually, and the rain was less heavy; and when the thunder surrounded the ship, and broke upon her, it was almost calm. And we
