Nothing is more fearful to contemplate than the scene on board a ship when she is struck by lightning in the open sea, with the winds howling around, the waves rolling mountains high, the rain coming down in torrents, and the vivid flashes lighting up the gloom at intervals, and carrying death and destruction in their track. I will read you one or two brief accounts of such a scene, given in the pithy but expressive language of the sailor. In January, 1786, the _Thisbe_, of thirty-six guns, was struck by lightning off the coast of Scilly, and reduced to the condition of a wreck. Here is an extract from the ship’s log: “Four A. M., strong gales; handed mainsail and main top-sail; hove to with storm staysails; blowing very heavy, S. E. 4.15, a flash of lightning, with tremendous thunder, disabled some of our people. A second flash set the mainsail, main-top, and mizen staysails on fire. Obliged to cut away the mainmast; this carried away mizen top-mast and fore top-sail yard. Found foremast also shivered by the lightning. Fore top-mast went over the side about 9 A. M. Set the foresail.”[21] A few years later, in March, 1796, the _Lowestoffe_ was struck in the Mediterranean, and we read as follows in the log of the ship: “North end of Minorca; heavy squalls; hail, rain, thunder, and lightning. 12.15, ship struck by lightning, which knocked three men from the masthead, one killed. 12.30, ship again struck; main top-mast shivered in pieces; many men struck senseless on the decks. Ship again struck, and set on fire in the masts and rigging; mainmast shivered in pieces; fore top-mast shivered; men benumbed on the decks, and knocked out of the top; one man killed on the spot. 1.30, cut away the mainmast; employed clearing wreck. 4, moderate; set the foresail.”[22] Again, in 1810, the _Repulse_, a ship of seventy-four guns, was struck, off the coast of Spain. “The wind had been variable in the morning--and at 12.35 there was a heavy squall, with rain, thunder, and lightning. The ship was struck by two vivid flashes of lightning, which shivered the maintop-gallant mast, and severely damaged the mainmast. Seven men were killed on the spot; three others only survived a few days; and ten others were maimed for life. After the second discharge the rain fell in torrents. The ship was more completely crippled than if she had been in action, and the squadron, then engaged on a critical service, lost for a time one of its fastest and best ships.”[23]