pointing to the yard-arms of the ship, to each of which were little
balls of electric matter attached, flaring out to a point. "Look at
those two clouds, sir, rushing at each other; if I--"

Ready had not time to finish what he would have said, before a blaze of
light, so dazzling that it left them all in utter darkness for some
seconds afterwards, burst upon their vision, accompanied with a peal of
thunder, at which the whole vessel trembled fore and aft. A crash - a
rushing forward - and a shriek were heard, and when they had recovered
their eyesight, the foremast had been rent by the lightning as if it
had been a lath, and the ship was in flames: the men at the wheel,
blinded by the lightning, as well as appalled, could not steer; the
ship broached to - away went the mainmast over the side - and all was
wreck, confusion, and dismay.

Fortunately the heavy seas which poured over the forecastle soon
extinguished the flames, or they all must have perished; but the ship
lay now helpless, and at the mercy of the waves beating violently
against the wrecks of the masts which floated to leeward, but were
still held fast to the vessel by their rigging. As soon as they could
recover from the shock, Ready and the first mate hastened to the wheel
to try to get the ship before the wind; but this they could not do, as,
the foremast and mainmast being gone, the mizenmast prevented her
paying off and answering to the helm. Ready, having persuaded two of
the men to take the helm, made a sign to Mackintosh (for now the wind
was so loud that they could not hear each other speak), and, going aft,
they obtained axes, and cut away the mizen-rigging; the mizen-topmast
and head of the mizenmast went over the side, and then the stump of the
foremast was sufficient to get the ship before the wind again. Still
there was much delay and confusion, before they could clear away the