ge--for a minute it was
quite calm, and the frigate was on an even keel.

"Man the braces. We shall be taken aback directly, depend upon it."

The braces were hardly stretched along before this was the case. The
wind flew round to the south-west with a loud roar, and it was fortunate
that they were prepared--the yards were braced round, and the master
asked the captain what course they were to steer.

"We must give it up," observed Captain Wilson, holding on by the
belaying pin. "Shape our course for Cape Sicie, Mr Jones."

And the _Aurora_ flew before the gale, under her foresail and topsails
close reefed. The weather was now so thick that nothing could be
observed twenty yards from the vessel; the thunder pealed, and the
lightning darted in every direction over the dark expanse. The watch
was called as soon as the sails were trimmed, and all who could went
below, wet, uncomfortable, and disappointed.

"What an old Jonah you are, Martin," said Gascoigne.

"Yes, I am," replied he; "but we have the worst to come yet, in my
opinion. I recollect, not two hundred miles from where we are now, we
had just such a gale in the _Favourite_, and we as nearly went down,
when--"

At this moment a tremendous noise was heard above, a shock was felt
throughout the whole ship, which trembled fore and aft as if it were
about to fall into pieces; loud shrieks were followed by plaintive
cries, the lower deck was filled with smoke, and the frigate was down on
her beam ends. Without exchanging a word, the whole of the occupants of
the berth flew out, and were up the hatchway, not knowing what to think,
but convinced that some dreadful accident had taken place.

On their gaining the deck it was at once explained; the foremast of the
frigate had been struck by lightning, had been riven into several
pieces, and had fallen over the larboard bow, carrying with it the main
topmast and jib-boom. The jagged stump of the foremast was in flames,
and burned brightly, notwithstanding the rain fell in torrents. The
ship, as soon as the foremast and main topmast had gone overboard,
broached-to furiously, throwing the men over the wheel and dashing them
senseless against the carronades; the forecastle, the fore part of the
main deck, and even the lower deck, were spread with men, either killed
or seriously wounded or insensible from the electric shock. The frigate
was on her beam ends, and the sea broke furiously over her; all was dark
a