Page:Philosophical Transactions - Volume 054.pdf/359

 in port the men are ordered under cover, and the hatches are laid over and covered. The scuttle to the powder-room is well covered with wet swabs, and the passage secured.

Before I end this account, I shall give you the relation of an accident from thunder at Batavia.

Anno 1746. A Dutch ship, lying in the road of Batavia, having taken leave of the governor, was ready to depart for Bengal. The afternoon was calm, and towards evening they had loosed their sails, and lay ready to take up their anchor upon the coming off of the wind from the land, which is common every night. A black cloud was gathering over the hills, and the wind brought it towards the ship: by the time the cloud and the wind reached the ship, a clap of thunder burst from it just over the ship, and set fire to the main-top-sail, which being very dry, burnt with great fury; and this set fire to the rigging and mast. They immediately attempted to cut away the mast, but were hindered by the falling of the rigging, which was burnt, from the head of the mast. By degrees the fire communicated to the other masts, and obliged the people to desert the ship; and afterwards it took hold of the body of the ship, and burning down to the powder, the upper part of the hull blew up, and the bottom part sunk in the place, where she was at anchor.

Anno 1741. Bencoolen road on the S. W. side of the Island of Sumatra, Lat. 4° 0′ South. There lay here two ships, one an European, the other a country trading ship, both belonging to the East India