i 84
m”v' change our places every moment, in order to efcape being
fcorched or burnt. The ftorm now encreafed to fuch a
violence, that we could hardly Hand on this barren fpot;
and therefore it was refolved, for our own and the boat’s
greater fafety, to crofs the’ cove, and take up our night’s
quarters in the woods immediately under the lee of the
high mountains. Every one of us feized a firebrand and
ftepped into the boat, where we made a formidable appearance,
as if we were bound on fome defperate expedition.
To our great difappointment the woods were almoft
worfe than the rock we had left, being fo wet that it was
with the utmoft difficulty our fire would burn ; we had no
fhelter from the heavy rains which came down upon us
in double portions from the leaves; and the, wind not
allowing the fmoke to afcend, we were almoft ftifled with
it. Here we lay down on the moift ground, wrapped in
wet cloaks thoroughly foaked and cold, fupperlefs, and
tormented with rheumatic pains ; and, notwithftanding all
thefe inconveniencies, fell alleep for a few moments, being
entirely exhaufted with fatigue. But about two o’clock
we were roufed by a loud thunder-clap. The ftorm was
now at its height, and blew a perfedl hurricane. The
roar of the waves at a diftance was tremendous, and only
overcome at times by the agitation of the forefts, and the
cralhing fall of huge timber-trees around us. We went
to look after our boat, and at that inftant a dreadful
flafh
flafh of lightning illuminated the whole arm of the fea; m” y.
we faw the billows foaming, and furioufly rolled above
each other in livid mountains ; in a word, it feemed as if
all nature was haftening to a general cataftrophe.
Non han piu gli element! ordine o fegoo3
S’odono orrendi tuoni, ognor piu crefce
D e ’ fieri venti il furibondo fdegno.
Increfpa, e inlividifce il mar la faccia,
E s’alza contra il ciel che lo minaccia. _ T a s s o n i .
The lightning was inftantaneoufly followed by the moft
aftonilhing explofion we had ever heard, reverberated from
the broken rocks around us •, and our hearts funk with
apprehenfion left the fhip might be deftroyed by the
tempeft or its concomitant asthcrial fires, and ourfelves left
to perifh in an unfrequented part of the world. In this
difmal fituation we lingered out the night, which feemed
the longeft we had ever known. At laft about fix in the saturfaf s.
morning the violence of the ftorm abated, we embarked
about day break, and reached the veftel foon after, which
had been obliged to ftrike yards and top-mafts. The inlet
we had now furveyed, received the name of Wet Jacket
Arm, from the dreadful night we palled in it. There now
remained only one inlet to the northward of this unexplored ;
and captain Cook, finding himfelf recovered, fee out, immediately
after our return, to examine it. He proceeded
Vol. I. B b up