Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1842-11-25

per, approaching me, ana Drcaklng the pro-
found silence which had reigncd for several
minutes, Eve shall have tempest before
long, and fear it will be no chd's play"
81 never saw such omnous signs before.
The very air seems oppressed and sick, as
II it trembled at approaching ruin. Mark
the faces even of our Oldest vc,crans--thcy
bctrny vague sentiment Of fear, such as |
never saw on their countcnances before"
"Aye !! replied tho skipper, abstrac,cdly,
for hc was gazing anxiously astern, "thc
cloud comes up like race-horsc. How it
wlirls over and over, rolling its dark masses
along; itrcminds me of the mountains which
the old Titans we read Of in school hcaved
against Jove. But here am thinking of
classic fables, when ] ougb, 10 be taking in
sail. No! he exclaimed, lifting his voice,
as sharp gust, rTemoniiory of tho coming
hurricane, whls,lcd across tho hamper, sin
| sail--cvery rag !"
No time was to be lost. During the short
space We had been conversing, the dark
clouds astcrn had increased their velocity
threeio!d, and even as the skipper spoke, the
most advanced of them had overshadowcd
us viii, its sepulchral pail. AS the momen-
tary puff of air accompanying it died away.
few large rain-drops battered on tho deck,
ana then all was still again. Tho men
sprung TO their stations, al the voice Of their
superior, and melted to double activity BY
these signs OF approaching danger, soon re-
duccd our canvass, until the schooner Law,
with bare poles, rockngon theswc. Scarce
" had this task been completed, when the
gale hurst on tvs in all its fury, roaring, his
sing, and bowling through the rigging, and
drcnc'lng us with the clouds of spray thai,
1t tore from the bosom of the deep aud bore
onward in its fierce embraces. For a few
minutes we could scarcely stand before the
blast. The schooner groaned, and starting
forward at the first touch of the hurricane,
like II siecd when he feels the spur, went
carcering along, her tall masls curving over
in the gale, aud her bull shrouded in the lly-
ing spray which drove Onward with even
greater velocity than ourselves. In this des-
pcrate encounter with the elements, every
rope and stick strained and cracked almost
to breaking. All at once this hurricane died
out, and then an awful stiffness fell on the
scene. Not voice spoke, not a football
was heard, scarcely breath broke the APP
paling silence. The schooner rose and fell
ominuusly on the agi,a,ed swell. Suddenly
flash OF lightning played FAR of on the dark
edges OF tiic cloud behind us. and then fol-
lowed low lioarsc growl Of distant thunder.
Scarcely minute elapsed before large
rain-drop fell on my face, and instantaneous
ly, as II the heavens were opened before us,
"A deluge Of ram rushed downwards, kissing
and scethng along the decks, and almost
plnning Us to our places while the wind
bursting ont atresh, swept wildly across the
sea, driving the spray and rain madly before
II, produced scene OF confusion and tumult
almost understandable. For some minutes
could see nothing in the thick darkness which
now surrounded us--could hear nothing but
the roar Of the hurricane and the splash OF
waters. Blu, suddenly a binding flash shot
from cloud almost directly overhead, light
ing up the deck, spars aud guns, for an in
stanls with supernatural glare, and striking
the ocean a;homs distant, ploughcd up
the waters, which it flung in volumes Of spray
in every direction. Before clock could
Pick, the report followed, stunning US with
ITS deatening roar, and railing and cracking
tcariully as i, echoed down the sky. Never
stall f"'se tiiv s'ias,i, LOOKS vi me men,
as bcheld them in that unearihly glare.
! And several minutes after darkness had re-
sumcd its sway, and the roar of the thunder
bad died in Inc distance, my eyes still ached
with that Intense light, and the cracking of
the bolt in my ears.
Meantime the rain descended in torrents,
not, however, falling vertically, but flying
whSlIng before tie hurricane. The uproar
Of the elements now became terrific. The
thunder ratified ntly-the wind shrek
cd through the hamper-cvcry timber and
spar groanod in the strife, and the deep boom
OF the angry surges, pursuing in our wake,
sounded like the howliugs OF beasts Of prey.
The darkness was intense, only relieved by
the glare Of tic lightning which strcamed in.
ccsSanlly over the scene. Whihcr wo were
going 1t was impossible 10 tell, for all con,rol
Of the schooner had been given Up, and we
were scudding before the tempest with
breathess velocity. 4 quarter of an hour
had thus passed, when faund myself stand
Ing 10y the skipper, who was watching the
course of the ship.
East, b. easl-sou'-east," he said, sand
driving Ike death. God Of heaven, what a
storm !"
The words had scarcely left bis mouth be-
fore another peal of thunder, even more aw-
tul than the preceding one have described,
burst overhead, and, stunning us for an in
slant with lis terrific explosion, ratified down
the sky, cracking and recracking in its re-
treat, as if the armament were crashing to
its centre: il was accompanied rather than
preceded by fash, such as had never seen
before, binding me instantaneously with It's
glare, and making every object swim dizzily
before the brain. On the moment | felt "a
stunning shock, and was Frustrated on the
deck, while strong smell Of sulphur perva-
dcd the atmosphere. The deuge of rain re-
vivcd me, and | looked up in alarm. Good
God the foremost was in flames. We had
been struck 'oiM lightning!
Qack as thought the whole horrors of our
situation rose before me. We were on a
painless sea amid raging storm. That
there was little hope of extinguishing the
n