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it lay parallel, and touched the mast for the whole length of the part carried away. Here the vapour must be very low, being wholly below the top, which was unhurt, as was all the rigging and yards of this particular mast. And from the upper deck of the ship to the top could not, in this ship, which was but small, exceed 42 or 44 feet. And in this last case the explosion must have been like gunpowder endeavouring to expand itself every way, because the top and top-mast, and rigging, which was above it, sunk perpendicularly down on the body of the ship, as did the top-mast also, which pierced the upper deck, and stood upright. In this ship there might be at the time of the explosion seventy men upon deck, and not one of them hurt; which I imagine was owing to the vapour being distant above the deck more than the height of a man, as was apparent from a remnant of the mast, which was not touched for six or seven feet immediately above the deck.
The relater was an eye-witness to both these accidents. In this last there remained a stinking vapour for fome time; but in the first case there was not the least smell of sulphur, or any other thing.
