In the year 1798 the Invincible, 74 guns, set sail with a fair wind from England; her crew, twelve men, every one healthy and stout and in the best temper. Their names were as follows:—
| Marcus O’Donell, | Ronald Tragnain, |
| Ferdinand Cortez, | Ernest Fortescue, |
| Felix de Rothsay, | Gustavus Dumally, |
| Eugene Cameron, | Frederick Brunswick |
| Harold FitzGeorge, | (Duke of York), and |
| Henry Clinton, | Arthur Wellesley. |
| Francis Stewart, |
Well, as I said before, we set sail with a fair wind from England on the 1st of March 1798. On the 15th we came in sight of Spain. On the 16th we landed, bought a supply of provisions, and set sail again on the 20th. On the 25th, about noon, Henry Clinton, who was in the shrouds, cried out that he saw the Oxeye.
In a minute we were all on deck and gazing eagerly and fearfully towards the mountain over which we saw hanging in the sky the ominous speck. Instantly the sails were furled, the ship tacked about, and the boat was made ready for launching in our last extremity.
Thus having made everything ready, we retired to the cabin, and every one looked as sheepish as possible and noway inclined to meet our fate like men. Some of us began to cry; but we waited a long time and heard no sound of the wind, and the cloud did not increase in size.
At last Marcus O’Donell exclaimed: ‘I wish it would either go backward or forward.’
At this Stewart reproved him, and Ferdinand gave him a box on the ear. O’Donell returned the compliment; but just then we heard the sound of the wind, and Ronald shouted out:
‘The cloud is as big as me!’
Brunswick pulled Ronald away from the window, and ordered him to hold his tongue. Ronald said he would not and began to sing. Felix de Rothsay put his hand over Ronald’s mouth. Harold FitzGeorge got Rothsay behind the throat. Ernest Fortescue held his fist in O’Donell’s face, and Marcus floored Ernest. Cameron kicked Clinton to the other end of the cabin; and Stewart shouted so loud for them to be quiet that he made the greatest noise of any.
But suddenly they were all silenced by a fierce flash of lightning and a loud peal of thunder. The wind rose and the planks of our ship cracked. Another flash of lightning, brighter and more terrible than the first, split our mainmast and carried away our foretop-sail; and now the flashes of lightning grew terrific and the thunder roared tremendously. The rain poured down in torrents, and the gusts of wind were most loud and terrible. The hearts of the stoutest men in our company now quailed, and even the chief doctor was afraid.