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XIX. 0?i the Phenomena of Water-spouts. By Mr. James 



Main*. 

 TN sailing from Madras to China, the usual course is through 

 * the Straits of Malacca and Sincapore. On the passage 

 from Pulo-penang (i. e. the Island of areca-nut trees) to Ma- 

 lacca, the prospect from the ship was interesting : to the right, 

 the thinly inhabited island of Sumatra was distinctly seen co- 

 vered by impervious jungle, with lofty and thickly growing 

 woods, even to the water's edge. To the left, the kingdoms of 

 Quida, Malay, and Siam, on the continent of Asia, presented 

 the same aspect ; but, unlike many parts of the torrid zone, 

 beautifully verdant and refreshing to the eye which had just 

 left the sultry atmosphere and comparatively thinly planted 

 coast of Coromandel. During the passage through those 

 scenes, the navigation was tedious, and the weather uncom- 

 monly unsettled ; the heat of the air was generally from 75 to 

 85 by Fahrenheit's thermometer. Occasional and insufferably 

 hot gleams of sunshine, raised from the sea ; and especially 

 from the wood-covered and damp surface of the adjacent lands, 

 a most copious evaporation ; surcharging the air, and suddenly 

 forming vast accumulations of clouds, all highly charged with 

 electricity. In all directions lightning descended, followed by 

 heavy and impetuous rain. The surrounding air and clouds 

 converging to the spaces thus left unoccupied, generated va- 

 rious and contrary currents of air, wheeling the clouds in vio- 

 lent commotion ; partial tornados were consequently created : 

 these by their vertiginous course affected the adjacent and sur- 

 rounding vapours, drawing them into the vortices ; the grosser 

 parts of this whirling body of vapour naturally inclined to the 

 centre of the tornado, and there coalescing, formed the aqueous 

 column called a water-spout. 



The first appearance of this phaenomenon is the lower end 

 of the column impending from the base of a dark cloud in the 

 shape of an inverted cone, in a somewhat waved direction, 

 descending gradually to the sea or earth. When it happens to 

 descend on the former, it is plainly discernible that a consider- 

 able body of air below and around the spout partakes of its 

 dinetical motion ; because the water is violently agitated there- 

 with for a considerable time before the point of the cone reaches 

 the surface ; and during its approach, a cylindrical body of thick 

 spray of much greater diameter than the spout, is seen raised 

 from the waves, and appears to meet it in its descent ; and when 

 in collision, the agitation is extreme. The contact continues 

 for ten or twenty minutes, according to the size of the spout ; 



* Communicated by the Author. 



and 



