102 THEORY. or 
give a general philofophical folution of them. But I muft 
here obferve, that the following defcriptions are all taken 
from the accounts of mariners, who are indeed the only 
perfons that have opportunities of viewing them; but, un- 
fortunately for the canfe of philofophy, do not ufually ob- 
ferve them with that circumftantial accuracy, refpecting 
the previous and fubfequent ftates of the atmofphere, which 
may be neceflary to found a complete phyfical folution 
upon; nor with any view to that end, as it is foreign to 
their main bufinefs, trade and commerce. But as fuch ac- 
counts are the beft I have met with even in the Tranfac- 
tions of the Royal Society down to 1744, lower than which 
I have not feen them; from fuch I fhall endeavour to draw 
the beft conclufion which the nature of the evidence will 
juttify. 
The moft intelligent and beautiful account of a water 
fpout that lever met with, is in the abridgment of the 
Phil. Tranf. vol. vir1, by Martm, pa. 655, as it was ob= 
ferved by Mr. Fofeph Harris, May 21, 1732, about fun- 
fet, lat. 32° 30 N. long. 9° E. from cape Florida; which 
I fhall here tranfcribe. 
“ When firft we faw the fpout (fays he) it was whole 
*¢ and entire, and much of the fhape and proportion of a 
‘«¢ fpeaking trumpet; the fmall end being downwards, and 
“« reaching to the fea, and the big end terminated in a black 
“ thick cloud. ‘The {pout itfelf was very black, and the 
« more fo the higher up. It feemed to be exa&tly perpen- 
«dicular to the horizon, and its fides perfectly {mooth, 
“« without the leaft ruggednefs. Where it fell the {pray 
“‘ of the fea rofe to a confiderable height, which made 
«« fomewhat the appearance of a great {moke. , From the 
“¢ firft time we faw it, it continued whole about a minute, 
«and till it was quite diflipated about three minutes. It 
“ began to walte from below, and fo gradually up, while 
“ the upper part remained entire, without any vifible al- 
“ teration, till at laft it ended in the black cloud above. 
“« Upon 
